ASSESSMENT OF THE LEVELS OF PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS IN THE GHABAWI LANDFILL IN JORDAN

Introduction: In the early 2003s, the Jordanian municipality of Al-Ghabawi began operating a municipal solid waste dump. As a result of inefficient waste management, it might be a substantial source of contaminants in the environment and a hazard to human health. All environmental elements (water, air, soil, and biota) are contaminated as a result of inefficient garbage disposal. The pollution of the environment in the area of garbage dumps and landfills is a big concern, caused by wind, uncontrolled waste burning, and evaporation of organic components. As a result, landfills may be hazardous to employees and the environment. Aim of Work: Residues of selected Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) as chemical pollutants were evaluated in leachate, soil, and groundwater in the Al-Ghabawi site to assess environmental quality in the landfill and the surrounding area. Materials and Methods: Samples were collected during 2020 in order to know their content of Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), Organochlorine Pesticides(OCPs)and their metabolites. The sampling and analysis were conducted according to international standard methods. Results: The results of this study showed that the concentration (µg L −1 ) of PCBs congers ranged between (0.51–0.53 µg L −1 ) in the test1 and (0.15-0.33 µg L −1 ) in the leachate of Ghabawi landfill, whereas less than (1.00 µg L −1 ) in the mixed leachate from five cells. Some targeted PCBs were detected and it was distributed as this order: PCB189 and PCB169 > PCB77 > PCB167 > PCB157, PCB81, PCB126 and PCB156> PCB123 and PCB105> PCB118> PCB114. The concentration of total DDT varied from 2.16 µg/ L to 3.38 µg/L in leachate samples; 3.19 ng/g to 2.91 ng/g in soil samples and 0.25 µg/L to 1.94 µg/L in groundwater into the study area. Conclusion and Recommendations: The study concluded that there were some pollutants in the landfill area and the surrounding environment. These pollutants pose threat to the workers in the landfill. POPs regulations and control measures should be enforced to protect human health and the environment. Ensure safe and sound disposal methods for the waste containing POPs, considering the final destruction of POPs or irreversibly transformed; so no longer have the characteristics of POPs.