Final answer:
Liquids can leak from rubbish in landfill sites as organic matter decomposes and mixes with rainwater to form leachate; this leachate can contain contaminants from non-biodegradable items like plastic. Landfill leachate can pose environmental risks, exemplified by the Love Canal disaster. Minimizing plastic use can reduce potential leakage and contamination.
Step-by-step explanation:
Liquids can leak out of rubbish in landfill sites due to several factors. One of the main reasons is the decomposition of organic matter, which produces liquids as it breaks down. Additionally, landfills are often not completely airtight, allowing rainwater to seep into the waste. This rainwater then mixes with decomposing waste, forming a liquid known as leachate. As layers of rubbish accumulate, the weight causes a compression effect, squeezing out the leachate, which can then migrate through the waste and soil. Landfills are supposed to have containment systems to collect this leachate to prevent it from polluting the surrounding environment, but sometimes these systems fail or are not properly maintained.
When you consider that plastics, which are not readily biodegradable, combine with rainwater to form leachates, the environmental impact becomes significant. A startling statistic highlights the urgency of this issue: it takes 450 years for one plastic bottle to decompose in a landfill. Moreover, 50 million plastic bottles are thrown away daily in the United States, leading to the potential release of contaminants into the groundwater as these sites fill up.
The Love Canal incident in New York is an example of the dire consequences when containment systems fail. Hazardous chemicals leaked into homes and the environment, leading to significant public health concerns.
Each time you're tempted to reach for a plastic bottle, contemplate the 50 million that end up in landfills each year. Consider other options that spare our environment from the centuries of decomposition that each one contributes to.