Occurrence and gas chromatographic determination of volatile fatty acids in landfill leachate. The case of two landfills in Gdansk Pomerania, Poland

In landfills containing biological matter volatile fatty acids (VFAs) are generated at high rate at the early stage of waste disposal and their content in leachate is high as compared to the leachate from old parts of landfill since they are converted to methane gas. Monitoring of the leachate for the content of VFAs can help determine the processes occurring in waste and possible effect of the leachate on the environment in the case of some leakage. The content of VFAs was determined, using the method developed, in inflow and outflow of ground water and in the brook water passing through one landfill upstream and downstream of the landfill. The data show that some, though rather small, amounts of the acids generated in the landfill are transferred to the above waters. VFAs were determined in the two landfills of similar age and waste composition; their contents in the leachate were not drastically different.