Integrated approach for the analysis of ecosystems at risk: a case study in a waste landfill

Waste landfills are currently the most widely used method to dispose municipal waste, mainly in highly populated cities. Landfills can be a source of a large number of toxicant elements and compounds diffuse through air fallout or leachate release. Some research has been shown that landfills spreads a large number of compounds that, since industrial revolution, are increasingly accumulated in the soil and in the litter and that in some situations, may be available for the species even at considerable distances from the source (Gagnon and Saulnier, 2003). There are many studies on the chemical characterization of leachate and air but they represent only the first step for a meaningful environmental impact evaluation. For these reasons one of the most important activities concerning the management of a municipal waste landfill regards the control and environmental monitoring aimed to safeguard both of the structural aspects of the plant (i.e., efficiency) both the environmental quality of the site. Quantification of heavy elements levels in soil and air cannot generate sufficient information on impact because the absolute metal concentration alone does not reflect the degree to which these compounds affect the environment (Cheung et al., 1993). Data on the bioaccumulation and effects of leachate on wild populations are essential to assess the environmental impact of these disposal sites. In this paper we propose an evaluation method that brings together biomonitoring techniques, morphometric measurements (fluctuating asymmetry), cytometric tests on cells of the hepatopancreas of Armadillidium vulgare (Isopoda, Crustacea, Latreille, 1804) and quantitative analysis of lichens; an integrated approach that can provide information about the state of health of the ecosystem before it gets evident alterations