What is leachate?

Study for the Water, Air, Energy, and Waste Management for Environmental Sustainability Test. Prepare with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

Multiple Choice

What is leachate?

Explanation:
Leachate is the liquid that forms when water or other liquids move through waste and dissolve or suspend substances from that waste. As precipitation or other fluids percolate through trash, they pick up organic matter, salts, metals, and other contaminants, creating a contaminated liquid. This leachate can migrate through soil and threaten groundwater if not collected and treated, which is why landfills use liners and leachate collection and treatment systems. The other terms don’t describe the liquid itself: geologic disposal is a way to place waste, isolation is a general idea of keeping hazards separate, and e-waste is electronic waste.

Leachate is the liquid that forms when water or other liquids move through waste and dissolve or suspend substances from that waste. As precipitation or other fluids percolate through trash, they pick up organic matter, salts, metals, and other contaminants, creating a contaminated liquid. This leachate can migrate through soil and threaten groundwater if not collected and treated, which is why landfills use liners and leachate collection and treatment systems. The other terms don’t describe the liquid itself: geologic disposal is a way to place waste, isolation is a general idea of keeping hazards separate, and e-waste is electronic waste.

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