ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF SHARRA LANDFILL IN TIRANA, ALBANIA, REGARDING WATER SYSTEM

Sharra landfill is designed and constructed in accordance with a quality system acceptable to Albanian legislation and operate on the basis of environment protection regulation which function in two stages - planning and operation. Some specific standards regarding landfill’s operation are applied regarding some important chemical-physical parameters in ground water and surface water control. Some periodical controls are applied from the beginning of the landfill (before the year 2008) till now. It is clearly demonstrated the parameters under investigation are decreased several times and actually fulfills the approved standards. Most important parameters under investigation are: pH, NH4+, NO3-, NO2-, conductivity and water hardness. Very high levels of nutrients like NH4+, NO3- and NO2- are found on the beginning of the operation of the landfill. After intervention the improvements on the leaching parameters are evident followed by the drastically decreasing of the nutrients content in ground water and surface water systems. Ammonium content (NH4+) was the most critical parameter. It was found to be in very high level (fluctuated on the range between 0.15 to 100.0 ) before the intervention and decreased highly reaching the normal level of 0.02 .