The increase in population growth has been associated with the changed

consumption patterns of human beings. As a result of the rapid increase in production

and consumption, urban society generates solid material regularly which leads to a
considerable increase in the volume of waste generated from several sources such as
domestic, commercial, institutional wastes etc. (Raju et al. 2011; Singh et al. 2015a).

The domestic waste includes the shopping bags, wood, paper etc. The
commercial sources include wasted food in restaurants, tin cans, etc. On the other hand,
Institutional waste is the trash generated by institutions such as schools, hospitals, non-
manufacturing operations at jails and government facilities, and other comparable
establishments or centres. And all of these wastes result in environmental pollution
(Naqa 2004; Cumar and Nagaraja 2011).

The waste materials deteriorate over time. The organic matter in the waste
material decomposes, and after decomposition the elements in the waste material
change their forms by making new compounds that are toxic and dangerous (Ohri and
Singh 2010).

These dangerous compounds are in the form of gasses and liquid. These gasses
and liquids then affect the surrounding atmosphere and result in environmental
pollution, thus affecting the lives of humans, animals and plants. The bad odor and
smell from the decomposing waster material really affects the environmental
significance and sanctity of the surrounding areas (NERC.,2007).

Environmental pollution is increasing day by day and becoming a major issue

for all living organisms. It has many forms i.e., air, land and water pollution etc.
Sources of pollution includes some natural as well as anthropogenic. They are causing
various hazardous problems for humans as well as all life forms (Singh et al. 2011;
2015). That’s why plants are using to remediate such pollution.

Environmental pollution is due to waste disposal in land by people, industries,

hospitals, agricultural and solid wastes from tanneries etc. (Romero et al. 2013) that
increases enormously. The mismanagement of such wastes leads to the deterioration of
environment as it contains heavy metals, biodegradable (tree leaves, food refuse, and
grass clippings) and non-biodegradable (all toxic substances, paints, chemicals, plastic
goods, metals, rubber, etc) substances (Williamson 2001).
 All these percolates into the soil. Filling of landfill added with rainfall produces
leachate. (Williamson 2001).

The liquid material that is formed when the solid waste deteriorates leads to
production of leachate. For example, the landfill sites are responsible for producing the
leachate. And the leachate produced by the landfill sites keep on getting produced even
decades after the landfill sites are closed down. And that liquid leachate is really
dangerous for the ground water (W.F. Gran., 1999).

The leachate production has a direct effect on the water pollution. The ground
water is affected by the liquid leachate when it percolates from the surface to the
ground. It may contain disease-causing bacteria, heavy materials and other dangerous
materials that can directly cause problems for humans and animals. A leachate has high
levels of salts and NH4 -N along with high organic load (Moreno et al., 2010).

This results in bad scenic view of the cities, bad odor, infestation of rodents and
other animals (Romero et al. 2013).

Although municipal waste compost leachate is one of the problems of compost

production, it may be considered as a source of nutrients and water. Compost leachate
from municipal wastes contains carbon, potassium, nitrogen, trace elements and
phosphorus, that plants can use as nutrients (Paxe´us, 2000; Schwarzbauer et al., 2002;
Baun et al., 2003, 2004).

As per the research down, a very small amount of leachate can render the
ground water unsuitable for domestic and other purposes. Furthermore, it is very high
in the organic matter and includes toxic and carcinogenic chemicals. It is a very
dangerous byproduct of untreated waste disposal that can badly affect the ecosystem
(G.K. Li, N. Sang, Y.C. Zhao., 2004).

As far as the effects of leachate are concerned, its impact on human and animal
lives are deterious. The leachate percolates to the ground water and affects the ground
water sources, thus making them unusable for the humans. Moreover, the leachate from
the municipal and industrial waste sites can cause an increase in the chromosomal
aberration frequency along with damaging the DNA in mouse bone marrow and blood
cells (Chattarjee, C.C. 1983).
 Furthermore, the DNA in peripheral blood lymphocytes of humans can also get
damaged because of this leachate. The effects on the water that is used by animals and
humans from the ground sources that have been polluted by the leachate can include
cholera causing bacteria along with the other disease-causing microbes, thus causing
grave negative consequences for both the lives (N. Sang, G.K. Li., 2005), (Sharholy 2007).

The impacts of the leachate on the plants are both positive and negative. The
positive impacts of the leachate on the plant growth include increase in the quantity of
nutrients-both macro and micro-in the soil, and also the soil productivity and crop yield
(Li and Zhao 2003).

Moreover, research regarding the positive impact of the leachate on the plant
growth showed that there was a positive response in the plant growth and stomatal
conductance because of the irrigation of leachate in diluted form on the plants such as
Acacia Confusa, Leucaena leuocephala and Eucalyptus torelliana (Singh and
Agrawal2010).

In addition to that, high concentration of ammonia in the leachate are also

found. Furthermore, the leachate contains the sources for plant growth such as NHX-N
which can be really beneficial for the plant growth and soil productivity and crop yield.
Lastly, the leachate from the municipal waste can be used as a fertilizer for the plants as
well because it contains elements that are very beneficial to the plant growth (Paxe´us,
2000; Schwarzbauer et al., 2002; Baun et al., 2003, 2004) (Liang et al., 1999).

However, on the other hand, there are negative impacts of the leachate on the
plant growth as well. These include the leaf impairment, decrease in crop yield,
premature senescence and poor plant survival. Furthermore, phytotoxicity in the form
of necrotic spots, brown leaves, degradation of chlorophyll, and chlorosis was observed
in the experiment of irrigation of the leachate on the plants such as Salix babylonica,
Phalaris arundinacea and Populous nigra. However, these signs were observed along
with the increase in the plant growth (Menser et al. 1983).

Additionally, the landfill leachate can cause the problems of salinity and
toxicity. The salinity and toxicity along with the other negative impacts of the leachate
on the plant growth highlight the importance of using the leachate only rationally and
not using it in its concentrated and pure form as that can hamper plant growth, and
ultimately result in the death of the plants. The usage of the leachate in the diluted form
when administered properly on the plants can result in positive consequences contrarily
(Winant et al., 1981; Wong and Leung, 1989 ).