Leachate is a product derived from the anaerobic transformation of the organic substances present in the waste. It is a liquid with different levels of pollutants present, the form and quantity of which will depend on factors such as the type of landfill, and the quantity of rainwater which filters through the landfill, mixing with the humidity of the waste itself. Due to the high level of pollution present the leachate has to be contained and treated so as to avoid the pollution of the water table or of the environment. The leachate is highly variable from a qualitative and a quantitative point of view, both from one landfill to another, and within the same landfill, due to the fact that the concentration and flow are both closely connected to values of atmospheric precipitation.

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