Bio-thermal effects of open dumps on surroundings detected by remote sensing—Influence of geographical conditions. (November 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mahmood, Khalid; Batool, Adila; Faizi, Fiza; Chaudhry, Muhammad Nawaz; Ul-Haq, Zia; Rana, Asim Daud; Tariq, Salman
• Is Part Of: Ecological indicators. Volume 82(2017)
• Page Start: 131
• Page End: 142
• Publication Date: 2017-11
• Subjects: MSW open dumps -- Bio-indicators -- Land surface temperature -- Geography -- Remote sensing -- Geographic Information System (GIS); Environmental monitoring -- Periodicals; Environmental management -- Periodicals; Environmental impact analysis -- Periodicals; Environmental risk assessment -- Periodicals; Sustainable development -- Periodicals; 333.71405
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2017.06.042
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1470-160X

Abstract

Highlights: Remotely sensed satellite data can be used to study bio-thermal effects of MSW open dumps. Use of proper GIS analysis is compulsory to get reliable information from remote sensing data. Neighborhood geography around the dumps determines GIS methodology and intensity of the bio-thermal impacts. A suitable distance from agricultural land should also be consider as one of the main criteria in MSW dumping site selection. Abstract: This study has used remotely sensed data of Landsat-8 for monitoring open dumps of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) using vegetation health as a bio-indicator and thermal emissions from it. Open dump of Mahmood Booti has been found to affect the surrounding vegetation up to 800 m in dry summers and reducing to 400 m in winters, while averaging to a distance of about 650 m. Average thermal influence zone has been observed to have same radial extent of about 650 m varying between the minimum of 350 m in dry summer and maximum of 1000 m in winter. All the corresponding details of bio-indicators and temperature variations have also been discussed. In addition to this, the results and methodology of spatial analysis for Mahmood Booti dump of Lahore, Pakistan, surrounded by a heterogeneous land cover, have been compared with the main dumping facility of Faisalabad, Pakistan, which is surrounded by a homogeneous vegetation cover all around. This comparison yielded two main conclusions, first, the surrounding geography of an open MSW dump affects the severity of bio-thermal effects, in addition to waste age, characterization, pile etc. Second, GIS analysis for studying bio-thermal effects requires modification that varies for prevailing neighborhood land cover conditions of MSW open dumps. Use of remotely sensed data for monitoring dumped MSW is a good alternative but selection of proper GIS methodology, representing natural setting of phenomena is equally important as that of the accuracy of the remotely sensed data.