leachate

[lee-cheyt]

noun

1. a solution resulting from leaching, as of soluble constituents from soil, landfill, etc., by downward percolating groundwater.

   Leachates in the town's water supply have been traced to a chemical-waste dump.

leachate

/ ˈliːtʃeɪt /

noun

1. water that carries salts dissolved out of materials through which it has percolated, esp polluted water from a refuse tip

Word History and Origins

Origin of leachate¹

First recorded in 1930–35; leach ¹ + -ate ²

Example Sentences

These are intended to simulate how solid waste could release chemicals inside the landfill as it’s exposed to leachate — liquid waste from rainfall or decomposing garbage.

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They stressed that hazardous soil would be sent to landfills with liners and leachate collection systems — equipment that gathers and pumps out liquid waste that trickles to the bottom of the dump.

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“We keep hearing about liners and leachate, but we’re not hearing about wind,” said Erick Fefferman.

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The new study is unusual in that it calculated the mass of microplastics in landfill leachate and wastewater influent and effluent.

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While plastics degrade more slowly in landfills due to the compression of waste and the lack of solar radiation once they're buried, the plastics will continue to break down into smaller particles, which will eventually flow out with the leachate, Scott said.

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