Underground Explorers

Landfills are essential components of municipal waste management systems. However, many landfill sites are environmentally non-compliant, allowing leachates containing heavy metals and other pollutants to infiltrate surrounding soils and compromise soil health. Mycorrhizal fungi are important bioindicators of environmental disturbance because their diversity and community composition are highly sensitive to pollution. This study aims to investigate the distribution of mycorrhizal fungal communities in soils surrounding two landfill sites in South Africa and to examine if local edaphic factors influence their diversity and community structure. By assessing the effects of landfill leachates on mycorrhizal fungal communities, this study will improve our understanding of the impacts of landfill pollution on belowground biodiversity. The findings will also provide scientific evidence to support stricter enforcement of regulations governing landfill operations. Furthermore, the study will help identify pollution-tolerant mycorrhizal taxa that may be used to restore and rehabilitate landfill-degraded soils.