Chemical composition of landfill leachate in a karst area with a Mediterranean climate (Marbella, southern Spain)

 Between March 1994 and April 1997, the physical and chemical parameters and chemical composition of the urban solid waste leachate of the Marbella landfill (southern Spain) were determined. The data obtained show an ammonium and sodium chloride and bicarbonate type, a pH>7 and high mineralization, effectively described by the following parameters: Na⁺, K⁺, NH₄ ⁺, Cl^– and alkalinity. The chemical composition depends on the rainfall: in dry years, the mineralization and component concentrations have values as much as double those found in normal rainfall years. After storm events, a major and rapid dilution (within several hours) is seen in the leachate. Received: 28 January 1998 · Accepted: 2 June 1998     

Geoelectrical surveys of the Nanjido waste landfill in Seoul,Korea

Electrical surveys have routinely been taken to map and monitor groundwater contamination. In 1994-1996, various electrical surveys were applied to investigate contaminant distributions in the ground at the Nanjido landfill. The geophysical survey data were compared with other available information, particularly boring data. Interpretations of electrical survey data show low resistivity zones below 10 ohm-m which appear to be zones fully saturated with leachate. Annual variations of resistivity anomalies clearly indicate that resistivities and thicknesses of layers contaminated by leachate become lower and thicker in and around the Nanjido landfill during one year. In particular, mean thickness of saturated layers with leachate increased by about 3-6 m/year and the resistivity of bedrock decreased. It seems obvious that ground contamination by leachate is in progress. In the area northeast of the landfill, no evidence of bedrock contamination is indicated. Soundings made at one year intervals in this area do not show any evidence of further ground contamination by leachate. From these results, it appears that contamination of the weathered zone and bedrock is in progress mainly southwest of the Nanjido landfill.     

Pyrite formation driven by MSW landfill leachate in the Madrid Basin, Spain

The role of municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill leachate on the genesis of minor amounts of pyrite associated with gypsum in an otherwise predominantly evaporitic sequence was studied in geological and geochemical terms. The potential association between landfill leachate and the conditions required for bacterial reduction of sulfate and fixation of H₂S as pyrite were examined. The lithological column was generally found to contain little or no Fe. The δ³⁴S values for sulfates were consistent with previously reported data; however, the measured δ¹⁸O values were slightly higher. Sulfides disseminated in the marl/lutite exhibited higher δ³⁴S values (≈−8‰) than gypsum-coating pyrite crystals (δ³⁴S < −30‰). Dissolution of gypsum to sulfate and the supply of metabolizable organic matter and Fe required for H₂S fixation as sulfides may have originated from landfill leachate. Intermittent availability of leachate, a result of the precipitation regime, can facilitate sulfur disproportionation and lead to fractionations as high as      

Suitability of Hydrologic Evaluation of Landfill Performance (HELP) model of the US Environmental Protection Agency for the simulation of the water balance of landfill cover systems

 Cover systems are widely used to safeguard landfills and contaminated sites. The evaluation of the water balance is crucial for the design of landfill covers. The Hydrologic Evaluation of Landfill Performance (HELP) model of the US Environmental Protection Agency was developed for this purpose. This paper discusses some limitations of version 2 of this model and some operational difficulties for the use of this model in Germany, which has been developed for the United States. The model results are tested against field data of the water balance, measured on test fields on the Georgswerder landfill in Hamburg. Theoretically, HELP considers gravitational forces as driving forces of water flow only. Therefore capillary barriers cannot be simulated. Furthermore, the formation of and the flow through macropores are not considered, a main critical process that the diminishes the effectiveness of compacted soil liners. In the output comparison, the matching of measured and simulated data is quite good for lateral drainage, but failed for surface runoff and liner leakage through compacted soil liners. A further validation study is planned for HELP version 3 using a broader range of test field data. Received: 10 January 1995 · Accepted: 14 November 1995     

DC-resistivity mapping of internal landfill structures: two pre-excavation surveys

 Geophysical investigations using 2-D DC resistivity were carried out on old parts of two similar landfills, with waste of different ages. The data sets, which included high data density in both vertical and horizontal directions, were interpreted with 2-D smoothness constrained inversion. The landfills were excavated after the surveying. The objective was to test the capability of the resistivity method as a pre-characterization technique. The objectives were only partially fulfilled. First, the moisture content was the parameter that appeared to exert the dominant control over the resistivity distribution of the landfill. The most important potential information that can be recovered is, therefore, an indication of the waste piles hydraulics. Second, it was neither possible to estimate the amount of recoverable soils, nor to correlate the type of waste with the resistivity models. However, discrete anomalies were identified, and if specific materials are searched for, the resistivity models indicate possible places to search. Received: 23 July 1998 · Accepted: 20 October 1998     

Analysis of remedial alternatives of the Nanji Landfill,Korea

 This paper presents an analysis of various remedial alternatives for a representative waste disposal site causing serious adverse affects to the surrounding soil and surface and groundwater systems and discusses the application of this approach in a case study. The numerical flow model along with the transport model in three dimensions were utilized to simulate current flow conditions at the site and its vicinity for calibration and to provide the analysis results for various remedial alternatives, such as top capping, vertical barrier, extraction, and hydrodynamic control. While the development of remedial alternatives and the selection of the most effective remedial measures are highly site-specific, the approach and methodology presented in this paper have general applicability. The conditions outlined in this study are used by environmental engineers and planners who incorporated economic and engineering decisions and public acceptance for various remedial measures considered; they also provide insight into the difficulties and special considerations associated with modeling and analyzing remedial alternatives. Received: 19 September 1995 · Accepted: 6 November 1995     

Metal speciation and attenuation in stream waters and sediments contaminated by landfill leachate

The degree of metal contamination (Zn, Pb, Cu, Ni, Cd) has been investigated in the vicinity of an old unmonitored municipal landfill in Prague, Czech Republic, where the leachate is directly drained into a surface stream. The water chemistry was coupled with investigation of the stream sediment (aqua regia extract, sequential extraction, voltammetry of microparticles) and newly formed products (SEM/EDS, XRD). The MINTEQA2 speciation-solubility calculation showed that the metals (Zn, Pb, Cu, Ni) are mainly present as carbonate complexes in leachate-polluted surface waters. These waters were oversaturated with respect to Fe(III) oxyhydroxides, calcite (CaCO₃) and other carbonate phases. Three metal attenuation mechanisms were identified in leachate-polluted surface waters: (i) spontaneous precipitation of metal-bearing calcite exhibiting significant concentrations of trace elements (Fe, Mn, Mg, Sr, Ba, Pb, Zn, Ni); (ii) binding to Fe(III) oxyhydroxides (mainly goethite, FeOOH) (Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni); and (iii) preferential bonding to sediment organic matter (Cu). These processes act as the key scavenging mechanisms and significantly decrease the metal concentrations in leachate-polluted water within 200 m from the direct leachate outflow into the stream. Under the near-neutral conditions governing the sediment/water interface in the landfill environment, metals are strongly bound in the stream sediment and remain relatively immobile.     

Analysis of flow behavior in a landfill with cover soil of low hydraulic conductivity

 This paper presents the results of field tests of hydrologic parameters in a landfill and the results of numerical simulation to find the efficiency of the pumping method to reduce leachate levels in the landfill. The field hydraulic conductivity and storativity of waste and buried cover soils in the landfill are measured by pumping and slug tests. The hydrologic condition inside the landfill is first calibrated using the drawdown-time curve obtained from the pumping test, and the flow behavior of leachate during pumping in the landfill, when various layers of waste and buried cover soil exist, is analyzed through three-dimensional numerical simulation of flow. The results of the field investigation show that the buried cover soil of low hydraulic conductivity forms an impermeable layer preventing the downward flow of leachate and upward flow of landfill gas. The hydraulic conductivities of the pumping test and slug tests were quite close on the same order of magnitude. It was also possible to match the drawdown-time data of the field tests with those of the model using input data close to the hydrologic property obtained from the field tests. The numerical flow analysis showed that pumping was possible up to 120 tons/day for a single well without a drain, while the pumping rate could be increased to 300 tons/day for the same well with the drain. From the vertical section of the flow vector with a horizontal drain, the barrier role of buried cover soil is identified, which was proposed by examining the water contents of the disposed cover soil and waste in the field. Received: 15 May 1998 · Accepted: 4 January 1999     

渗滤液水位以下垃圾体产气对孔隙压力影响研究

为了研究渗滤液水位以下产气对孔隙压力的影响,从孔隙气在渗滤液水位以下特定的流动状态出发,采用峰值产气模型,结合了达西定律、理想气体状态方程和多孔介质流体动力学理论,建立了渗滤液水位以下考虑产气作用的气液迁移模型。运用差分法对产气引起的气液迁移问题进行了数值求解。计算结果表明,渗滤液水位以下垃圾体的产气对孔隙压力的影响主要有渗滤液渗流引起的附加孔隙压力和水位升高引起的附加孔隙压力,按孔隙气所处阶段的不同可以分为孔隙气被封闭时孔压积聚阶段、孔隙气突破孔隙水封闭时的孔压急剧消散阶段以及由对流作用控制的气液运移阶段;高产气速率、高渗滤液水位和低渗透系数都会使得垃圾体内产生较高的孔隙压力;降低填埋场内渗滤液水位是减小产气对孔隙压力影响的有效措施。     

Assessment of the geological and hydrogeological environment at a site of government-level conflict in Incheon, Korea

 The natural environment of an environmental conflict site in Incheon, Korea was assessed with a focus on the hydrogeological environment. Residents had made claims against a company because of health problems, including skin tumors. More specifically, the residents suspected that their drinking groundwater had been contaminated by glass fibers which had caused the health problems. Air, soil, and groundwater samples were analyzed to estimate whether environmental pollution could have caused the problems claimed by the residents. No specific evidence was found from this study to support the groundwater contamination by glass fibers, but groundwater contamination by leaked fuel oils was confirmed in the course of evaluating the glass fiber problem. Received: 16 May 1997 · Accepted: 18 August 1997     

Environmental impact assessment on water quality deterioration caused by the decreased Ganges outflow and saline water intrusion in south-western Bangladesh

 This paper deals with an environmental impact assessment of low water flow in the river Ganges during a dry period at the Khulna and Mongla port areas in south-western Bangladesh. Large-scale surface water withdrawal in India after commissioning the Farakka Barrage causes a drastic fall in the Ganges low-flow condition within the Bangladesh territory during every dry period. The average lowest discharge in the Ganges is 552 m³/s, which is about 73% less than that in the pre-Farakka time. This has caused the deterioration of both surface and groundwater quality of the study area. Salinity is the principal cause of water quality degradation in the area. Present observation shows that the surface water of the area is sulphate-chloride dominated, which signifies high salinity whereas the groundwater is categorized as of medium to high salinity. To maintain the Rupsa River's maximum salinity below 1000 μS/cm the discharge in the Ganges should be ∼1500 m³/s, whereas that at Garai basin is ∼10 m³/s. If this present situation continues it will be a crippling blow to the environment of the area in the long term. An integrated multidisciplinary approach to hydrogeological research is urgently required to salvage the area from further deterioration. Received: 9 August 1999 · Accepted: 8 March 2000     

Testing the ability of bentonite-amended natural zeolite (clinoptinolite) to remove heavy metals from liquid waste

 The design of environmentally sound liquid waste containment structures has become a crucial task in engineering applications due to ever increasing groundwater contamination from such sites. Construction of such structures usually requires a bottom liner of low hydraulic conductivity as part of the design. In order to reduce the hazards associated with liquid wastes including landfill leachate, bentonite-amended natural zeolite is proposed as an alternative to conventional earthen liners. Among many contaminants associated with liquid wastes, heavy metals are the most dangerous ones. This paper deals with determining the ability of natural zeolite to remove heavy metals from aqueous waste. For this purpose, crushed natural zeolite (clinoptinolite) is amended with commercial powdered bentonite to yield a soil mixture low in permeability and high in ion-exchange capacity. Leachate from a conventional landfill is used as the percolation fluid. Concentrations of certain heavy metals in the effluent fluid percolated through the bentonite-zeolite mixture are compared with that of initial leachate. The conclusion is reached that certain metals are efficiently removed from the influent solution by the soil matrix whereas some ions do not show significant reduction in concentration. This is attributed to high hydraulic conductivity of the bentonite-zeolite mixture.     

Hydrogeological and geotechnical assessments of the Kadifekale landslide area, İzmir, Turkey

 The study area is located in the south of İzmir city centre in an area built without planning permission or any overall city plan. In this area, a number of mass movements occurred in the past and the region is still an active landslide field at present. The real sliding factor is geological structure, which is made up of hard volcanic rocks overlying soft Neogene clayey soils, and forms a typical structure prone to sliding. Unplanned human activities change the hydrogeological and geotechnical stabilities of the geological formations in a negative way. Rain and water leaking either directly from the mains or septic holes infiltrate into the ground and act as one of the factors in causing landslides. It is clearly shown that the irregular urbanization in and around Kadifekale is one of the factors contributing to the landslides in the area. To prevent the occurrence of landslides in the study area an effective surface and under ground drainage should be established. Rain and wastewater should be removed from the area by separate systems. Slopes should be reduced, water-loving trees should be planted and construction of high rise buildings should be avoided. Received: 12 December 1997 · Accepted: 4 April 2000     

Environmental considerations in the fertilizer use decision

 The increase in the use of fertilizer in agricultural production has been associated with a substantial increase in agricultural productivity in the United States. This increase in fertilizer use has been driven by a variety of economic forces including variations in the price of output and changing relative factor prices. Associated with the increase in the use of fertilizer have been adverse environmental consequences that are not reflected in the costs and returns of agricultural production. That is, externalities exist whose cost need to be internalized. Because the use of fertilizer has been shown to respond to market forces, it is efficient to use the market to control the use of fertilizer. This can be done through, for example, the use of a fertilizer tax. Received: 31 December 1996 · Accepted: 13 May 1997     

Engineering geological assessment of a proposed waste disposal site in coastal southwestern Ghana

 An engineering geological investigation has been undertaken of a proposed landfill site in coastal southwestern Ghana which is characterized by torrential rains, high relative humidity, shallow groundwater conditions and almost surrounded by a ridge. The study shows that the site has some desirable characteristics such as availability of suitable soils for the construction of the capping and bottom liners of the landfill, a large tract of land for landfilling operation and its location close to a major highway. However, the groundwater table was shallow and there was a high potential for leachate intrusion into and consequent contamination of nearby groundwater abstraction wells and surface potable water sources thereby constituting serious threat to life. Construction costs could be prohibitive as extensive dewatering and backfilling of vast portions of the project site would be required to enable the provision of a separation between the shallow water table and the bottom of the landfill. Received: 20 January 1998 · Accepted: 26 May 1998     

An investigation of the environmental loads of Shei-Pa National Park in Taiwan

 Recreation is one of the functions of national parks. Nevertheless, heavy tourism has started to impose serious problems on the maintenance of some national parks in Taiwan. This study has tried to survey as well as calculate the impact problems resulting from park tourism in terms of environmental loads. A simple method is proposed to calculate the quantity of environmental loads. Only visitor information from questionnaires and per capita data are needed in the calculation process. Shei-Pa National Park was taken as an example. The water demand, the electricity used and the various forms of the environmental loads, including wastewater and solid waste discharge, were all surveyed and calculated on a per capita basis. Received: 21 July 1999 · Accepted: 8 November 1999     

钾、钠离子对垃圾渗滤液RO浓缩液中鸟粪石结晶的影响

垃圾渗滤液RO浓缩液等高氨氮废水中钾钠离子浓度较高,而钾钠离子对鸟粪石结晶法回收氨的影响规律尚未了解。本文通过向人工配制不同钾钠浓度的模拟和实际RO浓缩液中投加镁盐、磷酸盐促使鸟粪石结晶,测定结晶前后溶液中氨氮、磷酸盐、钾钠离子浓度,并利用XRD、SEM分析结晶产物的结构和形貌,探讨钾钠离子对鸟粪石结晶及氨回收率的影响。结果表明,随着K~+浓度增加,氨氮回收率由96. 5%降至83. 0%,结晶产物中K~+质量分数由2. 4%升至6. 4%;鸟粪石特征衍射峰向高角度偏移,说明K~+进入鸟粪石晶格位置形成含钾鸟粪石;由于K~+与NH4+存在竞争,在相同镁、氨氮、磷配比条件下会降低氨的回收率,但K~+对鸟粪石粒径和形貌基本无影响。Na+对氨氮回收率影响不显著,但会影响鸟粪石晶体形貌。用实际垃圾渗滤液RO浓缩液实验表明,在鸟粪石结晶回收氨氮的水处理中考虑到K~+的竞争,提高镁盐、氨氮与磷酸盐的投加比例为1. 8∶1∶1. 5即可保证氨氮的回收率,同时还可部分回收其中的K~+成为缓释肥营养组分。     

Environmental impact of an urban landfill on a coastal aquifer (El Jadida, Morocco)

The El Jadida landfill is one among many uncontrolled dumping sites in Morocco with no bottom liner. About 150 tons/day of solid wastes from mixed urban and industrial origins are placed directly on the ground. At the site of this landfill, the groundwaters circulate deeply (10–15 m) in the Cenomanian rock (calcareous–marl), which is characterised by an important permeability from cracks. The soil is sand–clay characterized by a weak coefficient of retention.The phreatic water ascends to the bottom of three quarries, which are located within the landfill. These circumstances, along with the lack of a leachate collection system, worsen the risks for a potential deterioration of the aquifer.To evaluate groundwater pollution due to this urban landfill, piezometric level and geochemical analyses have been monitored since 1999 on 60 wells. The landfill leachate has been collected from the three quarries that are located within the landfill. The average results of geochemical analyses show an important polluant charge vehiculed by landfill leachate (chloride = 5680 mg l⁻¹, chemical oxygen demand = 1000 mg l⁻¹, iron = 23 000 μg l⁻¹). They show also an important qualitative degradation of the groundwater, especially in the parts situated in the down gradient area and in direct proximity to the landfill. In these polluted zones, we have observed the following values: higher than 4.5 mS cm⁻¹ in electric conductivity, 1620 and 1000 mg l⁻¹ respectively in chlorides and sulfate (), 15–25 μg l⁻¹ in cadmium, and 60–100 μg l⁻¹ in chromium. These concentrations widely exceed the standard values for potable water.Several determining factors in the evolution of groundwater contamination have been highlighted, such as (1) depth of the water table, (2) permeability of soil and unsaturated zone, (3) effective infiltration, (4) humidity and (5) absence of a system for leachate drainage. So, to reduce the pollution risks of the groundwater, it is necessary to set a system of collection, drainage and treatment of landfill leachates and to emplace an impermeable surface at the site of landfill, in order to limit the infiltration of leachate.     

Hydrogeochemistry of mine, surface and groundwaters from the Sanggok mine creek in the upper Chungju Lake, Republic of Korea

 The Sanggok mine used to be one of the largest lead-zinc mines in the Hwanggangri mining district, Republic of Korea. The present study characterizes the heavy metal contamination in the abandoned Sanggok mine creek on the basis of physico-chemical properties of various kinds of water samples (mine, surface and groundwater). Hydrochemistry of the water samples is characterized by the relatively significant enrichment of Ca²⁺, HCO₃ ^–, NO₃ ^– and Cl^– in the surface and groundwaters, whereas the mine water is relatively enriched in Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, heavy metals, and HCO₃ ^– and SO₄ ^2–. The more polluted mine water has a lower pH and higher Eh, conductivity and TDS values. The concentrations of some toxic elements (Al, As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Se, Sr, Pb and Zn) are tens to hundreds of times higher in the mine water than in the unpolluted surface and groundwaters. However, most immobile toxic pollutants from the mine drainage were quickly removed from the surface water by the precipitation of Al and Fe oxyhydroxides. Geochemical modeling showed that potentially toxic heavy metals might exist largely in the forms of MSO₄ ^2– and M²⁺ in the mine water. These metals in the surface and groundwaters could form M²⁺, CO₃ ^2– and OH^– complex ions. Computer simulation indicates that the saturation indices of albite, alunite, anhydrite, chlorite, fluorite, gypsum, halloysite and strontianite in the water samples are undersaturated and have progressively evolved toward the saturation condition. However, barite, calcite, chalcedony, dolomite, gibbsite, illite and quartz were in equilibrium, and only clay minerals were supersaturated. Ground and mine waters seemed to be in equilibrium with kaolinite field, but some surface water were in equilibrium with gibbsite and seceded from the stability field of quartz. This indicates that surface water samples in reaction with carbonate rocks would first equilibrate with carbonate minerals, then gibbsite to kaolinite. Investigations on water quality and environmental improvement of the severely polluted Sanggok creek, as well as remediation methods on the possible future pollution of the groundwater by the acid mine drainage from the abandoned metal mines, are urgently required. Received: 4 February 2000 · Accepted: 9 May 2000     

Geochemical evaluation of suitability of sites for hazardous waste disposal: a case study of recent and old waste-disposal sites in Calabar Municipality, SE Nigeria

 Two waste-disposal sites (old and new) in Calabar Municipality, SE Nigeria were evaluated to assess their suitability as landfill sites and their impact on the groundwater. The field investigation included surface geological/hydrogeological and geochemical studies. Leachate and groundwater were sampled and analysed for 3 months (April, May and June, 1997) for geochemical characterisation. The results indicate that the two waste-disposal sites in the Calabar Municipality do not meet the requirements as landfill sites. Physico-chemical analyses for temperature, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand after 5 days of incubation (BOD₅), sulphate, nitrates, nitrite, trace and major elements in the leachate known to impact human health and the environment, indicate high levels of pollution. The values for groundwater in the vicinity of the disposal sites were found to be within the World Health Organisation (WHO) permissible limit. Received: 29 March 1999 · Accepted: 3 January 2000