Geoenvironmental site investigation using different techniques in a municipal solid waste disposal site in Brazil

Different geoenvironmental site investigation techniques to assess contamination from a municipal solid waste disposal site in Brazil are presented here. Superficial geophysical investigation (geoelectrical survey), resistivity piezocone penetration tests (RCPTU), soil samples collected with direct-push samplers and water samples collected from monitoring wells were applied in this study. The application of the geoelectrical method was indispensable to identify the presence and flow direction of contamination plumes (leachate) as well as to indicate the most suitable locations for RCPTU tests and soil and water sampling. Chemical analyses of groundwater samples contributed to a better understanding of the flow of the contaminated plume. The piezocone presented some limitations for tropical soils, since the groundwater level is sometimes deeper than the layer which is impenetrable to the cone, and the soil genesis and unsaturated conditions affect soil behavior. The combined interpretation of geoelectrical measurements and soil and water samplings underpinned the interpretation of RCPTU tests. The interpretation of all the test results indicates that the contamination plume has already overreached the landfill’s west-northwest borders. Geoenvironmental laboratory test results suggest that contamination from the solid waste disposal site has been developing gradually, indicating the need for continuous monitoring of the groundwater.     

Modeling municipal solid waste landfill settlement

A good prediction of solid waste landfill settlement is important for landfill design and rehabilitation. A one-dimensional model which accounts for mechanical settlement and biodegradation processes is developed to simulate the settlement behavior of municipal solid waste landfill. The derivation of analytical solutions for specific conditions is introduced. The numerical approach, capable of coping with more general conditions, is also presented to estimate the spatial and temporal distribution of landfill settlement. The proposed model can simulate typical features of short- and long-term landfill settlement behaviors. With proper selection of parameter values, field measurements are well simulated by this model. The effects of some design parameters on the settlement behavior of municipal solid waste landfills are also examined with the help of this model.     

我国城市垃圾填埋场岩土工程研究的现状与展望

本文从垃圾填埋场的场地选择,城市垃圾的成分及其工程性质、覆盖粘性土层工程性质,垃圾填埋场的结构优化设计,渗滤液的运移模型的研究等方面介绍我国城市垃圾填埋场岩土工程研究现状.     

城市固体垃圾应力-应变-时间关系试验研究

通过室内蠕变试验,研究了城市固体垃圾（MSW）的蠕变变形规律。采用分级加载方式对初始孔隙比为2~4和初始有机物含量在15%~75%的MSW试样进行压缩降解试验。研究发现,应力-应变-时间曲线斜率随着初始孔隙比和初始有机物含量的增加逐渐减小,即材料压缩模量逐渐减小。采用指数模型拟合城市固体垃圾的应力-应变等时曲线,并取得了很好的拟合效果,模型参数简单易求,可反映城市固体垃圾压缩性的大小及其压缩机制。通过对指数模型求导,得到城市固体垃圾的切线压缩模量,切线压缩模量随初始孔隙比和易降解有机物含量的增加呈指数型衰减,初始孔隙比在2~3之间时,初始压缩模量衰减较快,也就是说,在该范围内,初始孔隙比对城市固体垃圾变形影响较大。     

A comparative study of waste landfill disposal in different countries

This study draws attention to the fact that natural processes can mobilize thallium （Tl）, a highly toxic metal, which may enter the food chain with severe health impacts on the local human population. A rural area having independent Tl mineralization in southwestern Guizhou, China, was chosen for a pilot study. Tl contents of soils extracted by HNO3 in the study area range from 35-165 mg/kg in soils from the mining area, 14-78 mg/kg in alluvial deposits downstream, and 〈0.2-0.5 mg/kg in soils from the background area. Tl contents in ammonium acetate EDTA-extracted fraction are 0.013-1.3 mg/kg, less than 1% of concentration in HNO3-extracted fraction. The amounts of Tl in NH4Ac-extracted fraction were thought to be more exchangeable and bioavailable, i.e., immediately available to plants and/or available to plant roots over a period of years. Tl concentration in crops exhibits species-dependent preferences. The enrichment of Tl in edible crop species decreases in the following order： green cabbage〉chili〉Chinese cabbage〉rice〉com. The highest level of Tl in green cabbage is up to 500 mg/kg （DW）, surpassing the values of Tl in the soils （13-59 mg/kg）. The enrichment factor for TI in green cabbage is up to 1-10 when considering the HNO3-extracted Tl, but the factor highly rises to 30-1300 while considering the NH4Ac-extracted Tl. The average daily uptake of Tl by the local villagers through consumption of locally planted crops was estimated at about 1.9 mg per person, which is 50 times the daily ingestion from the Tl-free background area.     

垃圾土蠕变-降解特性的室内试验研究

通过室内蠕变-降解对比试验,研究了城市固体废弃物（MSW）的长期变形过程,详细地分析了MSW应变、沉降速率以及孔隙比随时间的变化规律。试验结果显示,考虑有机物降解情况下沉降速率与时间在双对数坐标下呈线性关系;不同的生物降解条件下MSW的变形特性表现出不同的规律。研究表明,MSW的蠕变变形是应力与有机物生物降解耦合作用的结果,采用室内蠕变-降解试验可以很好地模拟垃圾土的沉降变形过程,为室内进一步研究垃圾土的蠕变降解特性提供了很好的依据。     

城市固体垃圾填埋场不均匀沉降分析

老垃圾填埋场竖向扩建时垃圾堆体的不均匀沉降控制是中间防渗衬垫系统设计的基础,正确计算和分析垃圾堆体的不均匀沉降将是老填埋场竖向扩建时成功与否的关键。研究了竖向扩建时垃圾不均匀沉降,并介绍了不均匀沉降的计算方 法,结合工程实例对老填埋场竖向扩建时垃圾不均匀沉降影响进行了分析,从工程技术角度提出了相应的解决方案。     

Petrogenesis of municipal solid waste combustion bottom ash

A petrographic study was conducted on a suite of bottom ash particles from 3 different modern municipal solid waste combustors. The object of the study was to evaluate the mineralogical characteristics and formation process of the bottom ash by using standard geological techniques of light microscopy, electron microscopy, and X-ray microanalysis. This information was subsequently used to model the bottom ash petrogenesis based upon an examination of the mineralogy, melt structure, and composition of the ash.Bottom ash can be divided into two major groups: 1) refractory waste products and 2) melt products. The refractory waste products consist largely of rock and mineral fragments, various waste metals, and unmelted glass shards. The melt products consist of two distinct glasses: 1) isotropic glass, and 2) opaque glass. Complex silicate minerals are precipitated from and are abundant in the isotropic glass whereas both metal oxide and silicate minerals are precipitated from the opaque glass.The isotropic and opaque glasses formed simultaneously in different locations on the combustor grate. The contrast in melting (liquidus) temperatures shown by these glasses suggests that the isotropic melts were produced at localized hot spots (1500°C to 1650°C) and the opaque melts formed at cold spots (1150°C to 1400°C) on the grate. This could be the result of heterogeneous distribution of combustible municipal solid waste on the grate or from localized hot spots where air is introduced through the grates. In some instances the two glasses then had the opportunity to variably mix with each other. Fe-oxides represent waste metal fragments that were assimilated by melting and later recrystallized.Bottom ash is produced via a co-mingled two melt system that forms melilite-bearing, alkaline, volcanic-like rocks. The great similarity of the bottom ash residues between these 3 different MSW combustors suggests that, despite variable combustor designs and heterogeneous waste feed, high temperature combustion of MSW produces bottom ash of fairly uniform composition and structure that formed via the petrogenetic process described above. Alterations to the combustion process or implementations of secondary treatment technologies may render the bottom ash residue into a more environmentally stable material better suited for aggregate or long term secure disposal in landfills.     

Geophysical imaging of municipal solid waste contaminant pathways

Surface electrical and electromagnetic surveys were conducted on top of a solid waste facility in Unguwan Dosa, Kaduna State, Northwest Nigeria. The aim of the geophysical survey was to detect vertical and subvertical fractures that may provide pathways for groundwater and contaminant transport. Results from the 2D electrical resistivity imaging showed vertical and subvertical contacts overlain by 6–10 m thick overburden. Quantitative interpretation of the VLF-EM data correlates well with the results of the 2D resistivity imaging delineating the vertical and subvertical contacts as good and weak conductors (fractures zones) with resistivity values of 40–220 and 300–420 Ω m, respectively. Azimuthal Schlumberger VES measurements yield apparent anisotropy values ranging from 1.01 to 1.47 for electrode spacings of 1–45 m with the highest value recorded at spacing of 2 m. However, azimuthal variations at large spacings (30–45 m) showed no fracture anisotropy due possibly to the array’s low sensitivity to anisotropy at these spacings. The result of the study showed that pollutants in the leachate can reach and contaminate the groundwater. Therefore, urgency for leachate treatment at this site is recommended to prevent contamination of groundwater.     

Modeling elasto-visco-bio-plastic mechanical behavior of municipal solid waste in landfills

Acta Geotechnica - This paper presents a mechanical model for the prediction of short-term and long-term settlement of municipal solid waste in landfills. The load-induced volumetric compression,...     

Permeability and compression characteristics of municipal solid waste samples

Four series of laboratory tests were conducted to evaluate the permeability and compression characteristics of municipal solid waste (MSW) samples. While the two series of tests were conducted using a conventional small-scale consolidometer, the two others were conducted in a large-scale consolidometer specially constructed for this study. In each consolidometer, the MSW samples were tested at two different moisture contents, i.e., original moisture content and field capacity. A scale effect between the two consolidometers with different sizes was investigated. The tests were carried out on samples reconsolidated to pressures of 123, 246, and 369 kPa. Time settlement data gathered from each load increment were employed to plot strain versus log-time graphs. The data acquired from the compression tests were used to back calculate primary and secondary compression indices. The consolidometers were later adapted for permeability experiments. The values of indices and the coefficient of compressibility for the MSW samples tested were within a relatively narrow range despite the size of the consolidometer and the different moisture contents of the specimens tested. The values of the coefficient of permeability were within a band of two orders of magnitude (10⁻⁶–10⁻⁴ m/s). The data presented in this paper agreed very well with the data reported by previous researchers. It was concluded that the scale effect in the compression behavior was significant. However, there was usually no linear relationship between the results obtained in the tests.     

城市固体废弃物填埋场的岩土工程问题

论述了国内外城市卫生填埋场相关的岩土工程问题及其研究现状,包括卫生填埋场填埋体物理力学性质、卫生填埋场的防渗系统和边坡稳定等一系列岩土工程问题,在此基础上初步探讨了我国城市卫生填埋场相关岩土工程问题的发展前景。     

城市生活垃圾生态填埋技术研究概况和进展

对城市生活垃圾生态填埋技术的发展概况及研究进展进行了综述,包括生态填埋技术的概念、意义、现状和发展趋势,并提出了目前该领域研究中需重点研究的课题和一些新的思路。     

Shear strength of municipal solid waste for stability analyses

This paper investigates the shear strength of municipal solid waste (MSW) using the back analysis of failed waste slopes as well as field and laboratory test results. Shear strength of MSW is a function of many factors such as waste type, composition, compaction, daily cover, moisture conditions, age, decomposition, overburden pressure, etc. These factors together with non-standardized sampling methods, insufficient sample size to be representative of in situ conditions, and limited shear displacement or axial strain imposed during the laboratory shear testing have created considerable scatter in reported results. Based on the data presented herein, large shear displacements are required to mobilize the peak shear strength of MSW which can lead to displacement incompatibility between MSW and the underlying material(s) such as geosynthetic interfaces and foundation soils. The data presented herein are used to develop displacement compatible shear strength parameters for MSW. Recommendations are presented for modeling the displacement and stress dependent strength envelope in stability analyses.     

扩建城市垃圾填埋场的地震稳定性分析

结合现场剪切波速试验、室内常规及动三轴试验结果,给出了扩建城市垃圾填埋场地震稳定性的有限元分析方法,并分析了扩建垃圾填埋体沿填埋体内部圆弧滑动面、新老填埋体交界面及底部和背部衬垫系统的地震稳定性。当填埋场中渗滤液水头较低时,扩建填埋体最易发生沿新老填埋体交界面的滑动。与总应力法计算结果相比较发现,总应力法只适合分析输入地震动较小的情况,而当输入地震动较大时,由于它不能考虑动孔压上升所导致的MSW软化而使得其计算的扩建填埋体沿圆弧滑动面的安全系数偏保守。另外,采用Newmark法分析了不同输入地震动时不同横、竖向扩建方案的永久位移,分析表明：扩建填埋体沿新老填埋体交界面的地震永久位移的对数近似与屈服加速度同最大水平加速度的比值呈线性关系,并给出了其永久位移的拟合公式。     

探地雷达应用于城市固体废弃物填埋场的构想

介绍了探地雷达技术的基本工作原理及其在某些领域的应用效果,提出了应用探地雷达技术进行城市固体废弃物填埋场选址、渗漏检测以及封场后覆盖层厚度测定等研究的构想,并探讨了探地雷达技术的可行性和技术优势。在总结相关文献的基础上,结合现场调查认为,应用探地雷达技术进行填埋场选址、渗漏检测以及封场后覆盖层厚度测定等研究工作是行之有效的一种新方法。     

填埋场防渗衬垫等效替代研究

从污染控制的角度出发,提出了垃圾填埋场底部防渗衬垫的等效性原则,在此基础上提出“替代”衬垫的设计方法,并利用压实黄土底衬作为实例进行了说明。研究结果表明,穿透衬垫的污染物累积量可以作为设计替代底衬的主要依据。     

Stabilization of desert sands using municipal solid waste incinerator ash

This paper presents experimental results on the use of incinerator ash in stabilizing desert sands for possible use in geotechnical engineering applications. The incinerator ash was added in percentages of 2, 4, 8, 10 and 12%, by dry weight of sand. Laboratory tests such as compaction, unconfined compression, shear box and hydraulic conductivity were performed to measure the engineering characteristics of the stabilized material. The results showed substantial improvements in unconfined compressive strength and shear strength parameters (c and φ). Thus, incinerator ash can be used to improve the shear strength characteristics of desert sands. The permeability of the sand–incinerator ash mixture was relatively low.     

垃圾填土压缩特性的室内试验研究

在调查分析了典型生活垃圾填埋场成分组成的基础上,配制了9组具有不同初始物理力学性质的垃圾土,共54个试样,进行室内常规固结试验。试样有两种尺寸,用来对比试样尺寸的影响;着重分析了初始含水量W、初始孔隙比e0及易降解有机物含量B0对垃圾填土压缩性的影响。试样的初始孔隙比变化范围为：e0 为2.5～4.6;初始含水量w的变化为50 %～100 %;易降解有机物含量B0 为10.1 %～45.1 %。分析结果表明,压缩指数Cc为0.824 2～1.234 6;修正压缩指数 为0.165 9～0.243 6,与国内外相似研究的取值基本一致。提出了考虑垃圾填土初始物理参数的压缩参数建议取值方法,为指导工程实践提供参考。