Landfill site selection based on reliability concepts using the DRASTIC method and AHP integrated with GIS – a case study of Bengaluru city,India

The selection of landfill sites for municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal involves consideration of geological, hydrological and environmental parameters which exhibit large spatial variability. Therefore, it is necessary to define, to what extent the chosen sites are reliable such that the probability of environmental pollution and health risks to population is minimal. In the present study, groundwater vulnerability to contamination has been assessed using the standard DRASTIC method. The results showed that the study region has 9.45% of very less, 32.94% of less, 25.47% of moderate, 22.79% of high and 9.35% of very high vulnerable zones. The study also revealed that none of the landfills are located in safe zones. This suggests that it requires proper remedial measures to avoid environmental pollution. A landfill site selection process has been carried out using the Analytical Hierarchy Process integrated with Geographical Information System tools. The obtained results showed that only 3.59?km² (0.08%) of the total area is suitable for landfills. The reliability analysis of the site suitability revealed that landfills are located at unreliable locations where the probability of risk to environmental pollution is high. The presented approach assists decision-makers in selecting reliable locations for the safe disposal of MSW.     

Delineation of groundwater recharge zones and identification of artificial recharge sites in West Medinipur district,West Bengal,using RS,GIS and MCDM techniques

Artificial recharge plays a pivotal role in the sustainable management of groundwater resources. This study proposes a methodology to delineate artificial recharge zones as well as to identify favorable artificial recharge sites using integrated remote sensing (RS), geographical information system (GIS) and multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) techniques for augmenting groundwater resources in the West Medinipur district of West Bengal, India, which has been facing water shortage problems for the past few years. The thematic layers considered in this study are: geomorphology, geology, drainage density, slope and aquifer transmissivity, which were prepared using IRS-1D imagery and conventional data. Different themes and their corresponding features were assigned proper weights based on their relative contribution to groundwater recharge in the area, and normalized weights were computed using the Saaty’s analytic hierarchy process (AHP). These thematic layers were then integrated in the GIS environment to delineate artificial recharge zones in the study area. The artificial recharge map thus obtained divided the study area into three zones, viz., ‘suitable,’ ‘moderately suitable’ and ‘unsuitable’ according to their suitability for artificial groundwater recharge. It was found that about 46% of the study area falls under ‘suitable’ zone, whereas 43% falls under the ‘moderately suitable’ zone. The western portion of the study area was found to be unsuitable for artificial recharge. The artificial recharge zone map of the study area was found to be in agreement with the map of mean groundwater depths over the area. Furthermore, forty possible sites for artificial recharge were also identified using RS and GIS techniques. Based on the available field information, check dams are suggested as promising artificial recharge structures. The results of this study could be used to formulate an efficient groundwater management plan for the study area so as to ensure sustainable utilization of scarce groundwater resources.     

A solid waste disposal site selection procedure based on groundwater vulnerability mapping

In this study, a new, GIS-based solid waste site selection tool (DUPIT) is introduced to obtain a systematic and unbiased methodology during the evaluation phases of alternative solid waste disposal areas with regards to vulnerability to groundwater pollution. The proposed tool is an index technique based on the linear combination of five different hydrogeological parameters including Depth to groundwater table, Upper layer lithology, Permeability of the unsaturated zone, Impermeable layer thickness and Topographic slope. Five different categories are developed to classify each alternative based on the suitability of the site for a solid waste disposal area. As a result, each site is ranked according to the contamination risks for groundwater resources. The proposed technique is applied to the District of Torbali near Izmir, Turkey to determine the most appropriate solid waste disposal site location. The Torbali application is implemented by using a GIS database developed for the area. Based on the results of this application, the best alternative solid waste disposal site for Torbali is selected to be located in the northern portions of the city where the groundwater table is deep, the permeability is low and the topographic slope is mild.     

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     

Evaluation of waste disposal site using the DRASTIC system in Southern Korea

As a systematic approach to waste disposal site screening for groundwater pollution protection, the DRASTIC system developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), was introduced at Younggwang County in Korea. Hydrogeological spatial databases for the system include information on depth to water, net recharge, aquifer media, soil media, topographic slope, hydraulic conductivity and lineament. Using the databases, the DRASTIC system and a GIS, the regional groundwater pollution vulnerability of the study area was assessed. The fracture density extracted from lineament maps was added to the DRASTIC system to take into account the preferential migration of contaminants through fractures. From the results of the study, a degree of groundwater pollution vulnerability through the study area was easily interpreted, and waste disposal sites could be screened for groundwater protection.     

Singaporeans in China: transnational women elites and the negotiation of gendered identities

The burgeoning literature on transnationalism involving skilled migrants--based largely on the view from the developed world--have generally paid little heed to “elite” women and the reproductive sphere. We argue that women play many roles in elite transnational migration streams and must be given full consideration as part of the “transnational elite.” Attention is given to the way women--both “tied” and “lead” migrants--negotiate gendered identities as they participate in Singapore's regionalisation process, a state-driven initiative to extend the national economy by leveraging on growth in the region. Empirical material for the paper is mainly based on in-depth interviews with married women who were part of a larger project involving interviews with 150 Singaporeans who had lived, or were living, in China. In examining the movements through transnational space between Singapore and China, it is clear that patriarchal norms continue to shape women's understandings of their own identities vis--vis men's. Singapore women who move as accompanying spouses (the majority) find themselves giving up careers to focus on their domestic role in China (in the absence of access to “suitable” paid domestic service), and are not so much “deskilled” but “re-domesticated”. The exceptional few women who ventured into China as entrepreneurs experienced considerable strain holding together geographically separate spheres of productive and reproductive work across the transnational terrain. Both sets of “stories” alert us to the need to include “elite” women--whether accompanying spouses or independent entrepreneurs--in our understanding of “transnational elites.” This will contribute to the urgent task of ensuring that both productive and reproductive work are valorized in equal measure in conceptualizing transnationalism.     

How to speak for aquifers and people at the same time: Environmental justice and counter-network formation at a hazardous waste site

A common source of conflict at hazardous waste sites in the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund program is the accuracy of scientific investigations and representations produced to inform cleanup decisions. Liable firms often produce these technical representations themselves, and communities surrounding sites frequently argue that such “voluntary” investigations are compromised by conflicts of interest. In order to challenge the representations of powerful firms, locally situated actors often develop trans-local connections with expertise and equipment concentrated at distant centers of calculation. Although some interpret the spatial politics of such connecting in terms of “jumping scales,” another important spatial dimension of this network construction is differential positioning. In a conflict over groundwater models at the St. Regis Superfund Site in Minnesota, the counter-network that emerged to challenge the owner’s representations of the site positioned some actors as “outsiders” and others as “insiders.” This differential positioning enabled the counter-network to balance the need to demonstrate the reliability and impartiality of its claims with the requirement to maintain its accountability to local public interests. I argue that these requirements result from the prevalent view of the science-policy interface, which assumes a rigid separation between science and politics. Nonetheless, the conflict over groundwater at St. Regis reveals how at the science-policy interface, speaking for things and speaking for people are thoroughly entangled.     

Influence of karst hydrology on water quality management in southeast South Australia

Southeast South Australia has large reserves of potable groundwater, generally close to the surface. European settlement has had a major impact on groundwater quality due to the presence of extensive karst in the unconfined aquifer. Historically, industries such as cheese factories were often sited close to karst features (e.g. caves and sinkholes) because they provided a convenient means of waste disposal. Although most have long since closed, they have left a legacy of pollution plumes of varying sizes. In Mount Gambier, the main regional centre, the presence of both exposed and subterranean karst features provided a perfect system for the disposal of stormwater. Prior to the provision of a sewerage system within Mount Gambier, all toilet and household wastewaters were disposed to ground. These activities and the subsequent problems that began emerging in the 1960s have led to a concerted effort over the last 20 years to change the philosophy of waste disposal and to generate an understanding and responsibility by those who live in the region and depend on groundwater for the major part of their water supply. Mount Gambier's water supply comes from the Blue Lake. Groundwater inflow from a highly karstic Tertiary limestone aquifer provides 90% of the recharge to the Blue Lake. The lake is a high-value resource in a high-risk environment and in order to minimize this risk, a water-quality management plan for the lake is currently being developed.     

Laboratory simulation of an oxidizing perturbation in a deep granite environment

An experiment designed to study oxidizing perturbations in deep crystalline rock, a potential host for nuclear waste disposal, was conducted. This experiment simulated a fracture surface in contact with circulating groundwater, in which dissolved oxygen was injected periodically. Major physicochemical and biological parameters were monitored during this 1-yr experiment. Modeling of the results indicates that the kinetics of oxygen uptake may be represented by a simple steady-state rate law combining enzymatic catalysis (Monod) and a first-order rate law. Combined chemical and biological data demonstrate the coupling of organic/inorganic processes during the uptake of dissolved oxygen and the progressive return to reducing conditions. Timescales for these stages are discussed. Experimental results also suggest that iron-reducing bacteria, which are robust and well-adapted microorganisms, play a key role in these interfacial processes. These results show that an operational definition of the “redox buffering capacity” in a granitic medium cannot ignore the effect of bacteria and therefore the controls on bacterial substrates (organic carbon, H₂, CH₄, CO₂).     

废物地质处置中的水文地质问题分析

废物地质处置中废液的泄漏或固体废物渗滤液对地下水可能产生的污染影响是选址中一个必须考虑且不可忽视的基本水文地质问题.分析了地下水污染中的几个基本概念问题, 并就废物地质处置选址和设计中如何注意这些问题提出了相应的解决办法及对策.      

Multi-criteria analysis for the identification of waste disposal areas

The municipality of Cachoeiro de Itapemirim (ES) is currently the largest domestic producer and exporter of marble and granite in Brazil. The processing of the rock, especially the sawing results in a large volume of waste, including the abrasives used during sawing and the off-cut pieces. Presently these waste products are disposed of without proper environmental protection and cause pollution to surface water and groundwater resources, including silting, an increase in hardness and increased aluminium values in the groundwater. In order to minimize the harmful effects of these practices on the environment, a research project was undertaken to identify potential disposal sites for the generated waste. A multi-criteria approach was followed during which a database was compiled of all the companies generating waste products and also including a baseline environmental study of the region, integrated analysis (multi-criteria analysis) of the restriction factors and the preliminary identification of possible disposal sites. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

阿拉善塔木素地段地下水补给来源与演化特征分析

内蒙古阿拉善塔木素地区是我国高放废物地质处置预选地段之一,开展相应的水文地质特性评价研究对于科学评估其适宜性尤为重要,而充分认识地下水的补给来源与演化过程是了解地下水的形成机制与更新能力的基础。结合塔木素地区水文地质条件,利用水化学与同位素技术对研究区26组水样进行分析,结果显示:研究区地下水氢氧同位素与西北地区大气降水氢氧特征类似,表明区内地下水主要受到当地大气降水补给,这也与水文地质条件认识相符;区内地下水呈现高矿化度特征,TDS均值达到了2.9 g · L-1,地下水化学类型为Na+-Cl-型,表现出干旱区地下水的典型特征;此外,地下水的氯碱指数均大于0,且Mg2++Ca2+-HCO₃--SO₄2-与Na++K+-Cl-呈线性关系且斜率接近-1,说明了阳离子交换反应普遍发生在地下水化学演化过程中。塔木素重点地段地下水属于不适宜利用的高矿化度地下水,且深部地下水年龄大于5000年,循环交替能力较差。这一认识为该地段处置库选址和场址评价提供了重要的水文地质依据。     

城市垃圾的地质处置

城市固体废物（城市垃圾）是国际上现代化城市环境污染的主要污染源之一,发达国家非常注重固体废物地质处置的研究,这一领域是环境工程与水资源工作者研究的热点问题。我国城市垃圾对环境的污染非常严重,目前有三分之二的城市已形成“垃圾包围城市”的严重局面。随着经济的发展,我国城市固体废物的数量增长很快。如何处理庞大的城市垃圾将是关系到经济发展、水资源和环境保护的重大问题。本文介绍了我国城市垃圾的现状和目前国际     

高放废物地质处置阿拉善预选区工程地质适宜性评价

区域工程地质适宜性评价是高放废物处置库选址的关键问题之一。基于ArcGIS平台,采用综合指数模型对我国高放核废物处置库阿拉善预选区进行了区域工程地质适宜性评价。在现场工程地质调查与资料系统收集的基础上,综合考虑了核废料选址的特殊目的和要求,比选确定岩性、断裂构造、地震、构造应力、地形变作为阿拉善区域工程地质适宜性评价的因子。利用专家-层次分析法确定了各评价指标的权重,基于评价指标及权重的确定,按适宜性好、适宜性较好、适宜性中等、适宜性较差和适宜性差5个级别对阿拉善区域进行了工程地质适宜性分区。评价分区结果为阿拉善预选区高放废物处置适宜性地段选取提供了依据,其中的塔木素和诺日公区段是适宜性良好的两个地段,进一步的选址工作可在这两个地段开展。     

Hydrogeochemical Evaluation of Heavy Metal Loadings to Waters and Sediments by Leachate: A Case Study from the Golbasi Waste Disposal Site,Ankara, Turkey

At sites of groundwater contamination, predictions of contaminant behavior and evaluation of remedial strategies depend on identification and characterization of the geochemical processes affecting contaminant migration. Heavy-metal loadings to waters and sediments by leachate from the Golbasi waste disposal site in Ankara, Turkey, have been evaluated quantitatively using hydrogeochemical modeling. The groundwater of the waste disposal area, characterized by high concentrations of Ca, K, Cl, Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, B, Ni, SO₄, and NO₃, contaminates the waters and sediments in the down-gradient area, Eymir Lake and a swamp along the flow path. An advective mass transport duration is ～15 years for unretarded contaminants to move from the waste disposal well area to the southern shoreline of Eymir Lake. Mixing calculations suggest that the down-gradient groundwater is formed by mixing of 40 to 72% upgradient groundwater and 28 to 60% waste-disposal-area groundwater, as well as Eymir Lake surface-water ion concentrations formed by mixing of down-gradient groundwater (3%-25%) and swamp-water ion concentrations (75-97%) along the flow path. An evaluation of the changes in concentration of trace ion-related precipitation/dissolution and exchange reactions between water and sediments for the formation of both Eymir Lake surface-water composition and the down-gradient groundwater composition indicate considerable trace-ion content of the clays (exchangers) and related reactions in the system. These results suggest that the amounts of contaminants removed from or added both to the down-gradient groundwater and to surface waters through mixing, dilution, and evaporation processes are rather small. The amounts of ions in the waters at the present stage of the contamination process are predominantly governed by exchange and dissolution/precipitation reactions.     

Two in one leachate plume in a karstic aquifer

Some sites formerly used for waste disposal purposes, even if they are closed, continue generating leachate that seeps into the ground and contaminates groundwater in the area where they are located. It is believed that the rainfall being in contact with waste becomes a source of leachate. This fluid seeps into the aquifer and may identify sources of pollution. A modeling work which determined the migration times of solutes in the karstic aquifer of Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, is presented. Both existing and generated information was analyzed; a leachate plume was identified. The methodology used in the study is described, the application of which allowed concluding that this plume was generated from two sources: a waste disposal site and the oxidation lagoons located next to it. The procedure consisted of performing simulations considering the sources that contribute to the development of the pollution plume and forecasting their behavior. With the developed methodology, similar cases can be analyzed to avoid locating catchment zones of drinking water in inappropriate places and/or develop projects to place waste disposal sites that could affect existing catchment areas and to preserve this resource, essential for life.     

Assessing flood risk associated with waste disposals: methodology,application and uncertainties

Waste disposal sites are mostly located in lowland areas close to residential areas inducing a long-term risk of potential environmental contamination due to flooding. During recent flood events, these areas were reportedly exposed to inundations. This paper aims to develop a qualitative approach to assess flood risk associated with flood-prone waste disposals at the basis of Austrian case studies. Risk is investigated as a function of the probability of an event and the consequences of that event. The presented assessment approach is characterized as qualitative as consequences are expressed in risk categories but not in expected (monetary) losses. The probability of inundation, the hydrodynamic impacts on considered waste disposal sites and the expected consequences to the environment (potential emissions of hazardous substances) were linked. Derived risk categories from “minor risk” to “serious risk” were used to express flood risk to environmental goods like groundwater bodies, nature reserves and recreation areas. A screening of 1,064 waste disposals yielded roughly 30% of sites located within or close to flood risk zones. Three representative case study areas were selected and investigated in detail by applying 2D hydrodynamic models to calculate flow depths and shear stress and by developing emission scenarios. The hydrodynamic modelling covered three hydrologic scenarios with statistical recurrence intervals of 30, 100 and 300 years. Derived leaching scenarios ranged from minor emissions up to total erosion of the waste disposal site. Based on four parameters representing flood characteristics, the susceptibility to erosion (flow velocity and shear stress) and the estimated leaching behaviour, a flood risk evaluation matrix (FREM) was elaborated. The study outlines that in case of flooding the hazardous emissions could lead to partly tremendous impacts on environmental goods. Identified uncertainties associated with considered processes were considerably high. However, the developed qualitative approach provides a decision support aid to identify waste disposals with imminent risk for humans and the environment.     

北京地区垃圾填埋对地下水的污染及垃圾填埋场选址分区

本文介绍了北京市生活垃圾处理现状及由于垃圾填埋而引起的地下水污染问题。以北京西郊南部北天堂垃圾填埋场的污染状况为例进行研究,通过建立数学模型来模拟污染物在地下水中的运移及补救效果,对污染控制进行了模拟,分析及提出相关建议;并对北京市生活垃级填埋场遗址进行了分区。     

甘肃北山区域地下水流数值模拟研究

掌握区域地下水流场是高放废物地质处置场选址及适宜性评价的重要先置条件。甘肃北山高放废物处置预选区面积广、数据资料少,准确划分该区域地下水流场和高放废物预选区选址的安全性评价都存在难度。本研究采用地表流域划分方法、多相流数值模拟软件TOUGH2-MP/EOS3和GRACE重力卫星等方法,建立了区域地下水饱和-非饱和流模型,并完成了模型识别和参数率定,论证了模型的合理性和可靠性。研究结果表明:约1%的降水量入渗至地面以下;地形条件是影响地下水流场的主要因素,而气候条件对地下水流场形态影响相对较小;区域地下水流动系统由北向南可分为三个子系统（Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ）,其中高放废物地质处置场预选区位于研究区南部独立的地下水子系统Ⅲ中,且该子系统面积最小。本研究为面积广、实测数据资料较少的干旱地区提供了一套有效的数值模拟方法,研究结果可为预选区选址的安全性评价提供重要依据。     

Evaluation of water quality and protection strategies of water resources in arid–semiarid climates: a case study in the Yuxi River Valley of Northern Shaanxi Province, China

Water resource structure is one of the most important factors that constrain the economic development in arid–semiarid areas. Sustainable use of water requires a thorough understanding of the local geology and hydrology and developing of effective protection strategies. Discussed in this paper is a study on the phreatic water quality of the Yuxi River Valley of Shaanxi Province, China. The Yuxi River Valley passes through the Shaanbei energy base, which demands large quantities of high-quality water. A total of 129 water samples were collected in 4,938 km² in a recent study to delineate the areas with water suitable for drinking, industrial, and agricultural usage and areas with poor quality. The study indicates that the poor quality of water contains high concentrations of NH⁴⁺ and NO₂⁻¹, indicating possible contamination by waste disposal in the nearby cities and towns. A series of strategies are proposed to protect the water in the Yuxi River Valley, including proper treatment and recycling of the waste water in the cities and towns, strict control of the waste-water discharge from any new factories and mines, and prevention of groundwater contamination by wastes containing heavy metals.