Aquifer vulnerability assessment using the DRASTIC model at Russeifa landfill,northeast Jordan

Groundwater is inherently susceptible to contamination from anthropogenic activities and remediation is very difficult and expensive. Prevention of contamination is hence critical in effective groundwater management. In this paper an attempt has been made to assess aquifer vulnerability at the Russeifa solid waste landfill. This disposal site is placed at the most important aquifer in Jordan, which is known as Amman-Wadi Sir (B2/A7). The daily-generated leachate within the landfill is about 160 m³/day and there is no system for collecting and treating this leachate. Therefore, the leachate infiltrates to groundwater and degrades the quality of the groundwater. The area is strongly vulnerable to pollution due to the presence of intensive agricultural activity, the solid waste disposal site and industries. Increasing groundwater demand makes the protection of the aquifer from pollution crucial. Physical and hydrogeological characteristics make the aquifer susceptible to pollution. The vulnerability of groundwater to contamination in the study area was quantified using the DRASTIC model. The DRASTIC model uses the following seven parameters: depth to water, recharge, aquifer media, soil media, topography, impact on vadose zone and hydraulic conductivity. The water level data were measured in the observation wells within the disposal site. The recharge is derived based on precipitation, land use and soil characteristics. The aquifer media was obtained from a geological map of the area. The topography is obtained from the Natural Resources Authority of Jordan, 1:50,000 scale topographic map. The impact on the vadose zone is defined by the soil permeability and depth to water. The hydraulic conductivity was obtained from the field pumping tests. The calculated DRASTIC index number indicates a moderate pollution potential for the study area.     

Environmental impact assessment of open pit mining in Iran

Mining is widely regarded as having adverse effects on environment of both magnitude and diversity. Some of these effects include erosion, formation of sinkhole, biodiversity loss and contamination of groundwater by chemical from the mining process in general and open-pit mining in particular. As such, a repeatable process to evaluate these effects primarily aims to diminish them. This paper applies Folchi method to evaluate the impact of open-pit mining in four Iranian mines that lacked previous geo-environmental assessment. Having key geologic resources, these mines are: Mouteh gold mine, Gol-e-Gohar and Chogart iron mines, and Sarcheshmeh copper mine. The environmental components can be defined as public health and safety, social relationships, air and water quality, flora and fauna hence, various impacting factors from the mining activities were estimated for each environmental component. For this purpose, each impacting factor was first given a magnitude, based solely on the range of possible scenarios. Thereafter, a matrix of weighted factors was derived to systematically quantify and normalize the effects of each impacting factor. The overall impact upon each individual environmental component was then calculated by summing the weighted rates. Here, Folchi method was applied to evaluate those environmental conditions. Based on the acquired results, the present paper finally concludes that amongst four case histories in Iran, Sarcheshmeh copper mine significantly affects the environment, with critical level of air pollution there.     

大型X射线医疗设备的环评分析

通过一个环评实例阐述大型X射线医疗设备销售项目环境影响评价的基本分析要点,给出了正常工况下和事故工况下环境影响分析过程和剂量估算方法。大型X射线医疗设备销售的环境影响评价要点是：根据项目实际情况,确定污染因子和管理限值,采用类比、现场实测加计算的评价、预测方法,区分正常工况与事故工况,对污染进行分析、监测、计算和预测。     

Using a mathematical model to assess the sustainability of proposed bauxite mining in Andhra Pradesh, India from a quantitative-based environmental impact assessment

The theory and practice of sustainability involves the understanding and management of the coupled relationship between the environment and humans. This relationship is very evident in respect to mining where the impacts of operations, both positive and negative, are environmental and socioeconomic in nature. In recent years, evaluating the sustainability of a mining operation has grown within the literature due to the impacts that mining has upon a local community. However, the literature has been often characterised by a variety of case study-specific approaches to define and evaluate the sustainability of mining operations. This is due to the fundamental problem of defining what is sustainability. The paper applies, based on our previous research, a mathematical model of sustainability to the environmental impact assessment (EIA) of a proposed bauxite mining project in the Andhra Pradesh province, India. The model??s application to the impact assessment, which used the rapid impact assessment matrix, was undertaken for the purpose of determining the level and nature of sustainability (if appropriate) of the proposed project. The results indicated that the project was considered as unsustainable in its current form, based on an obtained E value of 0.249 and an H _NI value of 0.500. The results suggested that the project would greatly benefit from an environmental management plan in order to mitigate the extensive negative environmental and social impacts of the project. The results also indicated the potential of the model in assisting in the resolution of questions of the sustainability of local projects, which are assessed through quantitative-based EIA.     

Environmental impact and geochemical behavior of soil contaminants from an industrial waste landfill in Southern Brazil

Industrial waste landfills produce great impacts on soil and groundwater. There are many industrial waste landfills in Vale dos Sinos, Southern Brazil, which were inadequately planned and maintained since the industry started in the first half of the twentieth century. The largest industrial landfill in the Valley, which causes the most severe impacts on soil and groundwater, is the subject of this paper, which studies the environmental impacts and behavior of contaminants in soil. The landfill was carefully mapped on a scale of 1:1,000; 88 samples were collected from soil probes; the leachate of three samples was comprehensively analyzed; and soils mineralogy and chemistry were studied. Few studies have been made on this landfill. This study shows widespread contamination of soil in the surrounding areas of the landfill. Chromium, chloride and ammonium have the highest contamination levels, reflecting their high contents in landfill leachate. Contamination by petroleum hydrocarbons, cyanide and mercury is registered in more than 65% of soil samples with low concentrations. Lead, copper and barium show low contamination restricted to a few soil samples. Soil contamination occurs mainly in the unsaturated zone of the aquifer at the convergence points of stormwater, showing that the preferential transport of contaminants occurs on surface flow followed by soil infiltration. The results of leaching tests indicate high metal sorption capacity of soil. The remediation of contaminated soil must contain at least the following actions: sealing the top of the landfill, installation of geochemical barriers, removal of the liquid waste basins without sealing the base and collection and treatment of the rainwater drainage.     

The weight of interaction of mining activities: groundwater in environmental impact assessment using fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP)

Mining operations threaten the environment if the monitoring and controlling steps are not implemented completely. One of the important methods for control of the environmental situation in the mining district is the environmental impact assessment (EIA) method, which is performed by matrix calculations. In this method, the environmental problem is broken into several parts as the Impacting Factors that is evaluated their influences on Environmental Components by the mathematical calculations. For these calculations, the weight of each Impacting Factor must be evaluated by using comprehensive scenarios that are involved all the predicable environmental issues. Based on literature, it has not been organized a comprehensive scenario about “Interference with groundwater” as an Impacting Factor yet. By consideration of the importance degree of groundwater and its role in supply the drinking water resource, it is felt to demand for an organization a developed scenario in relation with groundwater pollution in mining district. Therefore, the main aim of this study is developing a new scenario to weight the “Interference with groundwater” in EIA matrix. For this purpose, the 8 criteria and 63 subcriteria are defined and their weights are determined using the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process. The proposed scenario can be successfully evaluated the weight of “Interference with groundwater” Impacting Factor more exactly than the former one, because it considers 8 criteria and 63 subcriteria instead of 2 criteria in the former scenario. Finally, the application of proposed scenario is illustrated by an imaginary ideal case study. Such studies can be used by mining engineers and planners to design an appropriate environmental plan for the mining districts.     

Geochemical assessment of groundwater quality in vicinity of Bhalswa landfill,Delhi, India,using graphical and multivariate statistical methods

A geochemical assessment of groundwater quality and possible contamination in the vicinity of the Bhalswa landfill site was carried out by using a hydrochemical approach with graphical and multivariate statistical methods with the objective of identifying the occurrence of various geochemical processes and understanding the impact of landfill leachates on groundwater quality. Results indicate that nitrate, fluoride and heavy-metal pollution are in an alarming state with respect to the use of groundwater for drinking purposes. Various graphical plots and statistical analyses have been applied to the chemical data based on the ionic constituents, water types, and hydrochemical facies to infer the impact of the landfill on groundwater quality. The statistical analysis and spatial and temporal variations indicate the leaching of contaminants from the landfill to the groundwater aquifer system. The concentrations of heavy metals in the landfill leachates are as follows: Fe (22 mg/l), Mn (~20 mg/l), Cu (~10 mg/l), Pb (~2 mg/l), Ni (0.25 mg/l), Zn (~10 mg/l), Cd (~0.2 mg/l), Cl⁻ (~4,000 mg/l), SO₄²⁻ (~3,320 mg/l), PO₄³⁻ (~4 mg/l), NO₃⁻ (30 mg/l) and fluoride (~50 mg/l); all were much higher than the standards. The study reveals that the landfill is in a depleted phase and is affecting groundwater quality in its vicinity and the surrounding area due to leaching of contaminants.     

Spatial assessment of salinity and nitrate pollution in Amman Zarqa Basin: a case study

Intensive use of land resources in arid and semi-arid regions exert serious pressures on groundwater resources and jeopardize further socio-economical developments. The Amman-Zarqa Basin (AZB), the most vital basin in Jordan, is facing recent groundwater deterioration due to a very large increase in water demands for domestic, agricultural, and industrial uses. The objectives of this paper were to quantify the degree of contamination in the basin by evaluating the characteristics, distribution and seasonal variations of two pollution indicators (nitrate concentration and salinity) and to determine the impacts of human activities (land use) on groundwater quality. Based upon long-term data (1970–2005) of groundwater samples collected from 538 wells across the AZB, spatial analyses indicated that both indicators have a strong spatial dependence and are anisotropically distributed. Prediction maps of Ordinary Kriging and Indicator Kriging provided detailed indications of the major and minor sources of pollution in the basin. Inefficient wastewater treatment plants, industrial activities and agricultural practices were responsible for 91, 85, and 25% salinization of nearby wells, respectively. Nitrate pollution had reached 73% above threshold (50 mg/L) in some cases. The temporal analyses estimated the salinity buildup rate to be around 8 × 10⁻² μS/cm per day, while nitrate buildup rate was estimated to be around 6 × 10⁻² mg/L per day. Remote sensing and spatial analyses helped greatly in groundwater quality assessment not only in providing the environmental status of the AZB but also in delineating the potential of contamination risk zones and their correlation to human activities. Furthermore, the paper suggests some environmental protection strategies that should be adopted to protect the vital groundwater resources of the basin from further deterioration.     

Groundwater overdraft vulnerability and environmental impact assessment in Arusha

A simple approach is proposed for identifying areas vulnerable to groundwater overdraft. The methodology utilizes GIS techniques to analyze and evaluate controlling factors in areas with little data. The proposed methodology was applied in Arusha. Water demand in Arusha Municipality and its environs has increased to about 5.3% annually since 1999. Groundwater levels have declined. The aquifer hydrogeological variables were evaluated for impact to potential groundwater overdraft by overlay and index techniques. The spatial distribution of overdraft vulnerability was discussed. The northwestern part of Arusha is the most vulnerable to overdraft and possible serious environmental impacts. The Loruvani area has the most potential for aquifer development due to its permeability, high recharge rate, massive aquifer thickness and low drawdown.     

The Role of Fracture Structure in Leachate Pollution at Landfills： A Case Study of a Landfill in Chongqing City

This paper studies a landfill where there are three faults running through.As serious pollution has occurred to the geological environment,the landfill is to be closed up and renovated.The paper aims to explore the role of fracture structure in leachate pollution at the landfill.The research was carried out in several stages.First,mathematical models of the pre-renovation landfill with three faults running through and the landfill after renovation were established.And then,the boundary conditions and parameters of the two mathematical models were determined.The groundwater level of the landfills was simulated in order to modify the two mathematical models.As a result,a feasible mathematical model was achieved.Based on this model,a comparison was made of the COD concentration variations in the inside leachate and outside leachate between the two landfills. Accordingly,the impacts of the fracture structure on the pollution of leachate at the landfills could be identified.The study results show that while faults contribute to the migration of leachate,they also serve as a confluence of leachate,thus further deteriorating the environment.The COD concentrations of the inside leachate and the outside leacbate of the pre-renovation landfill are respectively 800 mg/L and 220 mg/L higher than those of the post.renovation landfill.Therefore,measures must be taken to handle the leachate seepage in areas where there are faults as well as the neighboring areas so as to get the environmental pollution under control.     

The Role of Fracture Structure in Leachate Pollution at Landfills: A Case Study of a Landfill in Chongqing City

This paper studies a landfill where there are three faults running through. As serious pollution has occurred to the geological environment, the landfill is to be closed up and renovated. The paper aims to explore the role of fracture structure in leachate pollution at the landfill. The research was carried out in several stages. First, mathematical models of the pre-renovation landfill with three faults running through and the landfill after renovation were established. And then, the boundary conditions and parameters of the two mathematical models were determined. The groundwater level of the landfills was simulated in order to modify the two mathematical models. As a result, a feasible mathematical model was achieved. Based on this model, a comparison was made of the COD concentration variations in the inside leachate and outside leachate between the two landfills. Accordingly, the impacts of the fracture structure on the pollution of leachate at the landfills could be identified. The study results show that while faults contribute to the migration of ieachate, they also serve as a confluence of leachate, thus further deteriorating the environment. The COD concentrations of the inside leachate and the outside leachate of the pre-renovation landfill are respectively 800 mg/L and 220 mg/L higher than those of the post-renovation landfill. Therefore, measures must be taken to handle the ieachate seepage in areas where there are faults as well as the neighboring areas so as to get the environmental pollution under control.     

Risk Assessment on Organic Contamination of Shallow Groundwater of an Oilfield in Northeast China

With the oil contaminated site of an oil field in northeast as the research area, based on the site geological and hydrogeological conditions, and by virtue of the methods of assessment on current situation of organic contamination and environmental impact assessment as well as leaching mobility assessment on organics, the internal and external risk assessments on organic contamination of shallow groundwater in the research area are conducted respectively. According to the results, about 30 kinds of organic components, including chlorinated hydrocarbons, mononuclear aromatics, heteroaromatic compound, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and n-alkanes, are detected in the shallow groundwater in the research area. The current situation contamination of dichloromethane is the most serious, and all well points are of contamination at medium or above level. Compared with dichloromethane, contamination of trichloromethane and benzene is lighter, but several seriously contaminated well points occur in these two groups. The leaching mobility of dichloromethane, trichloromethane and benzene is extremely high, posing the greatest contamination risks against groundwater.     

Hydrogeophysical approach for contamination assessment in NamSon landfill,Hanoi, Vietnam

Self potential (SP) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) methods are used together with the results of groundwater samples hydrogeochemical analysis to assess the impact of the water leak from the landfill garbage site at NamSon located in Northern Hanoi on causing pollution to the surrounding environment and affecting geological structure. Selected survey area covers an area of 180 × 300 m lying in the low land of the NamSon site with a slope ranging about 8 m in direction NW–SE. There are three geophysical measurements lines denoted as T1, T2 and T3. Processing 180 SP data points has allowed to draw maps of equipotential epoch in the two periods in 2015 and 2016. The maps show four zones of SP positive anomalies with maximum amplitudes of about +20 mV where the groundwater flow direction is downward and five zones of SP negative anomalies with minimum values in a range from ?180 to ?260 mV where the groundwater flow direction is upward. Resistivity values of the subsurface layers of soils and rocks have been aquired from 2D inverse model for measuring ERT in March 2015 and March 2016. The results of the ERT allowed to define the low resistivity in the range 15–20 Ωm related to leachate plume from NamSon landfill site. Results of the physico-chemical analysis of groundwater samples from the existing six boreholes show increases in concentration of the measured pollutant parameters indicating contamination of the groundwater as a result of solid waste leachate accumulation. This result is affirmative evidence for the survey results by geophysical technique. The rapid decrease in quality of groundwater over the last year is probably due to the influence of the leachate from the NamSon landfill site.     

不同龄期垃圾渗滤液对浅层地下水污染的实验研究

为了深入了解垃圾渗滤液对浅层地下水污染的机理,揭示不同龄期垃圾渗滤液在浅层地下水中多组分运移规律,文章以阜新市垃圾填埋场为研究对象,通过室内土柱对比实验,研究了不同龄期垃圾渗滤液在浅层地下水中多组分运移的机理和规律。结果表明不同龄期垃圾渗滤液在入渗过程中都会引起地下水不同程度的污染,且新鲜垃圾渗滤液较老龄垃圾渗滤液更易污染地下水,其污染机理主要为吸附、解析、溶解、沉淀和离子交换等水岩作用。研究结果为今后垃圾填埋场的治理和地下水的修复提供理论依据。     

滨海石化项目地下水环境影响评价的关键问题

由于地下水环境污染具有极强的隐蔽性和滞后性,尤其是滨海石化项目,其污染种类多、环境风险大、保护目标难确定,因此前期的地下水环境影响评价尤为重要。文章对滨海石化项目地下水环境影响评价中保护目标的确定、评价标准的选取、污染源的估算和保护措施的选择进行了探讨,并结合珠江入海口某大型石化项目的地下水环境影响评价,进行了案例分析,为类似地区的石化项目地下水环境影响评价提供可参考的经验。     

污染场地健康风险评价的实例研究

以常州市A厂有机污染调查为依据,采用篇中讨论的污染场地健康风险评价方法综合评价由土壤、空气、地下水污染带来的人群健康风险。综合分析表明,场地目标污染物为4种苯系物,可能对人体产生肝肾病变、鼻上皮组织恶化和运动协调能力降低等非致癌效应;污染物暴露途径主要有3条,分别暴露于厂区人群和饮用厂区下游民井井水的居民。评价结果显示,厂区人群同时遭受皮肤接触污染土壤和呼吸污染空气带来的非致癌危害。4种污染物的多途径同种污染物累计非致癌危害指数分别为甲苯,2·82×10-2;乙苯,4·94×10-2;间对二甲苯,1·21×10-7;异丙苯,1·05×10-7。两途径多污染物非致癌总危害指数分别为4·26×10-5和7·76×10-2,非致癌综合危害指数为7·76×10-2;厂区下游居民饮用遭受污染的地下水,其多污染物非致癌总危害指数为1·55×10-5。各危害指数均小于1,非致癌健康风险较小。     

北京市北天堂生活垃圾场地的地质环境效应评价

通过对生活垃圾主要污染成分分析，选出污染评价因子；采用单因子和多因子评价法对垃圾场地周围的地下水和土壤进行污染程度评价；为防止地下水及土壤的污染，认为生活垃圾严禁随意堆放，选择垃圾场址时必须进行环境影响评价。     

铜矿开采辐射环境影响评价

矿产开发过程中的辐射环境影响日益被管理部门和广大公众所重视。针对我国南方某铜矿开采项目,在详细工程分析和现状调查的基础上,对铜矿开采可能带来的辐射环境影响进行了细致分析,预测和评价项目建设对辐射环境的可能影响,并针对性地提出环境保护措施。相关结论和措施对于铜矿资源合理开发和保护环境具有指导意义。     

Resource development and environmental stress: Environmental impact assessment and beyond in Australia and Canada

Australia and Canada are comparable in many respects, and their responses to environmental stresses arising from the development of resources are instructive. Australia's legislative adoption of environmental impact assessment (EIA) is both recent and incomplete. The more comprehensive Canadian experience with the technique suggests that EIA has many shortcomings as an environmental management tool. Moves to go beyond EIA in Australia, towards integrated, regional environmental planning and management, are compared with similar but more advanced developments in Canada. Canada also has a significantly greater commitment to public participation in environmental decision making than Australia. Public pressures are important determinants of the extent of commitment to environmental protection in the two countries.     

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