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.     

Can stable isotopes be used to monitor landfill leachate impact on surface waters?

Bacterially mediated methanogenesis in municipal solid waste landfills has been shown to cause an enrichment of carbon stable isotope ratios of dissolved inorganic carbon and hydrogen stable isotope ratios of water in landfill leachate. In the present study, we investigate the universality of this enrichment in leachate obtained from four diverse landfill sites in New Zealand. At each site, surface water samples upstream and downstream of landfills were analysed to examine the applicability of stable isotope ratios as a tool for monitoring leachate contamination in landfill-associated streams. The design of leachate collection systems, operational history, and landfill location appeared to strongly influence leachate isotopic values and the effectiveness of isotope ratios as an environmental monitoring tool for surface water.     

Mitigation of municipal solid waste leachate contamination at Payatas, Metro Manila, Philippines： A technical proposal

The gross environmental condition of the Payatas Disposal Facility in Metro Manila, Philippines, implores the need for sustainable technologies to control and abate toxic municipal solid waste leachate and protect public health. A team of environmental engineers recognized this need by selecting the site as a design project for the Mondialogo Worldwide Engineering Award, sponsored by the United Nations and Daimler Chrysler. The project culminated in a technical proposal that highlighted the following design features： an impermeable dumpsite cap to control leachate generation; vertical impermeable barriers for containment and isolation of leachate; a drainage system to divert clean, surface water from the cap and prevent its contamination prior to discharge; a leachate recirculation system to enhance stabilisation of the waste deposit; and a facultative lagoon and constructed wetland system to treat excess leachate.     

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.     

Water-rock-tailings interactions and sources of sulfur and metals in the subtropical mining region of Taxco,Guerrero (southern Mexico): A multi-isotopic approach

Multi-isotope (H, O, S, Sr, Pb) systems coupled with conventional (major and trace element) hydrogeochemical analysis were applied to determine the origin of water, to model water-rock-tailings interactions and for source apportionment of sulfur and associated toxic metals in the mining region of Taxco, Guerrero in southern Mexico. Oxygen and H isotopes indicate that meteoric water in the zone is rainwater undergoing varying degrees of isotopic fractionation by atmospheric evaporation whereas Sr isotopes trace the interaction of pristine water from volcanics of the regional recharge zone and subsequently flowing through sandstone and shale to spring points. Leachates form from two distinctive sources (spring water and surface water) having differential interactions with bedrocks prior to entering the tailings. Compared to pristine water, leachates are enriched in sulfate, metals (e.g. Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn) and metalloids (e.g. As). The sulfur isotopic composition of ore-sulfides, leachates, secondary precipitates, regional surface water and hypogenic sulfates is described in terms of a two-component mixing model with shale of Mexcala and limestone of Morelos formations representing the light and heavy end-members, respectively, whereas Sr isotopic composition is bracketed combining three lithogenic (Mexcala/Morelos, Tilzapotla and Taxco Schist) sources. Finally, leachates have a mixture of lead from ore-sulfides and Taxco Schist Formation (Family I) or from ore-sulfides alone (Family II). The application of multiple environmental isotopic techniques is an outstanding tool for elucidating complex interactions of water with bedrocks and tailings and for determining the source of sulfur and toxic metal from mining and other metal polluted environments.     

Leachate studies on fly ash-stabilised expansive clay liners

This paper presents leachate studies on fly ash-stabilised expansive clay liners. Fly ash in different contents (0%, 10%, 20% and 30%) by dry weight of the expansive clay was added to the clay, and the ash-clay blend was compacted as a liner overlying a compacted lateritic clay layer. Deionised water (DIW) and calcium chloride (CaCl₂) solutions of varying concentration (5 mM, 10 mM, 20 mM, 50 mM, 100 mM and 500 mM) were used as the permeating fluids in the leachate studies. Chemical analysis of the leachate was performed. For a given CaCl₂ concentration, the concentrations of both calcium ion and chloride ion in the leachate decreased up to a fly ash content of 20%, and thereafter they increased when the fly ash content was increased to 30%. Further, for a given fly ash content, concentrations of calcium ion and chloride ion increased with increasing CaCl₂ concentration.     

垃圾焚烧灰治理垃圾渗滤液重金属污染的试验研究

通过垃圾焚烧灰对模拟垃圾渗滤液重金属废水的正交吸附实验研究,并讨论其对重金属吸附的一般规律及pH、加入量和振荡时间几个影响因素对吸附效果的影响.研究结果表明:在一定的pH、加入量和振荡时间下,垃圾焚烧灰对Pb、Ni、Cd、Mn、Zn、Cr有一定的吸附效果,最大吸附率分别可以达到100%、84.18%、96.74%、93.52%、99%、81.69%.焚烧灰对重金属的吸附能力表现为Pb＞Mn＞Cd＞Zn＞Ni＞Cr.各影响因素对重金属吸附效率的影响大小顺序表现为pH＞加入量＞振荡时间,pH值对吸附率的影响最大,为主要影响因素.     

城市垃圾填埋场粘土基防渗浆材的实验研究

文章研制了一种低渗透系数并对污染物有一定吸附阻滞作用的浆材,即膨润土-粉煤灰-水泥(BFS)浆材,用于垃圾填埋场以防治渗沥液渗漏污染周围地下水和土壤。通过正交试验优选出了以膨润土为主的配方:膨润土22%~25%、粉煤灰20%~23%、水泥15%~18%、纯碱1.2%~1.4%、稀释剂TMH加量0.3%~0.45%。该浆材结实率大于99.6%,固结体28d渗透系数小于0.8×10-7cm/s,无侧限抗压强度小于2.0MPa,渗透系数比一般水泥粘土浆材降低约2个数量级。通过采自长春某垃圾填埋场的渗沥液进行固结体的渗透试验,该浆材的固结体对CODCr、氨氮和磷的吸附阻滞率均达到了82%以上。文章的创新点在于浆材配方的选材不但考虑了降低固结体渗透系数,使其符合规范要求,而且考虑了材料成分对渗沥液中污染物的吸附阻滞作用,同时降低了固结体的抗压强度和脆性,使其有一定的塑性和韧性,以适应填埋场的地基变形。     

The 14-year Performance of a Compacted Clay Liner used as Part of a Composite Liner System for a Leachate Lagoon

The migration of contaminants through a 2.9 m thick compacted clay liner (CCL) for a landfill leachate lagoon is examined 14 years after construction. The clay liner formed the lower portion of the composite liner system but the geomembrane (GM) was found to have defects that had allowed leachate to migrate between the GM and CCL. Chloride, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium pore water profiles through the CCL are examined. It is shown that chloride migrated approximately 1.7 m into the CCL during the 14 years of the lagoon operation, sodium approximately 1.2 m, and potassium 0.7 m. Diffusion and sorption data from laboratory diffusion testing are utilized in combination with a finite layer contaminant transport model to predict field contaminant migration profiles through the composite liner system and to establish the time of ‘failure’ of the geomembrane at sometime between 0 and 6 years after installation. Relatively high sorptive uptake of potassium by the CCL soil is observed from batch testing and diffusion testing with field data suggesting an even larger amount of sorption. It is hypothesized that organic sludge matter at the base of the lagoon is responsible for potassium uptake from the leachate. This field case highlights the importance of the compacted clay liner as part of the composite liner system in acting as a diffusion barrier during the lifetime of the lagoon as well as using relatively non-conservative contaminants such as chloride and sodium to estimate geomembrane ‘failure’ times     

Na+,K+,Rb+,Cs+//SO2-4-H2O体系固液相平衡热力学模拟

锂云母、铯榴石等矿物的硫酸盐焙烧浸出,是从中提取锂铷铯钾等碱金属元素的重要步骤,所得硫酸盐浸出液可近似看作Li⁺,Na⁺,K⁺,Rb⁺,Cs+ // SO₄2--H₂O六元水盐体系;其在浓缩过程呈现复杂的成盐特征,增加了各碱金属元素分离提取的难度,研究其相关水盐体系相图和相平衡性质对理解浸出液中碱金属的分离具有重要的理论指导意义。本文采用Pitzer-Simonson-Clegg超额Gibbs自由能方程和具有内在热力学一致性的CALPHAD方法,构建了Na⁺,K⁺,Rb⁺,Cs⁺//SO₄2--H₂O五元体系的多温固液相平衡热力学模型。借助该模型:1)实现了对Na₂SO₄₊Rb₂SO₄₊H₂O、Na₂SO₄₊Cs₂SO₄₊H₂O和K₂SO₄₊Cs₂SO₄₊H₂O三元体系的多温溶解度等温线的准确描述,并进一步构建了这些体系在240.15~380.15 K温度范围内的多温相图;2)实现了对K₂SO₄+Rb₂SO₄₊H₂O和Rb₂SO₄₊Cs₂SO₄₊H₂O体系中存在的固溶体相—水溶液平衡关系的准确描述,确认了(K,Rb)₂SO₄连续固溶体、以及(Rb,Cs)₂SO₄(α)和(Rb,Cs)₂SO₄(β)间断固溶体存在的合理性;3)预测了上述五元体系中所包含的全部4个四元子体系(Na₂SO₄₊ K₂SO₄₊ Rb₂SO₄+H₂O、Na₂SO₄ + K₂SO₄₊Cs₂SO₄₊ H₂O、Na₂SO₄₊ Rb₂SO₄₊Cs₂SO₄ + H₂O和K₂SO₄₊Rb₂SO₄₊Cs₂SO₄₊ H₂O)的相图,明确了四元相图中固溶体的类型及形成区域。然而,模型预测结果与现有四元体系实验数据间存在普遍的不一致性,尤其是固溶体形成区域,但模型预测结果从非实验角度给出了重要参考,对现有实验提出了挑战,未来对这些体系开展更为精细的实验研究非常必要。