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.     

The log-normal distribution for hydraulic conductivity of compacted clays: Two or three parameters?

Risk and uncertainty assessments for waste containment systems employing clay barriers often include spatial variability in the hydraulic conductivity as part of the analysis. The two-parameter log-normal distribution is often used to describe the spatial variability, but for compacted clays the three-parameter form can be more appropriate. A statistical hypothesis test was developed that can be used to determine if the two- or three-parameter form of the log-normal distribution is more appropriate. The test is based on a likelihood ratio, comparing likelihood functions for the two- and three-parameter forms at their maximums. Likelihood functions are used assuming that a data set can be segregated into a set of distinct groups of hydraulic conductivities. A step-by-step calculation procedure is described and the test is applied to data collected from 45 sites.     

Design of Inclined Covers with Capillary Barrier Effect

A design procedure is proposed to minimize water infiltration into landfills by optimizing the water diversion length of inclined covers with capillary barrier effect (CCBE). This design procedure is based on a conceptual, mathematical and numerical approach and aims at selecting materials and optimizing layer thickness. Selection among candidate materials is made based on their hydraulic conductivity functions and on a threshold infiltration rate imposed on the designer. The capillary break layer (CBL; bottom layer) is characterized by a weak capillarity, while the moisture retention layer (MRL; upper layer) is characterized by a compromise between strong capillarity and high hydraulic conductivity. The thickness of the CBL corresponds to the height where suction reaches its maximum value for a given infiltration rate. This height can be calculated using the Kisch [Géotechnique 9 (1959)] model. The optimal thickness of the MRL is determined by applying an adaptation of the Ross [Water Resources Research 26 (1990)] model. The results obtained using the proposed design procedure were compared to those obtained from numerical simulations performed using a finite element unsaturated seepage software. The procedure was applied for two cover systems; one where deinking by-products (DBP) were used as MRL and sand as CBL and another where sand was used as MRL and gravel as CBL. Using this procedure, it has been shown that an infiltration control system composed of thin layers of sand over gravel is highly efficient in terms of diversion length and that its efficiency can be enhanced by placing a hydraulic barrier – such as a layer of DBP – above the MRL.     

Attenuation of landfill leachate at two uncontrolled landfills

Attenuation characteristics of landfill leachate were examined for two uncontrolled landfills in Korea. The two landfills containing municipal wastes without appropriate bottom liner and leachate treatment system have different landfill age, waste volume, and most importantly different hydrogeologic settings. One landfill (Cheonan landfill) is situated in an open flat area while the other (Wonju landfill) is located in a valley. Variations of various parameters including dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved oxygen (DO), alkalinity, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), redox potential (ORP), ammonia (NH₃), nitrate (NO₃⁻), sulfate (SO₄²⁻), and chloride (Cl⁻) were examined along groundwater flow path. All these parameters were analyzed every month for a year. In the interior of the landfills, typical anaerobic conditions revealed by low DO and NO₃ concentrations, negative ORP values, high NH₃, alkalinity, and Cl⁻ concentrations were observed. Generally, higher levels of contaminants (DOC, NH₃, and Cl⁻) were detected in the dry season while they were greatly lowered in the wet season. Significantly, large decrease of Cl^- concentration in the wet season indicates that the dilution or mixing is one of dominant attenuation mechanisms of leachate. But detailed variation behaviors in the two landfills are different and they were largely dependent on permeability of surface and subsurface layers. The intermediately permeable surface of the landfills receives part of direct rainfall infiltration but most rainwater is lost to fast runoff. The practically impermeable surface of clayey silt (paddy field) at immediately adjacent to the Cheonan landfill boundary prevented direct rainwater infiltration and hence redox condition of the ground waters were largely affected by that of the upper landfill and the less permeable materials beneath the paddy fields prohibited dispersion of the landfill leachate into down gradient area. In the Wonju landfill, there are three different permeability divisions, the landfill region, the sandy open field and the paddy field. Roles of the landfill and paddy regions are very similar to those at the Cheonan. The very permeable sandy field receiving a large amount of rainwater infiltration plays a key role in controlling redox condition of the down gradient area and contaminant migration. This paper reports details of the attenuation and redox conditions of the landfill leachates at the two uncontrolled landfills.     

环境岩土工程研究现状与展望

小环境岩土工程问题已经逐渐成为环境岩土工程研究的热点问题。笔者对环境岩土工程的研究内容作了简要介绍，简述了国内外在小环境岩土工程研究方面的现状和进展，重点就垃圾卫生填埋问题，特别是沿海软土地区垃圾堆埋场的设计等问题进行了讨论，对国内环境岩土工程的发展提出了一些看法。     

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.     

城市生活垃圾卫生填埋场沉降变形分析

城市生活垃圾填埋场地基沉降和垃圾堆体沉降受到的影响因素多,现行规范的计算方法直接采用与实际相差较大,为减少不均匀沉降对垃圾防渗层的影响、准确确定垃圾储量和保证垃圾堆体的稳定,开展垃圾填埋场沉降研究具有重要意义。垃圾填埋场沉降变形包括地基沉降和垃圾堆体沉降,垃圾堆体沉降又分为主沉降和次沉降,主沉降完成时间短于次沉降。通过对陕西省宝鸡市垃圾填埋场地基土进行沉降计算,最大沉降差超过100 mm,对垃圾防渗层不利影响较大;而对垃圾堆体沉降计算,修正后的计算值与沉降观测值非常接近。考虑不同地区地层差异和垃圾成分差异,积累沉降观测资料具有重要意义。     

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.     

Within-storm variations in runoff and sediment export from a rapidly eroding coal-refuse deposit

Measurements of rainfall, runoff and sediment export from a barren deposit of coal mine refuse in south-western Indiana were collected during three storms in the summer and autumn of 1990. Interfluve sheetwash, sediment mass flux, sediment concentration and, to a lesser extent, trunk gully discharge all responded quickly to changes in rainfall intensity. Grain-size distributions varied considerably during storms, containing exclusively fine-grained sediment at low sediment discharges but very large quantities of coarse (> 2mm) sediment at peak sediment discharges. Although data from a fairly long, multipulsed storm indicate that sediment production is limited by supply, the imbricated layer of flat chips that exists at the surface of the deposit is apparently mobilized during most high-intensity pulses of rainfall, thereby producing large volumes of coarse sediment during summer thunderstorms.     

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。