The Geochemistry of Boron in a Landfill Monitoring Program |
| |
| Authors: | Kristine Uhlman CGWP CPG |
| |
| Institution: | Kristine Uhlman, CGWP, CPG, has more than 16 years of experience in contaminant hydrogeology and ground water-related environmental studies. She was a site project manager for the New York Attorney General's investigation at the Love Canal where her responsibilities included litigation, quality data collection and field protocol development, and on-site monitoring well construction and aquifer analysis. Uhlman has also worked in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where her responsibilities included scheduling drilling and supervising data acquisition and analysis. Uhlman's experience includes aquifer remediation, underground storage tank closure, municipal and hazardous waste landfill design and remediation, CERCLA remedial investigations, property transaction environmental assessments, RCRA closure, and water supply. In addition, Uhlman has provided expert witness testimony on landfill-related hydrogeologic issues. Since joining Remcor Inc. (701 Alpha Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15238) as the manager of the Geosciences Group, she has supervised several remediation project activities for private sector industrial clients. Her education includes a B.S. in ground water hydrology from the University of Arizona and an M.S. in civil engineering from The Ohio State University. |
| |
| Abstract: | Ground water monitoring data collected during the past eight years at a permitted municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal facility located in the midwestern United States indicated fluctuations in typical leachate indicator parameter concentrations. Apparent trends in the data inferred leachate outbreak, generating suspicion as to the integrity of the landfill liner. Eight ground water monitoring wells were installed in three distinct geologic units at the landfill facility, including glacial drift, silurian dolomite, and a post-glacial peat fen, which is downgradient from the landfill. Piezometer nests were used to define ground water gradients at the site. Using boron as an indicator, the occurrence of analytes of concern in the downgradient monitoring wells were shown to be indicative of the natural geochemistry of site ground water. This work emphasizes the importance of understanding site hydrogeology during the interpretation of ground water quality data. |
| |
| Keywords: | |
|
|
