Abstract
Measurement and calculation of the carbon isotopic composition of groundwater from piezometers located around a reclaimed landfill were performed in order to test the method to distinguish the piezometers localized within the contaminated area and to identify the boundaries of the leachate plume. In order to select the best method for delineation of the leachate plume it was analyzed: chemical composition, the stable carbon isotopic composition in groundwater, and the calculation of carbon isotopic composition in groundwater. Comparison of the different methods for delineation of the leachate plume indicate, that the best method appear to be method based on the measurement and calculation of the carbon isotopic composition in groundwater. The proposed method has been tested using the data from Otwock landfill (Poland), but it can also be used in other contaminated areas.
Highlights
Landfill leachates contain a wide range of contaminants and when they mix with natural groundwater, significant changes in groundwater quality are observed [1,2,3,4,5,6]
Numerous groundwater components were analyzed for the Otwock landfill, but this paper presents only the parameters which are useful to the calculation of the carbon isotope composition of groundwater
4 Results and discussion In order to select the best method for delineation of the leachate plume was analyzed, i.e: the concentration of major ions, the stable carbon isotopic composition in groundwater, and the calculation of carbon isotopic composition in groundwater
Summary
Landfill leachates contain a wide range of contaminants and when they mix with natural groundwater, significant changes in groundwater quality are observed [1,2,3,4,5,6]. The delineation of a leachate plume around a municipal landfill may be sometimes complicated and may present significant challenges. The intensity of groundwater contamination by a leachate depends on hydrogeological conditions, climate and the engineering of the landfill [8]. Due to complexity of hydrogeological conditions and biochemical processes in a landfill, the assessment of the leachate plume extent requires detailed and unconventional measurements. Standard methods like chemical analysis of groundwater, hydrological description, and geophysical studies (vertical electrical sounding and ground penetrating radar) were used for the identification and delineation of a contaminant plume in the shallow aquifer in Guadalupe Victoria landfill in Mexico [20].
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