Impacts of open dumpsite leachates on soil and groundwater quality

Abstract

Groundwater remains a vital natural resource and its security should be the top priority for everyone. Continuous indiscriminate waste dumping and unruly human behaviour towards environmental management and strategies require a holistic approach to guarantee environmental security. This study assesses the impacts of dumpsite leachate on soil and groundwater quality using geophysical and physicochemical water analysis approaches. Data were collected at dumpsites and a sample station using geo-electrical resistivity. The impact of the dumpsite's leachate plumes on the soil and groundwater quality was investigated. The resistivity values distributed within the dumpsites and the sample station indicate that the dumpsite leachate plumes have impacted the ground both vertically and horizontally. The physicochemical water analysis was carried out on four hand-dug wells within the radius of 61 m of the open dumpsites. The results indicate the presence of heavy metals, physical drilling depicts soft subsoil, while the geophysical result is characterized by low resistivity values, which show a good match. The soft soil, heavy metal presence, and low resistivity values suggest that the soil and the aquifer systems within and around dumpsites have been compromised by the leachate plums, which had seeped the ground down to the water table. High ion concentrations associated with leachate plumes have critically influenced the conductivity of subsoil and the groundwater within and around dumpsites. However, unpolluted fresh water can be achieved below 23 m depth. The combined geophysical investigation and physiochemical water analysis can give an account of dumpsite leachates activities on ground resources.