Abandoned Waste Disposal Sites Research Articles

Frequency-Domain Electromagnetic Mapping of an Abandoned Waste Disposal Site: A Case in Sardinia (Italy)

For decades, bad practices in municipal and industrial waste management have had negative environmental impacts, generating high health risks for people and the environment. The use of badly designed, not engineered, and not well-operated landfills has, around the world, produced a large number of potentially contaminated sites, for which there are urgent needs to assess the actual risk and to proceed, in case, with reclamation activities. One of these sites, an abandoned waste disposal site located near a Site of Community Importance on the central-eastern coast of Sardinia (Italy), is the subject of the case history described in this work. As a part of a multi-method geophysical characterisation, a frequency-domain electromagnetic (FDEM) mapping survey was carried out with the specific aim of detecting the presence of buried materials (waste) and of delineating the lateral extent of the landfill by identifying the electrical conductivity anomalies produced, for the most part, by the conductive waste fill. Using an EM31 device in the vertical-dipole configuration, at a height of 0.9 m above the ground, both quadrature and in-phase electromagnetic responses were collected over a 7-hectare area with elevation varying between 6 m and 2.8 m above sea level. After removing the measurements identified as data coming from any recognisable surface man-made features within the survey area or near its perimeter, the filtered quadrature response (expressed as apparent conductivity) ranged from 5.5 mS/m to about 188.6 mS/m. All values are beyond the low induction number (LIN) condition and valid for the classical EM31 mapping, thus requiring advanced data processing. To obtain undistorted, meaningful, and interpretable high-resolution maps, measured data have been processed to correct the bias, introduced by the nonlinearity of the device, as a function of height above ground and the topography. The comparative analysis of the apparent conductivity map, obtained by the properly processed EM31 data and some aerial photos that clearly documented the site history, has allowed unequivocal delineation of the landfill extent, in good agreement with the results obtained with other geophysical methods (not described in this paper) and with the ground truthing data provided by three boreholes, which were core-drilled at the end of the study at three locations selected on the basis of the apparent conductivity map.

Heavy Metals Enrichment in Surface Soil from Abandoned Waste Disposal Sites in a Hot and Wet Tropical Area

High levels of heavy metals in the environment pose threat to the ecosystem, due to their deleterious effects on humans, animals and plants. The present study aims at determining the extent of pollution of heavy metals such as Fe, Pb, Cr, Zn, Co, Cu and Al in surface soil from Aboabo and Santasi abandoned landfill sites and examining the quality of the soil using pollution indices. In all, 30 soil samples were collected from two study sites and a control sample was also taken from KNUST Botanic Gardens. Concentration of heavy metals were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) after acid digestion. Analyses of the physicochemical parameters revealed that pH of soils from both study sites were slightly alkaline and the soils have a sandy loam texture. At such pH, precipitation of hydroxides and carbonate is induced, leading to limitation in metal mobility. Mean organic matter contents of soil samples were 8.67 ± 7.19 % at Aboabo site and 19.23 ± 4.80 % at Santasi site. High organic content can lead to cation adsorption and reduced metal bioavailability. The study further revealed that mean concentrations of all the heavy metals exceeded their respective levels in the control samples. Correlation analysis of metal concentrations indicated that Pb/Cu correlated at the Aboabo, whereas Cu/Zn, Fe/Pb and Cr/Co showed strong correlation in Santasi site. Heavy metals pollution was assessed using Igeo, contamination factor and PLI, and the results indicated elevated levels of all the metals in soil samples from both areas. Finally, the results indicate that pH and organic content are important barriers to metal distribution in the environment.

Discovering and Characterizing Abandoned Waste Disposal Sites Using LIDAR and Aerial Photography

Currently there are 1,908 active landfills across the United States; however, in the 1970s, prior to the modern era of sanitary landfills, there may have been as many as 100,000 landfills and dumps. Most of these landfills and dumps were unregulated and were abandoned, and details about their locations and characteristics are poorly documented. The Abandoned Landfill Inventory produced by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection lists 2,620 waste facilities in the state, of which 1,309 are described as “landfills” or “abandoned landfills.” There are 157 reported facilities in Lancaster County, PA. Seventeen are “landfills” or “abandoned landfills”; however, it is clear that most of the landfills and dumps that existed in Lancaster are not listed. A 1971 report documented approximately 23 land disposal sites, including eight landfills (one of which was a licensed sanitary landfill), 15 dumps, approximately 44 identified informal dumps, and perhaps 200 to 300 additional unidentified informal dumps. This study uses LIDAR and historical aerial photography integrated into a GIS database to investigate three dump sites in Lancaster County, PA. The sites had varying degrees of available information about their location and extent. The techniques discussed here can be used to investigate other ‘known’ and possible abandoned sites in order to significantly increase the robustness of the available data about these sites, leading to better monitoring and even remediation in extreme cases. As land-use pressures increase with an expanding population abandoned landfill sites need to be avoided or used in appropriate ways.

The effects of oil pollution on Antarctic benthic diatom communities over 5 years

Although considered pristine, Antarctica has not been impervious to hydrocarbon pollution. Antarctica’s history is peppered with oil spills and numerous abandoned waste disposal sites. Both spill events and constant leakages contribute to previous and current sources of pollution into marine sediments. Here we compare the response of the benthic diatom communities over 5years to exposure to a commonly used standard synthetic lubricant oil, an alternative lubricant marketed as more biodegradable, in comparison to a control treatment. Community composition varied significantly over time and between treatments with some high variability within contaminated treatments suggesting community stress. Both lubricants showed evidence of significant effects on community composition after 5years even though total petroleum hydrocarbon reduction reached approximately 80% over this time period. It appears that even after 5years toxicity remains high for both the standard and biodegradable lubricants revealing the temporal scale at which pollutants persist in Antarctica.

A sediment mesocosm experiment to determine if the remediation of a shoreline waste disposal site in Antarctica caused further environmental impacts

A shoreline waste disposal site at Casey Station, Antarctica was removed because it was causing impacts in the adjacent marine environment (Brown Bay). We conducted a field experiment to determine whether the excavation created further impacts. Trays of clean, defaunated sediment were deployed at two locations within Brown Bay and two control locations, two years prior to remediation. Trays were sampled one year before, 1month before, 1month after and two years after the excavation. An increase in metals was found at Brown Bay two years after the remediation. However there was little evidence of impacts on sediment assemblages. Communities at each location were different, but differences from before to after the remediation were comparable, indicating there were unlikely to have been further impacts. We demonstrate that abandoned waste disposal sites in hydrologically active places in Antarctica can be removed without creating greater adverse impacts to ecosystems downstream.

A simple method to check for natural attenuation downstream of abandoned waste disposal sites

Evaluations of waste sites are based on the assessment of whether conditions for Natural Attenuation (NA) processes are favourable. A method is proposed as a first check for effects of NA in the groundwater emissions. For the application of the method, concentrations of the concerned substance and of a tracer must be available at observation wells at different distances from the source, preferably along a flowpath of the waste site. The method is demonstrated at waste sites, with TOC as proxy for a degradable component. The method can be recommended within a priority programme for NA-remediation on landfills.

Effect-related monitoring: estrogen-like substances in groundwater

Concentration monitoring as a basis for risk assessment is a valid approach only if there is an unambiguous relation between concentration and effect. In many cases, no such unambiguous relation exists, since various substances can exert the same effect with differing potencies. If some or all of these substances contributing to a biological effect are unknown, effect-related monitoring becomes indispensable. Endocrine-disrupting substances in water bodies, including the groundwater, are a prominent example of such a case. The aim of the investigations described here was to detect hormonally active substances in the groundwater downstream of obsolete landfills by using the E-screen assay and to possibly assign the biological effect to individual chemical compounds by means of instrumental analyses carried out in parallel. Grab samples of the groundwater were collected downstream from abandoned landfills and prepared by liquid/liquid extraction. The total estrogenic activity in these samples was determined in vitro by applying the E-screen assay. The human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) used in the E-screen proliferate in response to the presence of estrogenically active compounds. Expressed in concentration units of the reference substance 17beta-estradiol (E2), the test system allows the quantification of estrogenicity with a limit of detection (LOD) in the range of 0.1 ng/L. Aliquots of the samples were screened using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) in order to quantify known estrogenically active substances and to identify unknown compounds. Estrogen-positive samples were extracted at different pH values, split into acidic, neutral, and basic fractions and analyzed by GC/MS, searching for individual components that display estrogenic activity. Estrogenic activity exceeding the LOD and the provisional benchmark of 0.5 ng E2/L was found at three out of seven abandoned waste disposal sites tested. The low concentrations of known xenoestrogens such as bisphenol-A, nonylphenols, or phthalic acid esters determined by GC/MS, however, were not sufficient to explain the detected activity. Neither natural nor synthetic hormones have caused the activity because these chemical structures are readily degradable and cannot persist in abandoned landfills for decades. The highest activity in the E-screen assay was found in the acidic fractions. Hydroxypolychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hydroxylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and hetero-PAHs, as well as alkylphenols could be identified as further compounds with possible hormonal activity. Estrogenically active substances may occur in the groundwater below obsolete landfills, especially those that contain PCBs or waste from gasworks. These substances are not part of analytical programs routinely applied to contaminated sites and may therefore escape detection and assessment. Analyses using the E-screen assay and GC/MS in parallel have shown that the total estrogenic activity found in groundwater samples is to be ascribed to a multitude of individual compounds, some of which cannot be quantified due to lack of standard substances or assessed due to lack of a standardized procedure for determination of their estrogenic potency. By comparison with provisional guide values for estradiol (0.5 ng/L) and ethynylestradiol (0.3 ng/L), the damaging potential of the total estrogenic activity in groundwater samples can in fact be assessed, but specific remediation measures are impossible unless the hormonal activity can be attributed to individual chemical substances. On the one hand, further analyses of samples taken from possible pollution sources should be conducted in order to characterize the extent of groundwater pollution with xenoestrogens. On the other hand, the most potent individual compounds should be identified according to their estrogenic potency. To this end, bioassay-directed fractionation and structure elucidation should be carried out with concentrated samples.

Effects of natural attenuation processes on groundwater contamination caused by abandoned waste sites in Berlin

The aim of this research project is to identify, characterize and quantify natural attenuation (NA) processes in groundwater affected by emissions of abandoned waste disposal sites in Berlin-Kladow/Gatow, Germany. It is part of the funding priority called KORA established by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) to explore the extent to which NA can be used for remedial purposes for varied forms of soil and groundwater contamination. Information on the emission behaviour of individual parameters is generated on the basis of hydrogeochemical comparison of 20 years old and new data. Using groundwater-modelling and CFC-analysis, information on the transport and retention of pollutants in groundwater is compiled. The microbial colonization of contaminated aquifers is characterized by molecular biological methods [polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE)] to differentiate between contaminated and not contaminated zones.

Field trial of ion-exchange resin columns for removal of metal contaminants, Thala Valley Tip, Casey Station, Antarctica

Abstract A field trial for removal of dissolved metal contaminants in water from an abandoned waste disposal site, using ion-exchange columns of an iminodiacetic acid chelating ion-exchange (IDA) resin, was conducted at Casey Station, Antarctica. An on-site monitoring technique, employing 3M Empore chelating disks for preconcentration for analysis by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), was also trialled for measurement of dissolved metal concentration in the treated water. The field trial indicated that the ion-exchange columns of Amberlite IRC748 were suitable for the application, with concentrations of contaminant metals in treated waters successfully reduced. The observed order of selectivity for contaminant metals was markedly different to that observed in previous laboratory tests; the presence of organic ligands and colloidal iron in the natural waters on-site interfered with the retention of Cu and Fe, reducing selectivity for these metals. The on-site monitoring technique was considered capable of producing results of sufficient accuracy and reproducibility to identify that the ion-exchange columns were effectively reducing metal contaminant concentrations, and to identify breakthrough of the ion-exchange columns. Concentrations of Cd, Ni and Zn corresponded well with the dissolved metal fraction measured by ICP–MS, although Pb analysis was less precise. However, interference from organic ligands and colloids probably caused underestimation in the measurement of these metals. The on-site monitoring technique was useful for providing rapid feedback during clean-up at this remote site. However, the interferences would require careful evaluation in order to relate the measurements to water quality standards or objectives.

Water treatment to prevent contaminant dispersal during remediation of cold regions contaminated sites

Abstract Water collection and treatment is often required for effective cold regions contaminated site clean-up. Large volumes of meltwater runoff can become contaminated during remediation activities and disperse pollutants into the surrounding environment. Of particular importance for Antarctic contaminated sites is the impact of contaminant metals from polluted sites into nearby marine environments and the sensitivity of these environments. A mobile water treatment system was constructed for deployment to remote cold regions contaminated sites for use during clean-up activities. The water treatment system is designed to remove contaminants associated with particles and colloids via coagulation and settling and dissolved metals via ion exchange. This paper gives an overview of laboratory tests necessary to ensure the safe operation of the water treatment plant during the remediation of an abandoned waste disposal site in the Thala Valley near Casey station Antarctica. The results show that through a detailed understanding of the mechanisms this technology can be used to treat water to meet the required guidelines for sensitive environments.

Monitoring the remediation of a near shore waste disposal site in Antarctica using the amphipod Paramoera walkeri and diffusive gradients in thin films (DGTs)

The water quality of a marine embayment (Brown Bay) was monitored during the remediation of an abandoned waste disposal site at Casey Station, East Antarctica, using a combination of biomonitoring and chemical methods. The Antarctic amphipod Paramoera walkeri, in field mesocosms suspended in the water column, was deployed adjacent to the site and at two reference sites for periods of 14 days, repeated three times during the remediation period (December to February). Diffusive gradients in thin film (DGT) samplers were deployed for the same periods to provide estimates of dissolved metals. No difference in mortality of amphipods was observed between Brown Bay and reference sites. There were significant differences, however, in accumulated metal concentrations between amphipods from Brown Bay and reference sites, with greater concentrations of antimony, copper, cadmium, lead, iron and tin at Brown Bay. The melt water/runoff treatment strategy employed for the remediation was successful in preventing acute toxic effects, but water quality was reduced at Brown Bay, where increased metal bioavailability may have been high enough to induce chronic effects in some biota. DGT samplers were less sensitive than amphipods in detecting differences in metal concentrations between sites, indicating that metals bound to suspended particulates were a potentially significant source of contamination.

Investigation of evaporation and biodegradation of fuel spills in Antarctica: II—Extent of natural attenuation at Casey Station

In many temperate regions, fuel and oil spills are sometimes managed simply by allowing natural degradation to occur, while monitoring soils and groundwater to ensure that there is no off-site migration or on-site impact. To critically assess whether this approach is suitable for coastal Antarctic sites, we investigated the extent of evaporation and biodegradation at three old fuel spills at Casey Station. Where the contaminants migrated across frozen ground, probably beneath snow, approximately half the fuel evaporated in the first few months prior to infiltration at the beginning of summer. Once in the ground, however, evaporation rates were negligible. In contrast, minor spills from fuel drums buried in an abandoned waste disposal site did not evaporate to the same extent. Biodegradation within all three spill sites is generally very minor. We conclude that natural attenuation is not a suitable management strategy for fuel-contaminated soils in Antarctic coastal regions.

Benthic diatom community response to environmental variables and metal concentrations in a contaminated bay adjacent to Casey Station, Antarctica

This study examined the effects of anthropogenic contaminants and environmental variables on the composition of benthic diatom communities within a contaminated bay adjacent to an abandoned waste disposal site in Antarctica. The combination of geographical, environmental and chemical data included in the study explained all of the variation observed within the diatom communities. The chemical data, particularly metal concentrations, explained 45.9% of variation in the diatom communities, once the effects of grain-size and spatial structure had been excluded. Of the metals, tin explained the greatest proportion of variation in the diatom communities (28%). Tin was very highly correlated ( R 2 > 0.95) with several other variables (copper, iron, lead, and sum of metals), all of which explained similarly high proportions of total variation. Grain-size data explained 23% of variation once the effects of spatial structure and the chemical data had been excluded. The pure spatial component explained only 1.8% of the total variance. The study demonstrates that much of the compositional variability observed in the bay can be explained by concentrations of metal contaminants.

Characterisation of the dilute HCl extraction method for the identification of metal contamination in Antarctic marine sediments

A regional survey of potential contaminants in marine or estuarine sediments is often one of the first steps in a post-disturbance environmental impact assessment. Of the many different chemical extraction or digestion procedures that have been proposed to quantify metal contamination, partial acid extractions are probably the best overall compromise between selectivity, sensitivity, precision, cost and expediency. The extent to which measured metal concentrations relate to the anthropogenic fraction that is bioavailable is contentious, but is one of the desired outcomes of an assessment or prediction of biological impact. As part of a regional survey of metal contamination associated with Australia’s past waste management activities in Antarctica, we wanted to identify an acid type and extraction protocol that would allow a reasonable definition of the anthropogenic bioavailable fraction for a large number of samples. From a kinetic study of the 1 M HCl extraction of two Certified Reference Materials (MESS-2 and PACS-2) and two Antarctic marine sediments, we concluded that a 4 h extraction time allows the equilibrium dissolution of relatively labile metal contaminants, but does not favour the extraction of natural geogenic metals. In a regional survey of 88 marine samples from the Casey Station area of East Antarctica, the 4 h extraction procedure correlated best with biological data, and most clearly identified those sediments thought to be contaminated by runoff from abandoned waste disposal sites. Most importantly the 4 h extraction provided better definition of the low to moderately contaminated locations by picking up small differences in anthropogenic metal concentrations. For the purposes of inter-regional comparison, we recommend a 4 h 1 M HCl acid extraction as a standard method for assessing metal contamination in Antarctica.

The effects of petroleum hydrocarbon and heavy metal contamination of marine sediments on recruitment of Antarctic soft-sediment assemblages: a field experimental investigation

A manipulative field experiment was conducted at Casey Station, Antarctica, to determine the effect of contamination of marine sediments on the recruitment and development of soft-sediment assemblages. Uncontaminated marine sediments were defaunated and then contaminated by adding hydrocarbons (diesel fuel and lubrication oil) or heavy metals (extracted from contaminated soil) prior to deployment on the seabed for a period of eleven weeks during an Antarctic summer (December to February) at three locations. Two of the locations were intended as reference locations (O'Brien and Sparkes Bay) and were well away from the influence of station activities, but Sparkes Bay was found to be naturally contaminated by some metals. The other location (Brown Bay) was adjacent to an abandoned waste disposal site and is contaminated by hydrocarbons and metals, and soft-sediment assemblages are different from those in control locations. Recruiting assemblages were significantly different between locations and there was a significant effect of sediment contamination. Assemblages in hydrocarbon contaminated sediment were significantly different to those in control and metal treated sediment at two of the locations (Brown and Sparkes Bay). There were no differences between assemblages in control sediment and metal-contaminated sediment. Univariate analyses (ANOVAs) indicated greater abundances of crustaceans, mainly due to several species of gammarid, in control and metal treatments than hydrocarbon-treated sediment. Further analysis ( t-tests) revealed additional differences between hydrocarbon vs. both control and metal treatments, in the total abundance, and abundance of gammarids, tanaids, ostracods, isopods and copepods, particularly at Brown Bay and Sparkes Bay. There was also a trend of greater abundances of polychaetes and gastropods in hydrocarbon and metal treatments compared to the control. In comparison with the hydrocarbon treatment, the metal treatment had little effect. There was significant spatial variability in recruitment within each location, which may have obscured some effects of sediment contamination. There were also significant differences in variability of recruitment between locations. The rate of fauna recruiting to sediments in this experiment at Casey were greater than previously recorded in Antarctica.

Assessment of Temporal Variability Trends for Inorganic Parameters in Ground Water

Abstract The passage of environmental legislation in the United States has dramatically increased ground-water monitoring in the vicinity of point sources such as abandoned waste disposal sites, operational waste disposal sites, and municipal landfills. Even though these programs require sufficient sampling to define background conditions as part of the site characterization process, there is still a general absence of quantitative information on the magnitude and periodicity of temporal fluctuations for inorganic constituents in ground water. This paper presents an approach that has been used to develop an initial characterization of these temporal trends. A search if on-going site investigation reports identified 18 facilities across the United States that had monthly monitoring data at a frequency of at least monthly for a period of one and a half years or longer (15 RCRA-C hazardous waste disposal facilities with monthly data for a period of 2–3 years, 2 research monitoring locations with biweekly mon...

Hydrochemische Veränderung eines Grundwassers durch Altablagerungen

Hydrochemische Veränderung eines Grundwassers durch Altablagerungen

Erkennung, Charakterisierung und Beurteilung von Grundwasserkontaminationen durch Altablagerungen

Erkennung, Charakterisierung und Beurteilung von Grundwasserkontaminationen durch Altablagerungen

Designing Public Policy toward Hazardous Wastes: The Role of Administrative Regulations and Legal Liability Rules

The production of many valuable products and services generates, as by-products, hazardous and toxic substances that may cause serious injury. Those who are most likely to be injured by these substances are not the producers' customers but rather third parties, who are generally not in a contractual relationship with the facility generating or disposing of hazardous wastes and cannot, therefore, internalize the risk of harm. For example, if the dangerous chemicals that are generated in the process of dry cleaning are not disposed of properly, they may reach underground aquifers and travel long distances before rising into water supplies and causing great harm to persons and property, such as livestock. As a result, the possibility of harm from the generation and disposal of hazardous wastes is an externality requiring some form of public policy to induce the externality generator to internalize the costs involuntarily imposed on others. Naturally, the question arises whether ex ante or ex post regulation or some combination of the two is the most efficient method of accomplishing this internalization of costs. No coherent federal or state regulatory policies have emerged for dealing with the harms that hazardous and toxic wastes may cause. Some states, such as Illinois and Massachusetts, have banned landfilling, the most popular and economical method of disposing of hazardous wastes; Minnesota has greatly expanded the ability of those harmed by exposure to hazardous wastes to recover money damages from the generator and disposer in private law suits. At the federal level, there is no coherent explanation for the m6lange of administrative agency regulations, taxes, and penalties for failing to clean up abandoned waste disposal sites by which generators and disposers are regulated. In the domain of private law, it is not yet clear the extent to which private citizens harmed by hazardous wastes may seek recovery in private causes of action; nor is it clear what liability standard the courts will apply if those private causes of action are allowed.