Hazardous Waste Landfill Research Articles

Microbial composition and structure of a rotating biological contactor biofilm treating ammonium-rich wastewater without organic carbon.

High nitrogen losses were observed in a rotating biological contactor (RBC) treating ammonium-rich (up to 500 mg NH4(+)-N/L) but organic-carbon-poor leachate from a hazardous waste landfill in Kölliken, Switzerland. The composition and spatial structure of the microbial community in the biofilm on the RBC was analyzed with specific attention for the presence of aerobic ammonium and nitrite oxidizing bacteria and anaerobic ammonium oxidizers. Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) involves the oxidation of ammonium with nitrite to N2. First the diversity of the biofilm community was determined from sequencing cloned PCR-amplified 16S rDNA fragments. This revealed the presence of a number of very unusual 16S rDNA sequences, but very few sequences related to known ammonium or nitrite oxidizing bacteria. From analysis of biofilm samples by fluorescence in situ hybridization with known phylogenetic probes and by dot-blot hybridization of the same probes to total RNA purified from biofilm samples, the main groups of microorganisms constituting the biofilm were found to be ammonium-oxidizing bacteria from the Nitrosomonas europaea/eutropha group, anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria of the "Candidatus Kuenenia stuttgartiensis" type, filamentous bacteria from the phylum Bacteroidetes, and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria from the genus Nitrospira. Aerobic and anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria were present in similar amounts of around 20 to 30% of the biomass, whereas members of the CFB phylum were present at around 7%. Nitrite oxidizing bacteria were only present in relatively low amounts (less than 5% determined with fluorescence in situ hybridization). Data from 16S rRNA dot-blot and in situ hybridization were not in all cases congruent. FISH analysis of thin-sliced and fixed biofilm samples clearly showed that the aerobic nitrifiers were located at the top of the biofilm in an extremely high density and in alternating clusters. Anammox bacteria were exclusively present in the lower half of the biofilm, whereas CFB-type filamentous bacteria were present throughout the biofilm. The structure and composition of these biofilms correlated very nicely with the proposed physiological functional separations in ammonium conversion.

A review of aqueous-phase VOC transport in modern landfill liners

Leachates from municipal solid waste (MSW) and hazardous waste landfills contain a wide range of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in addition to inorganic compounds. VOCs have been shown to migrate and contaminate the surrounding environment and impair the use of groundwater. Therefore, the effectiveness of modern landfill liner systems to minimize migration of VOCs is of concern. Most modern landfills employ a composite liner consisting of a geomembrane overlying a compacted clay liner or a geosynthetic clay liner. The geomembrane is often believed to be the primary barrier to contaminant transport. However, for VOCs, the clay component usually controls the rate of transport since VOCs are shown to diffuse through geomembrane at appreciable rates. Additionally, analyses have shown that transport of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) generally is more critical than transport of inorganic compounds (e.g., toxic heavy metals), even though VOCs are often found at lower concentrations in leachates. Therefore, the effectiveness of modern landfill liner systems to minimize migration of VOCs and transport of VOCs through clay liners and modeling of transport through composite liners merit scrutiny. This paper presents a review of recent research by the author and others on these topics. A systematic and comprehensive approach to determine mass transport parameters for transport of VOCs in liquid phase through compacted clay liners, geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs), and geomembranes has enabled to develop realistic models to predict mass flux of VOCs through modern composite liners and provide a quantitative basis to evaluate potential for transport of dissolved VOCs and the equivalency of different composite liners.

Hazard potential ranking of hazardous waste landfill sites and risk of congenital anomalies

Background: A 33% increase in the risk of congenital anomalies has been found among residents near hazardous waste landfill sites in a European collaborative study (EUROHAZCON). Aims: To develop and...

Protective Layer Design in Landfill Covers based on Frost Penetration

We develop a design procedure to determine the minimum thickness of a protective soil layer over a barrier layer in a landfill cover design. The procedure equates the minimum thickness of the overlying protective layer to the predicted extreme freezing-events depth that may occur in the landfill design life. This procedure is applicable to Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Subtitle C hazardous waste landfills and any landfill designed to encapsulate hazardous waste from the environment for long periods of time. This procedure was formulated by the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project’s Technical Assistance Contractor to protect radon and infiltration barriers from degradation over a 200-year minimum design life. The procedure uses common soil parameters, a personal computer version of the modified Berggren equation, and site-specific daily maximum-minimum temperature data compiled for a minimum of 30 years to compute frost depths. The computed frost penetration magnitudes are then used with a Gumbel extreme-value probability distribution to predict frost depths for recurrence intervals corresponding to a design life that exceeds the record of observed data.

Research Watch: Uncovering hazardous waste landfill threats

ADVERTISEMENT RETURN TO ISSUEPREVDepartmentsNEXTResearch Watch: Uncovering hazardous waste landfill threatsCite this: Environ. Sci. Technol. 2002, 36, 7, 139APublication Date (Web):April 1, 2002Publication History Published online1 April 2002Published inissue 1 April 2002https://doi.org/10.1021/es022275fRIGHTS & PERMISSIONSArticle Views148Altmetric-Citations-LEARN ABOUT THESE METRICSArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated. Share Add toView InAdd Full Text with ReferenceAdd Description ExportRISCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore Options Share onFacebookTwitterWechatLinked InReddit PDF (630 KB) Get e-AlertsSUBJECTS:Wastes Get e-Alerts

Applied geophysics and the environment in Texas

In Texas applied geophysics for environmental assessments and remediation is boring … literally and figuratively! The state-of-the-art and conventional environmental-engineering approaches require the drilling of tens to hundreds of shallow core holes to characterize the geology at sites such as hazardous waste landfills and underground disposal wells. The use of nonintrusive geophysical methods is a luxury, not a requirement. A proposed “geoscience approach” would require fewer borings and be more cost-effective for the overall project. This approach requires the application of nonintrusive geophysical methods in an appropriate manner prior to drilling exploratory or delineation holes for assessments or characterization.

Chromosomal congenital anomalies and residence near hazardous waste landfill sites

Previous findings of the EUROHAZCON study showed a 33% increase in risk of non-chromosomal anomalies near hazardous waste landfill sites. Here, we studied 245 cases of chromosomal anomalies and 2412 controls who lived near 23 such sites in Europe. After adjustment for confounding by maternal age and socioeconomic status, we noted a higher risk of chromosomal anomalies in people who lived close to sites (0-3 km) than in those who lived further away (3-7 km; odds ratio 1.41, 95% CI 1.00-1.99). Our results suggest an increase in risk of chromosomal anomalies similar to that found for non-chromosomal anomalies.

International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) (Additional Facility): Metalclad Corp. v. United Mexican States

This dispute arises out of the activities of the Claimant, Metalclad Corporation(hereinafter “Metalclad“), in the Mexican Municipality of Guadalcazar (hereinafter “Guadalcazar“),located in the Mexican State of San Luis Potosi (hereinafter “SLP“).Metalclad alleges that Respondent, the United Mexican States (hereinafter “Mexico“), through its local governments of SLP and Guadalcazar, interfered with its development and operation of a hazardous waste landfill. Metalclad claims that this interference is a violation of the Chapter Eleven investment provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement (hereinafter “NAFTA“). In particular, Metalclad alleges violations of (i) NAFTA, Article 1105, which required each Party to NAFTA to “ accord to investments of investors of another Party treatment in accordance with international law, including fair and equitable treatment and full protection and security“ and (ii) NAFTA, Article 1110, which provides that “no Party to NAFTA may directly or indirectly nationalize or expropriate an investment of an investor of another Party in its territory or take a measure tantamount to nationalization or expropriation of such an investment ('expropriation’), except: (a) for a public purpose; (b) on a non-discriminatory basis;(c) in accordance with due process of law and Article 1105(1); and (d) on payment of compensation in accordance with paragraphs 2 through 6”.Mexico denies these allegations.

Long-term behaviour and mineralogical reactions in hazardous waste landfills: a comparison of observation and geochemical modelling

Drill cores from a Bavarian hazardous waste landfill were investigated for their mineralogical composition. Because of the formation of many new minerals, geochemical equilibrium calculations were performed to find the most stable state of the waste body. A comparison of mineralogical observations and geochemical modelling was undertaken. The remaining solubilities of the newly formed secondary mineral assemblages were calculated. Newly formed minerals were shown using electron microscopy.

Bisphenol A in hazardous waste landfill leachates

The levels of bisphenol A in hazardous waste landfill leachates collected in Japan in 1996 were determined by gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC/MS). Bisphenol A was found in seven of 10 sites investigated. All the hazardous waste landfills with leachates contaminated by bisphenol A were controlled. The concentrations of bisphenol A ranged from 1.3 to 17,200 μg/l with a median concentration of 269 μg/l. The source of bisphenol A in landfill leachates may be the waste plastics in waste landfill. The concentrations of bisphenol A in some samples exceeded the EC 50 or LC 50 levels for aquatic biota. Landfill leachates may be a significant source of bisphenol A found in the environment.

Dioxin/Furan “Combustion profiles” in Flue gas from high temperature processes

Different mechanisms downstream from high temperature processes lead to the formation of polychlorinated dibenzo(p) dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs). Independent from any concentrations, these mechanisms cause comparable PCDD/F patterns, the percentage proportion of single congeners or homologous groups related to the total of 17 2,3,7,8-Cl-substituted congeners or with respect to the sum of the homologous groups tetra to octa CDD/F. The characteristics of these so-called “combustion profiles” can help to interpret corresponding data from burning and melting facilities, such as municipal waste incinerators, coal power plants, sintering plants, metal finishing facilities, cement kilns, crematoria, hazardous waste incinerators and landfill gas burners

Socioeconomic inequalities in risk of congenital anomaly

AIMSTo investigate socioeconomic inequalities in the risk of congenital anomalies, focusing on risk of specific anomaly subgroups.METHODSA total of 858 cases of congenital anomaly and 1764 non-malformed control births were...

Health effects of residence near hazardous waste landfill sites: a review of epidemiologic literature.

This review evaluates current epidemiologic literature on health effects in relation to residence near landfill sites. Increases in risk of adverse health effects (low birth weight, birth defects, certain types of cancers) have been reported near individual landfill sites and in some multisite studies, and although biases and confounding factors cannot be excluded as explanations for these findings, they may indicate real risks associated with residence near certain landfill sites. A general weakness in the reviewed studies is the lack of direct exposure measurement. An increased prevalence of self-reported health symptoms such as fatigue, sleepiness, and headaches among residents near waste sites has consistently been reported in more than 10 of the reviewed papers. It is difficult to conclude whether these symptoms are an effect of direct toxicologic action of chemicals present in waste sites, an effect of stress and fears related to the waste site, or an effect of reporting bias. Although a substantial number of studies have been conducted, risks to health from landfill sites are hard to quantify. There is insufficient exposure information and effects of low-level environmental exposure in the general population are by their nature difficult to establish. More interdisciplinary research can improve levels of knowledge on risks to human health of waste disposal in landfill sites. Research needs include epidemiologic and toxicologic studies on individual chemicals and chemical mixtures, well-designed single- and multisite landfill studies, development of biomarkers, and research on risk perception and sociologic determinants of ill health.

Health Effects of Residence near Hazardous Waste Landfill Sites: A Review of Epidemiologic Literature

Health Effects of Residence near Hazardous Waste Landfill Sites: A Review of Epidemiologic Literature

Statistical Comparison of Leachate from Hazardous, Codisposal, and Municipal Solid Waste Landfills

AbstractThere has been considerable debate regarding the chemical characterization of landfill leachate in general and the comparison of various types of landfill leachate (e.g., hazardous, codisposal, and municipal) in particular. For example, the preamble to the U.S. EPA Subtitle D regulation (40 CFR Parts 257 and 258) suggests that there are no significant differences between the number and concentration of toxic constituents in hazardous versus municipal solid waste landfill leachate. The purpose of this paper is to statistically test this hypothesis in a large leachate database comprising 1490 leachate samples from 283 sample points (i.e., monitoring location such as a leachate sump) in 93 landfill waste cells (i.e., a section of a facility that took a specific waste slream or collection of similar waste streams) from 48 sites with municipal, codisposal, or hazardous waste site histories. Results of the analysis reveal clear differention between landfill leachate types, both in terms of constituents detected and their concentrations. The result of the analysis is a classification function that can estimate the probability that new leachate or ground water sample was produced by the disposal of municipal, codisposal, or hazardous waste. This type of computation is illustrated, and applications of the model to Superfund cost‐allocation problems are discussed.

Mineralogical investigations and chemical equilibrium calculations on the hazardous waste landfill of Raindorf/Germany

Mineralogical investigations and chemical equilibrium calculations on the hazardous waste landfill of Raindorf/Germany

Occupational burns in Washington State, 1989-1993.

Occupational burns cause significant morbidity in the United States each year; however, there are few studies that report industries or workplaces where workers are at an increased risk of burn injuries. Washington State's Department of Labor and Industries (L and I) computerized workers' compensation database was used to describe work-related burns over 5 years. From 1989 to 1993, L and I accepted 27,323 claims for occupational burns, 71.4% of them thermal burns and 26.8% chemical burns. The most common sources of injury were cooking oils (14%) and hot water/steam (13%). Workers involved in food preparation or food handling accounted for the highest proportion of injured workers (30%). Industries involved in the smelting, sintering, or refining of ore had the highest rate for thermal burns, with a rate of 15.0 burn injuries per 100 full-time equivalent workers per year, followed by paper, pulp, or wood fiber manufacturing, with a rate of 5.8, then roof work, with a rate of 4.3. Industries involved in hazardous waste landfill clean-up had the highest rate for chemical burns, with a rate of 4.9, followed by portable cleaning and washing, with a rate of 3.5, and paper, pulp, and wood fiber manufacturing, with a rate of 2.6. Further study is needed to identify work practices that result in burn injuries in order to decrease the incidence of this preventable occupational injury.

The effect of cadmium on the kinetics of trichloroethylene biodegradation by Pseudomonas (burkolderia) picketti PK01 under denitrifying conditions

Pollution resulting from leaking and failing landfills is of concern to public health due to contamination of community drinking water. Chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene (TCE) are common to both municipal and hazardous waste landfills and are potential contaminants of groundwater. Landfill leachate typically contains large amounts of organic carbon, nitrogen, and heavy metals and possesses a low redox potential. The kinetics of TCE degradation using a toluene oxidizing bacteria Pseudomonas (Burkholderia) picketti PK01under nitrate reducing conditions was determined both in the presence and absence of the common landfill contaminant cadmium. A first order rate law was found to describe TCE degradation by Pseudomonas (Burkholderia) picketti PK01 over the TCE concentration range investigated. The rate constant for TCE degradation under denitrifying conditions in the absence of cadmium was 2.1×10 −4 ml/ μg protein/h. The rate constant for TCE degradation in the presence of 5 ppm cadmium was determined to be 6.5×10 −5 ml/ μg protein/h; representing a sixty nine percent decrease in the rate constant. Significant TCE degradation occurred over the course of the experiments. Results indicate that the presence of 5 ppm of cadmium had the effect of decreasing the TCE degradation activity of the microorganism Burkholderia picketti PK01. Implications for remediation and prediction of biodegradation of TCE in landfill impacted groundwater is discussed.

Nitrogen loss in a nitrifying rotating contactor treating ammonium-rich wastewater without organic carbon

Extensive loss of nitrogen (up to 70% of ammonium oxidized) is observed in a nitrifying rotating biological contactor (RBC) treating ammonium-rich leachate from a hazardous-waste landfill site. Due to pretreatment (precipitation, flocculation, sedimentation, BOD removal, activated carbon adsorption), the DOC is less than 20 mg/l. Heterotrophic denitrification can therefore be excluded. The nitrification rate reaches 3-4 g NH4-N m−2 d−1 at a pH of 7-7.3 in the first two compartments of the three-stage RBC. An increasing partial pressure of oxygen and ammonium concentration favor nitrogen removal over ammonium oxidation. The reduction of nitrite might therefore be strongly coupled with ammonium oxidation. The degradation mechanism is not yet known. Two possibilities are suggested: (i) nitrite produced in the aerobic biofilm layer close to the surface diffuses into deeper anoxic layers of the biofilm and is reduced in parallel with ammonium oxidation similarly to the Anammox process, or (ii) nitrite produced by Nitrosomonas is reduced by NADH2+ generated during hydroxylamine oxidation.

Acetazolamide plus furosemide for periventricular dilatation: lessons for drug therapy in children

Despite significant decreases in mortality for preterm infants attributable to technological and pharmacological advances in perinatal care, the rates of neuro-developmental impairment have been static. 1 Hack M Klein N Taylor HG Long term developmental outcome of low birthweight infants. Palo Alto, California: Packard Foundation. The Future of Children. 1995; 5: 176-196 Crossref PubMed Scopus (504) Google Scholar The major determinants of brain injury among preterm infants are severe periventricular haemorrhage with its associated complications, periventricular infarction and post-haemorrhagic hydrocephalus, and periventricular leucomalacia. Risk of congenital anomalies near hazardous-waste landfill sites in Europe: the EUROHAZCON studyThis study shows a raised risk of congenital anomaly in babies whose mothers live close to landfill sites that handle hazardous chemical wastes, although there is a need for further investigation of whether the association of raised risk of congenital anomaly and residence near landfill sites is a causal one. Apparent differences between malformation subgroups should be interpreted cautiously. Full-Text PDF