Long-term degradation characteristics of cyanide in closed monofills and its effects on the environment and human health: Evidence from nine landfill sites in northen China

Abstract

Cyanide residues weighing many millions of tons are disposed of in cyanide residue monofills (CRMs) worldwide. The degradation characteristics of cyanide in the anoxic environments of closed landfills may have been overestimated, leading to an underestimation of the long-term risk of cyanide residue landfills. To study the effect, a total of 387 cyanide residue samples were collected for analysis from nine closed CRMs in northen China that have been closed for more than 10 years. The study shows that the probability of achieving the target cyanide concentration (5 mg/L) in the nine sites was only 2.9%. And there is no significant reduction in the overall concentrations compared to the pre-closure period. The effectiveness of the CRM containment barrier needs to be maintained for at least 220 years to allow cyanide concentrations to degrade to harmless levels. Nine CRMs sites, except for CRMs A and B, had a low short-term risk, but in the long term exposure concentrations can exceed the groundwater Class III water quality limit by a factor of 1.64-30, posing a risk of groundwater contamination. This study reveals the risk of cyanide residue degradation in CRMs and its long-term evolution, providing theoretical support for site management and risk control.

Keywords: Cyanide; Cyanide residue; Degradation; Environmental risk; Human health; Long-term landfill.