Assessing the impacts and contamination potentials of landfill leachate on adjacent groundwater systems

Zhi Huang; Guijian Liu; Yifan Zhang; Ying Yuan; Beidou Xi; Wenbing Tan

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172664

Assessing the impacts and contamination potentials of landfill leachate on adjacent groundwater systems

Sci Total Environ. 2024 Jun 20:930:172664. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172664. Epub 2024 Apr 21.

Authors

Zhi Huang¹, Guijian Liu², Yifan Zhang³, Ying Yuan⁴, Beidou Xi⁵, Wenbing Tan⁶

Affiliations

¹ School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; Anhui Academy of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Hefei 230061, China.
² School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Simulation and Control of Groundwater Pollution, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China; College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China. Electronic address: zhangyifan101219@163.com.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Simulation and Control of Groundwater Pollution, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China. Electronic address: yuanying19880214@126.com.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Simulation and Control of Groundwater Pollution, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China; College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
⁶ State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Simulation and Control of Groundwater Pollution, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China.

PMID: 38653413
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172664

Abstract

Landfilling is a globally prevalent method for managing municipal solid waste disposal. Nonetheless, the potential for serious contamination and the significant regional disparities in the leachate produced pose varying degrees of risks to groundwater quality. Previous studies have focused on a single landfill or the same geo-climatic conditions, with a limited number of samples having resulted in a narrow distribution of landfill age and scale, which prevents the description of the pattern of change in landfill age and scale. As well as the effect of this change on the contaminants in the landfill leachate and surrounding groundwater is still unclear. Therefore, we sampled and analyzed leachate and surrounding groundwater from 62 landfills with different landfill ages, scales, and operating conditions in a region with dense and varied topography and climate. Aim to explore the effects of different landfill ages, scales, and operating conditions on contaminants in leachate and surrounding groundwater. Findings indicate that pollutant profiles in different media are influenced by the age, scale, and operational status of the landfill, and the impact of leachate on pollutant types and concentrations in groundwater is limited. A significant correlation exists between the concentration of contaminants in the groundwater affected by leaching from the impermeable layer and the age and scale of the landfill when compared to the leachate. The contamination potentials posed by different pollutants vary across environmental media. Total dissolved solids and NH₄⁺-N in leachate presented high contamination potentials, whereas elemental metalloids (Mn, Al, Ba, and Fe) in the surrounding groundwater posed high environmental concerns. These insights furnish new avenues for monitoring, identification, and safeguarding against pollutants in landfills and proximate groundwater, which is imperative for the sustainable management of municipal waste.

Keywords: Contamination potential; Groundwater; Landfill age; Landfill leachate; Landfill operation.