Search

Direct current (DC) resistivity, self potential (SP) and very low frequency electromagnetic (VLF-EM) measurements are carried out to detect the spread of groundwater contamination and to locate possible pathways of leachate plumes, that resulted from an open waste disposal site of Çanakkale municipality. There is no proper management of the waste disposal site in which industrial and domestic wastes were improperly dumped. Furthermore, because of the dumpsite is being located at the catchment area borders of a small creek and is being topographically at a high elevation relative to the urban area, the groundwater is expected to be hazardously contaminated. Interpretations of DC resistivity geoelectrical data showed a low resistivity zone (<5 ohm-m), which appears to be a zone, that is fully saturated with leachate from an open dumpsite. The VLF-EM and SP method, support the results of geoelectrical method relating a contaminated zone in the survey area. There is a good correlation between the geophysical investigations and the results of previously collected geochemical and hydrochemical measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is an attempt to conduct an environmental monitoring and impact assessment of the On-Nooch solid waste disposal site in Bangkok, Thailand. Four water and five air sampling stations (2 upwind and 3 downwind directions) were established at the site. Grab water samples from leachate treatment plant and Khlong Song Hong, a nearby stream, were collected during the rainy and dry seasons. Analytical results of the waste water discharged by the leachate treatment plant, during dry season showed chemical oxygen demand: 618 mg/l; biochemical oxygen demand: 80 mg/l; suspended solid: 101 mg/l; Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen: 283 mg/l, which were still higher than standard limit for effluents in Thailand. During the dry season, results also showed widespread heavy metal pollution from leachate (chromium: 1.03 mg/l; manganese: 1.07 mg/l mercury: 0.025 mg/1) and were higher than the allowable level of heavy metals for the Industrial Effluent Standard in Thailand. The direct discharge of untreated leachate into inland water will cause considerable water pollution in the study area. Composite air samples in this study area were collected during the rainy and dry seasons and were analyzed for methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2)and suspended particulate matter (SPM). The average concentration of SPM ranged between 0.1-0.36 mg/m3 for 24-hour average, depending upon the season. The level of CH4 and CO2 in the ambient air of the study area were found to be 3.48-65.71 mg/m3 and 886-1758 mg/m3 respectively which were much higher than the normal concentration of CH4 and CO2 in the air (CH4 2.41 mg/m3; CO2: 585 mg/m3). Hence, adverse health and environmental effects could be expected from water and air pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the estimating of contaminant distributions in environmental media in the context of its necessity in evaluating human and ecological hazards. Because of uncertainties in release histories and transport, traditional sampling and statistical techniques applicable to the experimental sciences may not be suitable for exploratory studies at hazardous waste sites. An approach that relies on cluster analysis of principal components &lpar;PCA&rpar; was used to identify contaminated wild asparagus growing in the vicinity of waste disposal sites along the Columbia River in southeast Washington state. Metals in soil samples taken from the sites contained elevated levels of silver &lpar;Ag&rpar;, aluminum &lpar;Al&rpar;, barium, &lpar;Ba&rpar;, cadmium &lpar;Cd&rpar;, chromium &lpar;Cr&rpar;, copper &lpar;Cu&rpar;, mercury &lpar;Hg&rpar;, nickel &lpar;Ni&rpar;, lead &lpar;Pb&rpar;, antimony &lpar;Sb&rpar;, zinc &lpar;Zn&rpar;, and vanadium &lpar;V&rpar;. Samples of asparagus tissue were collected from the river near the waste site, from Hanford oil fields abandoned 52 year years ago, and from commercial fields in the neighboring communities. Dried tissues were analyzed for metals content by ICP&hyphen;mass spec&hyphen;trometry, furnace AA, and cold vapor AA. Tissue concentrations of elements varied over five orders of magnitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]