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Deterioration of groundwater quality in the vicinity of an active open-tipping site in West Malaysia

Détérioration de la qualité des eaux souterraines à proximité d’une décharge publique en activité, en Malaisie occidentale

Deterioro de la calidad de agua subterránea en la vecindad de un vaciadero de residuos a cielo abierto activo Malasia occidental

西马来西亚一运行中的开放式垃圾填埋场地附近的地下水质退化

Deterioração da qualidade das águas subterrâneas na vizinhança de um local de resíduos a céu aberto activo na Malásia Ocidental

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Abstract

There is an urgent need for characterization of leachate arising from waste disposal to ensure a corresponding effective leachate management policy. Field and laboratory studies have been carried out to investigate the impact of municipal landfill leachate on the underlying groundwater at a site in West Malaysia. The solid waste was disposed of directly onto an unprotected natural soil formation. This situation was made worse by the shallow water table. The hydrochemical composition of groundwater in the vicinity of the site (background) is a dilute mixed cation, bicarbonate water. The high ionic balance error of ~13.5% reveals that the groundwater body underneath the site was a highly contaminated leachate rather than contaminated groundwater. Elevated concentration of chloride (355.48 mg/L), nitrate (10.40 mg/L as NO3), nitrite (14.59 mg/L), ammoniacal-N (11.61 mg/L), sodium (227.56 mg/L), iron (0.97 mg/L), and lead (0.32 mg/L) measured downgradient indicate that the contamination plume has migrated further away from the site. In most cases, the concentration of these contamination indicators, together with the ranges of sodium percentage (66.3–89.9%) and sodium adsorption ratio (10.1–19.7%), were found to be considerably higher than the limit values of safe water for both domestic and irrigation purposes, respectively.

Résumé

Les lixiviats issus du traitement des déchets doivent d’urgence être caractérisés pour permettre une politique appropriée de gestion de ces lixiviats. Des études de terrain et de laboratoire ont été conduites pour reconnaitre l’impact des lixiviats des décharges municipales sur les eaux souterraines sous-jacentes sur un site de Malaisie occidentale. Les déchets solides ont y été entreposés directement sur le sol naturel non protégé. La situation a été aggravée par le niveau peu profond de la nappe. La composition hydrochimique des eaux souterraines dans le voisinage du site (contexte) montre une eau bicarbonatée à divers cations. L’erreur forte ~13.5% sur la balance ionique révèle que la masse d’eau souterraine au droit du site était un lixiviat très contaminé plutôt que de l’eau souterraine contaminée. Les concentrations élevées en chlorures (355.48 mg/L), en nitrate (10.40 mg/L de NO3), en nitrite (14.59 mg/L), en azote ammoniacal (11.61 mg/L), en sodium (227.56 mg/L), en fer (0.97 mg/L), et en plomb (0.32 mg/L) mesurées à l’aval hydraulique indiquent que le plume de contamination a migré bien au-delà du site. Dans la plupart des cas, la concentration de ces indicateurs de contamination, de même que les intervalles de pourcentage de sodium (66.3–89.9%) et du ratio adsorption du sodium (10.1–19.7%), sont apparus très supérieurs aux valeurs limites pour les eaux respectivement à usage domestique et d’irrigation.

Resumen

Existe una necesidad urgente de caracterizar los lixiviados provenientes de la disposición de los residuos para asegurar una correspondiente política de manejo efectivo de los lixiviados. Se han llevado a cabo estudios de laboratorio y de campo para investigar el impacto del lixiviado de un relleno municipal sobre el agua subterránea subyacente en un sitio en Malasia occidental. El residuo sólido fue dispuesto directamente sobre una formación de suelo natural no protegido. Esta situación empeoró por el nivel freático somero. La composición hidroquímica de las aguas subterráneas (de fondo) en la vecindad del sitio es un agua diluida mixta bicarbonatada catiónica. El alto error del balance iónico de ~13.5% revela que el cuerpo de agua subterránea subyacente del sitio fue un lixiviado altamente contaminado más bien que un agua subterránea contaminada. Las elevadas concentraciones de cloruro (355.48 mg/L), nitrato (10.40 mg/L como NO3), nitrito (14.59 mg/L), N- amoniacal (11.61 mg/L), sodio (227.56 mg/L), hierro (0.97 mg/L), y plomo (0.32 mg/L) medidas gradiente abajo indican que la pluma de contaminación ha migrado más allá del sitio. En la mayoría de los casos se encontró que la concentración de estos indicadores de contaminación, conjuntamente con los intervalos del porcentaje de sodio (66.3–89.9%) y de la relación adsorción sodio (10.1–19.7%), eran considerablemente más altos que los valores límites de seguridad del agua para tanto propósitos domésticos como de irrigación.

摘要

目前急需对废物处置中产生的沥出液进行刻画的方法, 以制定有效的沥出液管理政策。本文对西马来西亚的一处场地开展了现场研究和实验室研究, 以调查城市垃圾填埋场沥出液对下伏地下水的影响。固体垃圾直接填埋于没有防护措施的天然土壤层之上。由于地下水位很浅, 情况变得更糟。场地附近地下水的水化学成分 (背景值) 是低浓度的混合阳离子, 重碳酸水。高达 ~13.5%的离子平衡误差表明, 填埋场下的地下水体与其说是受污染的地下水不如说是高度污染的沥滤液。在下游测量的氯化物 (355.48 mg/L), 硝酸盐 (10.40 mg/L, NO3), 亚硝酸盐 (14.59 mg/L), 氨氮 (11.61 mg/L), 钠 (227.56 mg/L), 铁 (0.97 mg/L) 和铅 (0.32 mg/L) 浓度增加, 表明污染晕已从填埋场运移到远处。多数情况下, 这些污染指示物的浓度, 连同钠百分比的范围 (66.3–89.9%) 和钠吸附比 (10.1–19.7%), 远高于生活和灌溉安全用水的极限值。

Resumo

Há uma urgente necessidade de caracterização dos lixiviados provenientes de lixeiras, a fim de assegurar uma efectiva política de gestão de lixiviados. Foram realizados estudos de campo e de laboratório para investigar o impacte dos lixiviados dos aterros municipais nas águas subterrâneas subjacentes, num local na Malásia Ocidental. Os resíduos sólidos foram depositados directamente sobre uma formação de solo natural não protegida, situação esta agravada pela presença de um nível freático pouco profundo. A composição hidroquímica de base da água subterrânea na vizinhança do local é bicarbonatada mista pouco mineralizada. O erro de balanço iónico elevado de ~13.5% revela que a massa de água subterrânea subjacente ao local é um lixiviado altamente contaminado, em vez de água subterrânea contaminada. As concentrações elevadas de cloreto (355.48 mg/L), nitrato (10.40 mg/L de NO3), nitrito (14.59 mg/L), azoto amoniacal (11.61 mg/L), sódio (227.56 mg/L), ferro (0.97 mg/L) e chumbo (0.32 mg/L) medidos a jusante do escoamento indicam que a pluma de contaminação já migrou para bastante longe do local do depósito de resíduos sólidos. Na maioria dos casos, a concentração destes indicadores de contaminação, em conjunto com os valores de percentagem de sódio (66.3–89.9%) e da taxa de adsorção em sódio (10.1–19.7%), revelou ser consideravelmente mais elevada que os valores limite de água segura, quer para uso doméstico, quer para rega.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the Malaysian Ministry of Sciences, Technology and Environment for financial assistance under IRPA (RM8) grant 08-02-02-EA178. The authors are grateful to the research fellow at the Department of Geology, University of Malaya Emeritus, Professor Charles S. Hutchison for his critical and valuable review of this report.

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  1. Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya (UM), 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Bahaa-eldin E. A. Rahim & I. Yusoff

  2. Geology Program, School of Environment and Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, National University of Malaysia (UKM), 43600, Bangi, Selangor D.E., Malaysia

    A. R. Samsudin, W. Z. W. Yaacob & A. G. M. Rafek

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  1. Bahaa-eldin E. A. Rahim
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  2. I. Yusoff
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  4. W. Z. W. Yaacob
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Correspondence to Bahaa-eldin E. A. Rahim.

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Rahim, Be.E.A., Yusoff, I., Samsudin, A.R. et al. Deterioration of groundwater quality in the vicinity of an active open-tipping site in West Malaysia. Hydrogeol J 18, 997–1006 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-009-0567-3

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