Arsenic pathways in leachate plumes at five landfill sites in central Massachusetts.

摘要

Arsenic concentrations in soil and groundwater have recently become an issue of global importance. Central Massachusetts is a geologic zone known to have elevated natural arsenic concentrations in the soil and bedrock. Landfills within Central Massachusetts locally inadvertently mobilize arsenic in ground water downgradient from landfills.; This thesis critically evaluates database methodologies and designs to recommend sound management tools for environmental data management at landfills. Spacial, temporal, and geochemical arsenic trend analyses were utilized to determine possible arsenic sources and migration pathways. Several distinct observable trends with regards to arsenic, iron, manganese, and sulfate concentrations were seen repeat ably indicating close interaction between sulfate, iron, and arsenic at distinct reducing conditions. Dissolution of ferric oxyhydroxide coatings liberate arsenic in reducing conditions initiated by microbial degradation of organic constituents within the migrating leachate plume.