Characterization of a Landfill-Derived Contaminant Plume in Glacial and Bedrock Aquifers, NE Illinois

摘要

Groundwater contamination by organic and inorganic chemicals is a regional and national problem; landfills are major potential contaminant sources. In the study of the Blackwell landfill, DuPage County, Illinois the contaminant plume is delineated and related to the site history and hydrogeology. Leachate leakage is attributed partly to landfill construction problems. The landfill is located partly on a sand-and-gravel aquifer and partly on thick, poorly permeable till, all overlying an important dolomite aquifer. A leachate leakage rate of between 600 and 3000 ft(3)/day was estimated from infiltration and leachate-level calculations. The study has generated considerable field data which should be valuable in future studies.