Preremedial assessment of the municipal landfill pollution impact on soil and shallow groundwater in Subotica, Serbia

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 615; pp. 1341 - 1354
• Main Authors: Krčmar, Dejan, Tenodi, Slaven, Grba, Nenad, Kerkez, Djurdja, Watson, Malcolm, Rončević, Srdjan, Dalmacija, Božo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 15.02.2018
• Subjects: arsenic; bioaccumulation; cadmium; chromium; copper; environmental assessment; European Union; factor analysis; groundwater; Groundwater and soil monitoring; heavy metals; iron; landfill leachates; Landfill pollution; landfills; laws and regulations; lead; manganese; mercury; monitoring; Multi-parameter indices; multivariate analysis; municipal solid waste; nickel; nutrients; PAHs and heavy metals; physicochemical properties; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; principal component analysis; prioritization; remediation; risk assessment; risk factors; Serbia; soil; soil pollution; soil sampling; zinc; Serbia; Groundwater and soil monitoring; Landfill pollution; Multi-parameter indices; PAHs and heavy metals
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.09.283

Most regional municipal solid waste landfills in Serbia are operated without control of landfill leachate and gas or with no regard for implementation of national and European legislation. For the first time in Serbia, groundwater and soil at a landfill were subject to systematic annual monitoring according to national, European legislation and adopted methodologies. Characterisation of the groundwater and soil samples from the landfill included ten metals (Fe, Mn, As, Zn, Cd, Pb, Ni, Cr, Cu and Hg), 16 EPA PAHs, nutrients and certain physicochemical parameters, in order to assess the risks such poorly controlled landfills pose to the environment. This impact assessment was performed using specially adapted pollution indices: LWPI, the Single factor pollution index and the Nemerow index for groundwater, and geo-accumulation index, ecological risk factor and selected rations of PAHs for soil. The data analysis included multivariate statistical methods (factor analysis of principal component analysis (PCA/FA)) in order to assess the extent of the contaminants detected in the groundwater and soil samples. The pollution indices (LWPI: 3.56–8.89; Nemerow index: 2.02–3.78) indicate the quality of the groundwater at the landfill is degrading over time, with PAH16, TOC, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn as the substances of greatest concern. Heavy metals Hg (Igeo≤3.14), Pb (Igeo≤2.22), Cr (Igeo≤3.31) and Cu (Igeo≤2.16) represent the worst soil contamination. Hg has moderate (52.9) to very high (530.0) potential ecological risk, demonstrating the long-term potential effects of bioaccumulation and biomagnification. The results of this work indicate that Cr and Cu should possibly be added to the EU Watch List of emerging substances. This proposition is substantiated by relevant state and alike environmental information from nations in the region. This study demonstrates the need to develop a model for prioritization of landfill closure and remediation based on environmental risk assessment. [Display omitted] •Landfill groundwater and soil pollution were very high•Hg values for two soil sampling sites showed potential for ecological risk•Statistic analysis showed significance of Cu and Pb in soil and groundwater•Organic carcinogens in the soil highly correlated with groundwater Fe and Hg•Cr and Cu should be added to the European Watch List of emerging contaminants