Environmental monitoring of a landfill area through the application of carbon stable isotopes, chemical parameters and multivariate analysis

• Published in: Waste management (Elmsford) Vol. 76; pp. 591 - 605
• Main Authors: de Medeiros Engelmann, Pâmela, dos Santos, Victor Hugo Jacks Mendes, Barbieri, Cristina Barazzetti, Augustin, Adolpho Herbert, Ketzer, João Marcelo Medina, Rodrigues, Luiz Frederico
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2018
• Subjects: Environmental monitoring; Landfill; Leachate; Multivariate analysis; Natural Science; Naturvetenskap; Stable isotopes; Environmental monitoring; Multivariate analysis; Landfill; Leachate; Stable isotopes
• ISSN: 0956-053X; 1879-2456; 1879-2456
• DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2018.02.027

•Stable carbon isotopes presented satisfactory results in determining the decomposition phase.•Stabilization lagoons reduced the concentration of pollutants from the raw leachate.•Different waste cells are in different stages of stabilization of the organic matter.•Enrichment in 13C isotope in waters suggested contamination by leachate. Leachate produced during an organic matter decomposition process has a complex composition and can cause contamination of surface and groundwaters adjacent to a landfill area. The monitoring of these areas is extremely important for the characterization of the leachate produced and to avoid or mitigate environmental damages. Thus, the present study has the objective of monitoring the area of a Brazilian landfill using conventional parameters (dissolved metals and anions in water) and alternative, stable carbon isotopes parameters (δ13C of dissolved organic and inorganic carbons in water) in addition to multivariate analysis techniques. The use of conventional and alternative parameters together with multivariate analysis showed that cells of the residues are at different phases of stabilization of the organic matter and probably already at C3 of the methanogenic phase of decomposition. In addition, the data showed that organic matter stabilization ponds present in the landfill are efficient and improve the quality of the leachate. Enrichment of the heavy 13C isotope in both surface and groundwater suggested contamination in two sampling sites.