Landfill pollution control with isotope techniques

Groundwater and surface water contamination by sanitary landfills is being monitored since 1989 in Italy by using isotope techniques combined with chemical analyses. The results obtained are considered mostly satisfactory for identifying sources of contaminants and predicting their behaviour. We present in this work the results of chemical and isotopic measurements performed on rainwater, surface water and groundwater samples, with the aim of investigating the fate of contaminants released from some landfills located near Ancona, Central Italy. The isotope determinations included δ18O, δ2H and tritium (3H). The first objective of these investigations is establishing the background values of the main environmental parameters related to contamination, and obtaining indication about source and residence time (age) of groundwater in the landfill proximity. In particular, the methods used for detecting groundwater and/or surface waters contamination derived from the landfill, are based on the occurrence of tritium activity anomalies and chemical concentration changes. In order to estimate the regional background of environmental tritium in shallow groundwater, we measured the tritium content of monthly rainwater samples collected in stations on the Apennines in proximity of Ancona. The tritium concentration ranged from 3 to 6 TU in winter months (October to April), and reached the maximum values (up to 14 TU) in summer months. The investigations of groundwater and surface water contamination were undertaken on landfills dismissed from 1986 to 1998. The isotopic and chemical monitoring was started one year ago and was carried out on leachates, surface waters and groundwater (the last sampled in several downstream wells). The tritium concentration in leachates can be very high, due to a still active tritium release from the landfill. Tritium values in wells outside of the landfill area, lower than in leachate but higher than the regional background of environmental tritium in shallow groundwater, indicate the occurrence of contamination of groundwater originated by mixing with the landfill leachate and enabled us to compute the leachate fraction. The stable isotope composition of springs was used for estimating the altitude isotopic gradient of precipitation and derive information on the origin of groundwater recharge due to rainfall. Our investigation programme includes isotopic measurements of δ13C in dissolved carbonates, bicarbonates and carbon dioxide, δ34S per mille in dissolved sulfates, and δ15N per mille in nitrate, which will be performed on leachate in order to establish their isotopic ranges, and in groundwater in order to assess if these compounds derive from the landfill