Analysis of impacts to groundwater and the vadose zone at an arid-region landfill in San Bernardino County, California
Ten years of vadose zone gas and groundwater monitoring data for the Apple Valley Sanitary Landfill (AVSL), an arid-region municipal solid waste landfill in San Bernardino County, California, were examined to evaluate the nature, extent, and source of releases from this landfill. Landfill gas (LFG) was found to be the primary impact mechanism where groundwater degradation was demonstrated, and LFG contributions can be differentiated from other impact mechanisms. Because volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are the main groundwater contaminant at the AVSL, they were the main focus of this investigation, although inorganic compounds are also of significant interest. Groundwater impacts by liquid releases from seepage waste impoundments were also confirmed at the AVSL, while indications of impact by landfill leachate were not strongly supported. Monitoring data at this and other arid-region landfills, where rainfall is generally less than 255 mm per year and groundwater is relatively deep, show a lack of impact to groundwater from landfill leachate. The methods used to distinguish impact mechanisms at the AVSL are readily applicable to other sites as well.
- Research Organization:
- Norcal/San Bernardino, Inc., CA (US)
- OSTI ID:
- 20014816
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: ASCE-CSCE 1999 National Conference on Environmental Engineering, Norfolk, VA (US), 07/25/1999--07/28/1999; Other Information: PBD: 1999; Related Information: In: Environmental engineering 1999, by Schafran, G.C. [ed.], 936 pages.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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