Colloid and heavy metal transport at landfill sites in direct contact with groundwater.

Colloids are ubiquitous in aquatic systems and are suspected of facilitating contaminant transport. At sites where the disposed waste is in direct contact with ground water, two main prerequisites for colloidal transport are fulfilled: these two prerequisites are a high concentration of colloids and many different contaminants, some that are very unlikely to be transported in an aqueous solution. In our investigation, three landfill sites with different historical background and hydrogeological conditions were examined. The colloids upstream, downstream, and inside the waste disposal sites were characterized with respect to their size distribution and chemical composition. The particle concentration upgradient and downgradient of the sites were 2-23 and 8-80 mg/L, respectively. Inside the waste disposal sites the particle concentration was 160-870 mg/L. The particles upgradient reflected the mineral composition of the aquifer, with calcareous colloids and silicates dominating the composition. Downgradient of the sites, we saw an increase of iron-precipitates and salt colloids, together with organic colloids. However, the downgradient colloids were significantly different from the colloids and particles inside of the disposal sites with respect to their size and chemical composition. Colloids inside the disposal sites reflected the waste composition and degradation. The association of heavy metal ions to colloids and particles showed a surprisingly high fraction of dissolved metal ions. We determined that the lowest metal ion concentrations (less than 20% of the total concentration) were associated with the colloid size class between 10 nm and 1 microm, which is considered most mobile in porous systems. The association of Fe and Mn to colloids was dominated by the redox conditions inside the disposal sites, where there was a reducing environment, Fe and Mn were dissolved. Outside the disposal sites, where there was an oxidizing environment, these metals formed colloids and particles >1 microm. Together with these particles, As was precipitating. For other metal ions (Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn), we determined an association to colloids coinciding roughly with the colloid size distribution. The results suggest that the change of hydrochemical conditions at the interface, from a reducing, high ionic strength environment inside of the disposal sites to an oxidizing, low ionic strength environment in the groundwater together with physical filtration effects for the larger particles, is an effective chemical barrier for colloids. Field observations suggest, that the colloids form a rather persistent coating around the aquifer matrix that reduces the hydraulic conductivity and enhances the sorption capacity of the aquifer close to the waste disposal sites. In every case, there was an increase of the contaminant concentrations downstream of the waste disposal sites, but the increase was less than expected from the initial transport calculations, which were under the assumption that there was a direct contact between the waste disposal site and the groundwater. It seems more than likely, that under the given conditions, colloids are contributing to a self sealing layer at the landfill bottom. The results of this study are relevant for the assessment of many landfills without appropriate landfill sealing systems.