Geology-geochemistry · 2005 · 11 citations · 0 references
EngineeringEnvironmental EngineeringEnvironmental SciencesSolid Waste ManagementWaste ManagementWastewater TreatmentHeavy Metal ContaminationHeavy Metal RemediationHeavy Metal RemovalSanitary LandfillingWaste DisposalWaste TreatmentEnvironmental Mercury ContaminationLandfill Leachate ContaminationLandfill Leachate PollutionLandfill Leachate TreatmentLeachate TreatmentMercury PollutionMercury RemovalMercury Speciation Analysis
Leachate is regarded as one of the significant aspects to land filling operations concerning its environmental impacts, which will arouse serious pollution to surrounding environment if not properly treated. In this study, we sampled and analyzed Hg in the raw leachate and the leachate in different cells of the on-site leachate treatment plant at Gaoyan Sanitary Landfill, Guiyang, China. The results showed that Hg was relatively low in the raw leachate (0.0794 μg·L~(-1)) when compared to most landfill leachates in the world (0.05~160 μg·L~(-1)), and suggested Hg contamination was not severe indeed. After being treated, mercury in the leachate was removed by over two thirds. The majority of the species of mercury in the raw leachate was associated with particulates, and their percentage decreased gradually with the process in the treatment plant. Hg concentrations in the leachate highly depend on the mercury contents in urban solid wastes, pH, and adsorption on waste materials.