Landfill

There are often minimal details available about old landfill sites. When in use these rubbish disposal sites occupied waste land or were on the fringes of urban areas. Today they may occupy or be close to prime residential sites. Good understanding of these old landfill sites is needed if land is to be used for any purpose.

Studies of land fill include

• Mapping of extent and thickness of old site
• Evaluation of material in the site
• Mapping thickness of capping of the site
• Mapping of contamination plumes

 

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Contamination Plumes

Contamination plumes can be caused by seepage from industrial, landfill, tailings dams and wastewater plants. Contamination changes groundwater conductivity; geophysical techniques engaged by GeoAg detect and map this higher conductivity. Contamination can be mapped across the surface and downhole using EM and resistivity techniques.

For active sites location of seepage can be done using applied potential (mise-à-la-masse), a technique which uses applied electric fields to map potential groundwater paths based on mapping of electric potentials. This technique is used on the surface or downhole.

Success of remedial measures can also be determined repetition of surveys.

Key Words : Landfill, rubbish, dump, tip, contaminated site, mine tailings, acid mine drainage, tailings dam, waste water treatment, Contamination, plume, groundwater, ground water, hydrogeology.