Selection of hazardous waste dumpsites based on parameters effecting soil adsorption capacity – a case study

Abstract

A careful selection of waste dumpsites, particularly hazardous ones, is very important for sustainable water resources management. Several laboratory experiments were carried out on the field samples to study adsorption capacity using p-dichlorobenzene (a solvent used in various industrial processes) as the test contaminant. The effect of parameters such as organic matter, clay, and iron and aluminium oxides, which are known to influence the soil adsorption capacity, are studied in the present work. Several soil samples from the Patancheru Industrial Area (Hyderabad, India) were collected and characterized. Only three soils, which had a comparatively high percentage of organic matter, clay, iron and aluminium oxide contents were used for the adsorption studies. The results clearly indicated a decrease in the adsorption capacity of the soils by as much as 75% when organic matter was removed. The other parameters such as clay and iron and aluminium oxides also play an important role in adsorption (57 and 39.8% reduction respectively). It was observed that out of the selected factors organic matter in the soils has the maximum effect regarding the adsorption of p-dichlorobenzene. Since the selected soils contain comparatively more organic matter, clay and iron and aluminium oxides in the selected industrial area, these can be used as sites for dumping hazardous waste, which can be further treated by methods like bioremediation.

A Comparative Evaluation of Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Sites in Northern Iran

“…Choosing a set of effective parameters for selecting the location and evaluation of the landfill sites in relation to the environmental conditions of the studied area is critical and has a direct effect on prioritizing parameters (Sener, 2004). For instance, one study has shown that the highest prioritised parameters in landfill site selection are distance from urban and rural areas, surface water, geology, land use and fundamental instalments and roads, respectively (Khan and Anjaneyulu, 2003). In another study the priority of parameters was distance from geologic faults and the depth of earth, distance to the airports, distance to urban areas, distance to lakes, dams and slope of the soil, land use, paths network and in final run the least priority belonged to instalments and telecommunication (Delgado et al, 2008).…”

The Application of Remote Sensing for Detecting Mass Graves: An Experimental Animal Case Study from Costa Rica*

“…Organic compounds have a high rate of adsorption in clay-based soils (such as the Inceptisol from the study area) thus adhering to the soil particles, resisting leaching (54). Some of the compounds produced during decomposition such as benzene and toluene (hydrocarbons) are common soil contaminants from, say, underground fuel tank ruptures.…”

Hazardous waste landfill site selection in Khorasan Razavi Province, Northeastern Iran

“…Inappropriate disposal of solid waste results in pollution of water, air, and soil and poses a serious threat for the human health and the environment. Hence, the problem of hazardous waste management and safe disposal has become an issue of major concern in the world, particularly for developing countries (Khan and Anjaneyulu 2003;CPCB 2003). There are various hazardous waste disposal methods, such as incineration, immobilization, landfilling, and offshore and underground storage.…”