The effect of leachate of Hamedan landfill site on ground water

Infiltration of leachate produced by municipal solid waste into the ground water poses a serious environmental hazard due to its high content of hydrocarbons and heavy metals. The leachate is the primary source of soil and water pollution.With respect to the climate, Iran is a relatively dry region with low sources of fresh water. Preservation of invaluable fresh water resources calls for serious research into the sources of water pollution in the region. Each day about, 500 ton wastes are produced in the Hamedan city and have been disposed in a site with lack of appropriate engineering conditions. The main aim of this research is to assess the effect of the Hamedan landfill environmental effects on groundwater resources with respect to heavy metals contamination. In this regard, the samples of leachate have been selected from the winter and summer depots of the landfill leachate. Also, groundwater samples were collected from the 5 water wells and two springs in order to study possible impact of leachate percolation into the groundwater resources. The leachate and groundwater samples were chemically characterized using Inductively Coupled Plasma of Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES), flame photometer and titration methods. Measured parameters include pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Heavy metals from the leachate, groundwater and spring samples. In addition to heavy metals analysis, chemical analysis for major cations and anions were also carried out in the groundwater and springs. According to Iranian Institute of Standard and Industrial Research and Iranian Environmental Protection Organization standards for drinking water and waste water, the results showed that all samples were contaminated, respectively. Furthermore it was found that, geological and hydrogeological conditions of site have a main role in distribution of contamination. Subsurface groundwater samples are contaminated more than other groundwater samples.