Experimental and numerical study of pollution process in an aquifer in relation to a garbage dump field

Abstract

The water quality of shallow aquifers that have direct relationship to human heath and ecological safety has been seriously threatened by widespread dumping of industrial solid waste, urban and rural garbage. A garbage dump field with hydrogeological, environ-geological characteristics typical of the Beijing plain was selected for investigation. A hydrogeological model was constructed and the equations used to describe pollutant transport in one-dimensional (1D) steady, uniform groundwater flow to investigate the transport/diffusion processes. In addition to the coefficients for calculation, diffusion coefficient and other coefficients of the aquifer were obtained by conducting in situ diffusion experiments and sample tests. Velocity and scope of pollutant transport/diffusion process were calculated. Accordingly, the real pollution situation in the aquifer was evaluated through in situ drilling and sample testing. Transport/diffusion processes of pollutants within the aquifer abide by the solute equation applicable to 1D steady flow. The transport and diffusion dominate in the direction of groundwater flowing at a speed of about 120 m per year. Comparably, the lateral diffusive width is much smaller. Pollution degree decreases by the law of Y=1.08 exp(33.533/X), where Y is the distance from the garbage dump field and X is the overall pollution index.