Loading...
Please wait, while we are loading the content...
Similar Documents
Hydrogeology and effects of landfills on ground-water quality, southern Franklin County, Ohio
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Roche, Joseph De |
| Copyright Year | 1985 |
| Abstract | Hydrogeology and water quality were evaluated near five landfills along a 5-mile segment of the Scioto River valley south of Columbus, Ohio. Heterogeneous surficial deposits of sand, gravel, and till up to 160 feet thick are hydraulically connected to the underlying Devonian limestone, the landfills, and Scioto River, which has been leveed with 12 to 35 feet of refuse. Ground-water withdrawals caused a maximum 21-foot decline in ground-water levels from 1979 to 1982. The study reach of Scioto River within the influence of ground-water pumping is a losing stream, except for a small segment adjacent to one landfill. Analysis of variance indicated significant differences in ground-water quality between wells upgradient of landfills, downgradient of landfills, and wells penetrating refuse. Elevated specific conductance and concentrations of total dissolved solids, ammonia, carbon dioxide, and dissolved organic carbon in water from wells downgradient from and penetrating landfills indicate leachate production and migration is occurring. Analysis of bed-material samples from Scioto River and Scioto Big Run revealed concentrations of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons ranging from 220 to 9,440 micrograms per kilogram of sediment (>ig/kg) and concentrations of toxic metals ranging from 1 to 720 jig/kg. Samples from an upstream control station on Scioto River contained no organic compounds and lower concentrations of metals (ranging from 1 to 260 jug/kg) . Because of multiple land uses within the study area, organic compounds recovered from the streambed sediments cannot be attributed to any single source. The generation of hydrogen sulfide and methane gases, presence of a zone of increased hardness, elevated concentrations of common ionic species, and dominance of ammonia over other nitrogen species indicate that leachate is being produced and is migrating from four landfills and the river levee. Based on hydraulic relationships between ground water and surface water, it is highly probable that ground water contaminated by leachate from the levee and from one of the landfills is discharging to Scioto River. Leachate-enriched ground water from other landfills also may begin to discharge to the river if water-withdrawal patterns in the study area change. INTRODUCTION The City of Columbus, Ohio, has constructed an inducedinfiltration water-supply system in the highly permeable glacial outwash aquifer between Scioto River and Big Walnut Creek (fig. 1). The sources of supply for the water system are the sand-and-gravel aquifer and water percolating through the streambeds of Scioto River and Big Walnut Creek. The presence of several large landfills adjacent to Scioto River (2 miles upstream from the wellfield) could adversely affect the quality of the water supply. The U.S. Geological Survey began a study in 1981, in cooperation with the City of Columbus, Division of Water, to obtain hydrogeologic and chemical-quality information in the vicinity of the landfill area. This study will further understanding of the potential impacts of solid-waste disposal on glacial outwash aquifers. The use of statistical methods to investigate variations in ground-water quality demonstrates a valuable tool that can be used in future studies of aquifers affected by solid-waste disposal. Purpose and Scope The primary objectives of this report are to: (1) Describe the geologic and hydrologic setting in which the landfills are located, (2) characterize the ground-water and surface-water quality in the vicinity of the landfills, and (3) determine the effect of landfills on ground-water quality. Data for evaluating the hydrogeology of the study area were obtained from 37 wells, 4 surface-water sites, and 1 seep. Two continuous ground-water level recorders and a precipitation gage were installed near an existing surface-water gage (site FR-266, Scioto River at Columbus, Ohio) to aid in evaluation of groundwater/surface-water relationships. Gain/loss studies conducted on Scioto River and on a tributary provided additional information on aquifer-stream relationships. Water-quality samples were obtained from 21 ground-water wells and from 2 surface-water sites. Water-quality samples were analyzed for field-measured properties, major anions and cations, trace metals, nutrients, and base/neutraland acid-extractable organic compounds. Aquifer materials from two wells and streambed sediments from three sites were analyzed for base/neutraland acid-extractable organic compounds. Streambed sediments also were analyzed for trace metals. Hydrogeologic relationships and statistically significant water-quality variations are used to illustrate the effects of landfills on water quality. |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| DOI | 10.3133/wri854222 |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://pubs.usgs.gov/wri/1985/4222/report.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
