Emerging substances in a landfill leachate - potentail risks at a closed landfill in the Netherlands

Abstract

Risks from emerging contaminants from a closed municipal and industrial landfill in the municipality of Oss, the Netherlands, were studied. The landfill is located in a polder area close to the Meuse River. Both Meuse and polder water levels are managed. Previous studies at the Oijense Bovendijk landfill excluded emerging substances, possibly underestimating the risks of the present contamination. Using historical data about the local industries, the potentially present emerging substances were identified. The fate, behaviour and effects of these substance groups were used to determine the risk potential. The groups with the highest risk potential were identified to be antibiotics, hormones, NSAIDs, PFCs and PBDEs. The spreading of the contaminants was calculated and the groundwater is expected to exfiltrate to ditches. Temporal variation in water levels, due to extreme water events has little influence, but might cause an overestimation of the flow velocity. The contamination could result in a risk for the users of the landfill terrain, groundwater or surrounding surface waters. However, due to adsorption and biodegradation most contaminants will not have reached the surface waters. Exact information about the dispersal and risks of the contamination is currently unavailable as the fate and behaviour of emerging substances are not fully understood. Field sampling and further research is necessary to evaluate the risks at the Oijense Bovendijk landfill. This research shows that depending on the history of a landfill there might be emerging substances present, which are not considered in the standard risk analysis of landfills in Dutch policies. These new risks should be taken into account while considering the public and environmental health of the surroundings of old landfills.