A leachate plume emanating from the Shelby County Landfill located at
Memphis, Tennessee is defined using selected major and trace inorganic
constituents. High specific conductance values and elevated concentra
tions of ammonia, barium, boron, calcium, chloride, dissolved solids,
potassium, sodium, and strontium were measured in water samples from w
ells screened in the alluvial and Memphis aquifers downgradient from o
r proximal to the landfill. Of these constituents, barium, boron, chlo
ride, and strontium were used in the geochemical model code PHREEQE to
estimate the percent leachate component in selected Memphis aquifer s
amples. Estimates of the leachate component in samples from affected M
emphis aquifer wells range from 5 to 37 percent for barium and stronti
um, the most reliable tracers found during this study.