GEOCHEMICAL ASSESSMENT OF WASTE OIL DISTRIBUTION AT A MUNICIPAL LANDFILL

Development of Fountain Avenue Landfill, a large municipal landfill su rrounded on three sides by water and on the fourth by a residential ar ea, has been documented by aerial photography. Two liquid storage basi ns are apparent in several of the views. In addition, landfill soil co ntained PCBs and long-chain hydrocarbons. These observations confirmed the need for a geochemical assessment of the site for waste oil. In o rder to relate hypothesized oil presence to analytical results, the gr ound coordinates of the oil storage basins were determined using ERDAS digital image-processing software. The perimeters of the basins were staked on the landfill by ground survey. A large running seep was loca ted near one of the liquid disposal pits. Borings were placed within t he confines of the staked regions, and split-spoon samples were analyz ed for PCBs, long-chain hydrocarbons, and phthalates. The distribution of these substances in the borings shows presence above groundwater l evel.