CHEMICAL-IMPACT OF UNCONTROLLED SOLID-WASTE COMBUSTION TO THE VICINITY OF THE KOUROUPITOS RAVINE, CRETE, GREECE

This study presents the results of an investigation on chemical impact of the uncontrolled combustion of municipal solid wastes in an open l andfill. Soil and sand samples were collected in the vicinity and surr ounding area of the waste disposal site and the concentrations of seve ral toxic substances were measured. A list of these substances include s: Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH), Polychlorinated Biphenyls ( PCB), Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD), Polychlorinated Dibenz ofurans (PCDF) and heavy metals. The results show that the contaminati on of soil in the vicinity of the landfill decreases nearly exponentia lly with the distance between the sampling point and the waste disposa l site increasing. The contamination of soil in the vicinity of a near -by village is below current limits. High concentrations were found in the soil inside the landfill and in the immediate proximity. In some cases remediation limits of some European countries were exceeded. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.