MODELING THE MOBILITY OF POLLUTANTS AWAY FROM WASTE-DISPOSAL SITES TOTHE GEOSPHERE, A TOOL FOR OPTIMAL SOLID-WASTE MANAGEMENT

New regulations in the European Union regarding waste management will require a strong effort in modelling activities. Existing computer mod els which predict pollutant behaviour in geological environments are r eviewed, and their potential use for the management of waste is discus sed. The most promising of these are mechanistic models which account for pollutant behaviour in the context of a solution chemistry control led by solid-water interactions. A major shortcoming of these computer codes is the lack of conceptual knowledge of the processes involved i n interactions between wastes and water. Several needs are identified: better data bases (which must include the proper solubility-controlli ng variables), phenomenological understanding of pollutant behaviour i n waste-leachate interactions, and model validation under realistic co nditions. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.