Attenuation of landfill leachate by clay liner materials in laboratory columns, 1. Experimental procedures and behaviour of organic contaminants

The chemical attenuation of natural organic matter and 13 organic micropoll utants (BTEX, aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides, chloro-aromatic and alipha tic compounds) in methanogenic landfill leachate by two UK clay liner mater ials was compared in laboratory columns over 15 months. Organic contaminant behaviour was evaluated using a first order decay transport model. Sorptio n of organic micropollutants by the clay liners was greater (by up to a fac tor of four) than expected. The organic micropollutants were degraded under different redox conditions and solute half lives varied from 4 to 112 days . Degradation of many organic micropollutants was complex and influenced by the sequential transformation of preferred substrates in the leachate. Thi s cannot be predicted, although the results show that degradation in fields cale liners will be extensive, Benzene was recalcitrant under the condition s and timespan (> 280 days) of the experiments. Natural organic matter (COD ) behaved conservatively in the experiments. Attenuated organic contaminant s were not released from the clay liners during flushing with freshwater su ggesting that organic micropollutants are permanently sorbed or only slowly desorbed within the experiment. A conceptual model of liner performance is presented. Chemical attenuation of organic pollutants can be included in c ontainment liner design to produce a dual reactive-passive barrier for land fills.