Protection of groundwater from migration of infiltrates from a chromic waste storage site and methods of treating these infiltrates

This work presents the results of investigations to develop and implement m ethods to effectively collect and purify infiltrates from heaps, situated i n the region of Alwernia near Cracow, where more than 3 million tonnes of w aste material resulting from the production of chromium compounds have been stored. It describes a system for the protection of groundwater from these infiltrates which contain 50-400 g m(-3) Cr6+, as well as the effectivenes s of cheap and simple chemical methods to purify these chromic wastewaters. The infiltrate collection system and the most effective method to decrease the concentration of Cr6+ to a level below 0.1 ppm, as required by Polish and European Union regulations, were implemented in the Alwernia Chemical W orks S.A. in the years 1998-1999.