Isotopic tracing of leachate percolation from municipal solid waste dump sites to groundwater in diverse climatic zones of India

Majee, U and Kaushal, R and Liang, M-C and Muguli, T and Ghosh, P (2024) Isotopic tracing of leachate percolation from municipal solid waste dump sites to groundwater in diverse climatic zones of India. In: Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 31 (14). 21829 -21844.

PDF Env_sci_pol_res_31_14_2024 - Published Version Restricted to Registered users only Download (2MB) | Request a copy

Abstract

Groundwater resources in tropical regions are largely dependent on recharge by rainwater infiltration through soil layers with variable time. However, the rainwater infiltration through soil is a serious concern in urban tropics where it interacts with landfills at the dumpsites, potentially contaminating adjoining groundwater. In this study, the stable isotopic compositions of oxygen and hydrogen (δ18O and δ2H, respectively) in groundwater and leachates, adjoining municipal dumpsites in urban tropics (Bangalore, Kolkata and Durgapur located in diverse rainfall zonation of India), were analyzed to investigate their recharge sources and trace the possible mixing of leachate contaminants under three diverse climatology. The measured values of δ18O and δ2H suggested that the groundwater in these sites reflects higher recharge by rainwater. However, the d-excess values indicated secondary effects suggesting the groundwater has experienced significant modifications. The end member analysis using δ18O�d-excess relation pinpointed an additional leachate contribution from adjoining dumpsites. The critical fraction of leachate infiltration to groundwater quantified using two component mixing model ranged between (i) 1 and 33 in Bangalore, (ii) 5 and 13 in Kolkata and (iii) 18 and 76 in Durgapur, with its variability dependent on seasonality and aquifer connectivity. This information is crucial for groundwater management to secure water quality and to quantify potential hydrological contaminants particularly in drier seasons and drier regions, when and where the demand for groundwater is high, respectively. Graphical Abstract: (Figure presented.) © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2024.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	Environmental Science and Pollution Research
Publisher:	Springer
Additional Information:	The copyright for this article belongs to Springer.
Keywords:	Contamination; Groundwater pollution; Groundwater resources; Infiltration; Isotopes; Mixing; Municipal solid waste; Rain; Recharging (underground waters); Soils; Solvents; Tropics; Water management; Water quality, D-excess; Groundwater contamination; Leachates; Mixing modelling; Municipal solid waste dump; Rainwater infiltrations; Seasonal cycle; Stable isotopes; Tow component mixing model; Waste dumps, Aquifers
Department/Centre:	Division of Mechanical Sciences > Centre for Earth Sciences
Date Deposited:	12 Jun 2024 04:44
Last Modified:	12 Jun 2024 04:44
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/84468

Actions (login required)

View Item