Spatial distribution characteristics of typical contaminants in MSW landfills under water-soil interactions in alluvial-diluvial strata

LI Weiqiang; ZHAO Ziliang; ZHU Hao; XU Yunsong; HAN Zhiyong

doi:10.13205/j.hjgc.202607025

Volume 44 Issue 7

Jul. 2026

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Article Navigation > ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING > 2026 > 44(7): 251-260

LI Weiqiang, ZHAO Ziliang, ZHU Hao, XU Yunsong, HAN Zhiyong. Spatial distribution characteristics of typical contaminants in MSW landfills under water-soil interactions in alluvial-diluvial strata[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING , 2026, 44(7): 251-260. doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202607025

Citation:

LI Weiqiang, ZHAO Ziliang, ZHU Hao, XU Yunsong, HAN Zhiyong. Spatial distribution characteristics of typical contaminants in MSW landfills under water-soil interactions in alluvial-diluvial strata[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING , 2026, 44(7): 251-260. doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202607025

Citation:

LI Weiqiang, ZHAO Ziliang, ZHU Hao, XU Yunsong, HAN Zhiyong. Spatial distribution characteristics of typical contaminants in MSW landfills under water-soil interactions in alluvial-diluvial strata[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING , 2026, 44(7): 251-260. doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202607025

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Spatial distribution characteristics of typical contaminants in MSW landfills under water-soil interactions in alluvial-diluvial strata

doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202607025

LI Weiqiang^1,2,3,
ZHAO Ziliang^1,2,3,
ZHU Hao^1,2,3,
XU Yunsong⁴,
HAN Zhiyong^{1,2,3
,
,}

1. State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China;
2. State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Synergetic Control and Joint Remediation for Soil & Water Pollution, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China;
3. College of Ecology and Environment, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China;
4. Chengdu Environmental Engineering Construction Co., Ltd., Chengdu 610059, China

Received Date: 2025-09-29
Available Online: 2026-09-01

Abstract

Abstract

The Holocene alluvial-diluvial stratum of the Quaternary is characterized by high soil hydraulic conductivity and intense surface water-groundwater interaction， which leads to rapid and extensive migration of contaminants from landfills. To investigate the contaminant characteristics of a municipal solid waste （MSW） landfill in such strata， a case study was conducted at a landfill in southwestern China. Methods including the Nemerow pollution index and the potential ecological risk index were employed to systematically analyze the contamination of groundwater and soil， as well as the spatial distribution of organic matter and heavy metals. The results showed that the groundwater was severely contaminated （PI > 3）. The maximum exceedance multiples for total bacterial count， ammonia nitrogen （NH⁺₄-N）， and total coliforms relative to the standard limits were 36， 9.5， 8， respectively. The composition of the contaminants in groundwater was highly consistent with the characteristics of landfill leachate. For the soil， the concentrations of six heavy metals （Cu， Pb， Cd， Ni， Hg， and As） were all below the Class II screening values of the standard GB 36600—2018. Both the Nemerow pollution index （PI<0.7） and the potential ecological risk index （RI<150） indicated that the soil environment was safe. Regarding soil dissolved organic matter （DOM）， humic-like substances （22.9% to 34.9%） and fulvic-like substances （22.4% to 27.5%） were the dominant components， and their fluorescence intensities exhibited an exponential decay trend with increasing soil depth. The speciation of Cu， Pb， As， Hg， and Ni was dominated by the residual fraction （52.33% to 90.32%）. However， over 70% of Cd existed in active forms （exchangeable + Fe/Mn oxide-bound）， suggesting a high migration risk. Spatially， elevated concentrations of heavy metals were primarily clustered in waste screening and soil stockpiling areas. Vertically， Cu and Cd exhibited surface enrichment， whereas As， Hg， Pb， and Ni were enriched within the groundwater fluctuation zone. These findings demonstrate the high vulnerability of alluvial-diluvial aquifers to leachate contamination and the tendency for metal accumulation at the water-soil interface. It is recommended to prioritize anti-seepage measures for excavation and stockpiling areas， along with containment and remediation strategies targeting the groundwater fluctuation zone in the remediation of the landfill， to prevent secondary pollution of soil and groundwater.
- municipal solid waste （MSW） landfill,
- alluvial-diluvial strata,
- soil-water environment,
- environmental pollution assessment,
- spatial distribution

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References(35)

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