Analysis of pollutants present in the ground water due to Leachates at Thuraipakkam Dumpyard, Chennai

Abstract

Water is a gift of nature, but many regions are facing water shortage due to its being polluted by human activities, or increasing demand by industrialization and high population growth. In the present scenario most of the wastes which are discharged into natural water bodies such as lakes and rivers, it also affects the ground water quality. Groundwater is the alternative source of fresh water in areas where surface water is polluted and deficit. However, the ground water that is polluted by various sources e.g. solid waste, Industrial waste etc. The leachate from Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) landfills is a highly concentrated, so it can pollute large amounts of groundwater and hence it becomes unsuitable for domestic purposes. In this study we have analyzed the physical and chemical parameters of ground water samples at Thuraipakkam dumpyard located at Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India and the impacts of leachates on ground water is evaluated. In this report we have summarized the laboratory results of all the samples collected from the study area against the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for drinking water. Spatial maps also created using ArcGIS Software for various parameters. The results of this study demonstrated that, the high concentration of Total Dissolved Solids, Electrical Conductivity, Hardness, Nitrates, Chlorides, Sulphates in ground water near landfill deteriorates the quality of water are compared to the samples away from the dumping yard.

Keywords: ground water quality, leachate, ArcGIS, spatial maps.