Investigation of physicochemical characteristics and heavy metal distribution profile in groundwater system around the open dump site

In this study, the characterization of solid waste and the effect of the leachate from an open dumping site in Ariyamangalam, Tiruchirappalli District, Tamil Nadu, on groundwater is investigated. A total of 14 groundwater samples and 20 leachate samples were collected for monitoring purpose. All the samples were analyzed for various physical and chemical parameters according to standard methods: this includes pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), total hardness, and total alkalinity, major cations such as Ca2+, Mg2+, and Fe2+, major anions such as NO3 , Cl , and SO4 2 and heavy metals such as Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn. The results indicated that, very few parameters such as pH, sulfates and nitrates concentration in the groundwater samples are within the recommended maximum admissible limits approved by WHO (World Health Organization 940–949, 2002) and Bureau of Indian standards (IS 10500:1991). The TDS (range between 740 and 14,200 mg/L) in groundwater reveal the saline behavior of water and was found to be very high according to standards. The range of chlorides in all the locations under investigation is 215.15–4,098.73 mg/L. The contour plots also indicated that the groundwater was rigorously contaminated with various heavy metals. The presence of high concentration of Pb (0.59 mg/L) in groundwater samples nearby dumping site implies that groundwater samples were contaminated by leachate migration from an open dumping site.