Stormwater runoff pollution at waste management sites

Abstract

The concentration of pollutants in stormwater runoff from different areas for sorting, recycling, storage and treatment of municipal and industrial waste was investigated at one landfill site in southern Sweden. Field measurements and calculation based on historical series of precipitation were used to estimate stormwater volumes and pollutant loads generated from asphalt, gravel and steep slopes of landfill cells. The concentration ranges (min – max) of pollutants in stormwater from composting, roads and sorting/storage of recyclables in the studies site were compared. Composting areas presented the widest ranges and the highest values for COD, BOD, TOC, N – tot, N – NH4, P – tot reflecting different composting phases. The composting area for contaminated soils was responsible for the highest concentration values of Cl, Ca, Fe and Cd. Although stormwater from sorting/storage areas for recyclables had the highest concentrations for Zn, Cu, Pb, Ni, Cr, Co and Hg, stormwater runoff from garden waste composting reached concentrations almost as high as recyclable areas for Co and Pb. One runoff transport mechanism suggested is that metals bound to organic compounds are released with runoff from composting piles.

Keywords:

• Composting
• Landfill
• Land use
• Pollutant load
• Stormwater runoff
• Waste management

Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the Swedish National Energy Administration (Energimyndigheten) with additional support from the Knowledge and Competence Foundation (K-K Stiftelsen). The author thanks the companies SYSAV AB and Lidköpings Värmeverk AB.