Environmental isotopes and major ions for tracing leachate contamination from a municipal landfill in Metro Manila, Philippines

The surface water and groundwater sources in the vicinity of a major municipal landfill in Metro Manila, Philippines were investigated to determine contamination by landfill leachate. Tritium, stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen, and major ions in the leachate and freshwater within the landfill environment were determined. The leachate contained elevated tritium activities and high concentrations of sodium, chloride, potassium, and calcium. The concentrations of tritium and the leachate related ions in the affected surface water were significantly higher than the non-impacted water and correlated strongly with distance from the leachate source, following a negative exponential relationship, providing evidence of leachate transport along the affected surface water. Enrichment in deuterium was exhibited by leachate in the holding pond but not by the effluent leachate. The stable isotope signature of leachate is masked in the surface water due to dilution by stream water. Dilution similarly masked the effect of leachate in the shallow groundwater which was strongly influenced by precipitation. Evidence of leachate contamination in the deep groundwater was sporadic. In isolated cases, elevated tritium concentrations coincided with enrichment in deuterium. In the same case, leachate related ions, Na, Ca, Mg, and Cl, varied with rainfall but generally increased from 2003 to 2009. The effect on the groundwater of methane produced within the landfill was seen in the depletion in deuterium in groundwater in the drier months. ► Environmental isotopes and major ions as tracers of landfill leachate contamination. ► Tritium and major ions unequivocally show leachate transport in surface water. ► Groundwater enriched in deuterium and tritium attributed to leachate contamination.