Assessing the Effects of Aladimma Dumpsite on Soil and Groundwater Using Water Quality Index and Factor Analysis

Abstract

Waste disposal techniques have created subtle and yet serious environmental pollution and ecological deterioration in many developing countries. Geochemical assessment of the effect of Aladimma dumpsite on thenearby soil and shallow groundwater was undertaken in the present study. A total of twenty soils and thirty groundwater samples were collected during the dry season. The concentration of all the parameters analyzed was higher in soil than in groundwater and these may be attributed to the high affinity between organic matter content of soils and elements. The results indicate the concentrations of the cation to be in the order of Ca > Mg > Na > K in both soil and groundwater while that of anion is in the order of Cl > NO3 > SO4 > HCO3. The heavy metals concentrations vary as follows: Fe > Zn > Cu > Mn > Cr > Pb > As. This may be attributed to high precipitation and subsequent weathering and leaching of metallic objects from the dumpsite into the shallow groundwater table. The application of WQI shows that the groundwater around the dumpsite is poor in quality and the factor analysis revealed five sources of groundwater pollution. Factors 1 and 2 are from natural means while Factors 3, 4 and 5 are from dumpsite and other human activities in the area. Modern sanitary landfills to replace the practice of open dumping and to reduce the reliance on waste incineration were advocated.