ABSTRACT:

Soil and groundwater can be easily contaminated by the infiltration of landfill leachate and petroleum hydrocarbons. Leakage of leachate and petroleum hydrocarbons is induced from the damage of liners or underground storage tanks(USTs). Leakage detection system can be effectively used for early detecting the leak point. To date several types of leakage detection systems have been developed, but are not widely used because of the cost. Laboratory tests were performed to develop the economic and accurate leakage detection system. Principle of the leakage detection system in this study is the electrical resistance change with the presense of contaminants. The resistance of soil is decreased when the mixture of ionic contaminants, such as leachate, is introduced, and is increased when insulator, such as diesel fuel, is introduced. As shown in the soil box test result, the system measuring the resistance of soil has the capability of detecting the leak points.

INTRODUCTION

Concern for subsurface soil and groundwater contamination has become a major environmental issue. Soil and groundwater can be easily contaminated by the landfill leachate induced from the damage of liners or the petroleum hydrocarbons leakage of the underground storage tanks(USTs). Leakage from landfill and USTs pose a serious threat to the groundwater supplies as well as to the public health. Although most manufacturing defects and construction flaws in the geomembrane liner should be detected and repaired prior to operation of landfill, leakage may develop due to inferior workmanship during field construction, deterioration of the geosynthetic material after prolonged exposure to corrosive chemicals, or physical contacts by humans and animals during operation.(Colucci, 1995) Laine(1993) reported that it has detected an average of 22.5 leaks per 10,000m2 of geomembrane liner in landfill and USEPA(1988) stated that approximately 25% of all USTs in USA experience leakage.

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