Landfill gas effects on groundwater samples at a municipal solid waste facility

A study was performed to determine the source of low concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) detected in groundwater samples at a solid waste management facility. The affected wells were identified as hydraulically upgradient of an old unlined facility, but downgradient of a new clay-lined landfill. These monitoring wells are close to both sites. Subsurface landfill gas migration was identified after a low permeability cap was installed on the older site. Subsurface gas pressure was monitored to identify horizontal landfill gas migration. Monitoring well headspace gases were evaluated to identify depressed oxygen concentrations and methane because of landfill gas migration into the well. Monitoring well headspace gas VOC concentrations were compared to groundwater VOC concentrations to determine the direction of phase transfer. A ratio above 1.0 of the observed well headspace gas concentration of a VOC to the concentration that would be in equilibrium with the groundwater concentration indicates gas-to-water phase transfer within the well. For the major gas-phase and aqueous-phase VOC, cis-1,2-dichloroethene, gas-to-water phase transfer is clearly indicated from the data for two of the four wells. Fifteen other VOCs were detected in monitoring well headspace gases but not in groundwater samples from the four wells studied. Only one compound in one well was detected in the groundwater sample but not in the headspace gases, and only one compound in one well was detected in both matrices at concentrations that suggested water-to-gas phase transfer. This study suggests that if landfill gas is suspected as the source of detected VOCs, monitoring well construction and stratigraphy are important considerations when attempting to differentiate between groundwater contamination by landfill gas and contamination from other sources.