Isotopic tracing of landfill leachates and pollutant lead mobility in soil and groundwater.

Here we provide evidence of the capability of stable lead isotopes to trace landfill leachate in a shallow groundwater. The municipal landfill we have investigated is located in southeastern France. It has no bottom liner, and wastes are placed directly on the ground. Stable lead isotopes allow the characterization of this landfill leachate signature (206Pb/207Pb = 1.189 +/- 0.004) that is clearly different from that of the local atmosphere (206Pb/207Pb = 1.150 +/- 0.006) and crustal lead (206Pb/207Pb = 1.200 +/- 0.005). Piezometers located in the direct vicinity of the landfill generally display this contaminant imprint. The landfill plume is monitored up to 1000 m downgradient of the landfill, in very good agreement with evaluation from chloride concentration. Meanwhile, 206Pb/207Pb ratios measured at a piezometer located 4600 m downgradient of the landfill suggest a contamination by the landfill plume. This result shows that the complexity of a pollutant plume dispersion in this shallow groundwater system requires several independent tracers to clearly resolve origin and transport pathways for contaminants. Furthermore, seasonal rainfall variation for this Mediterranean mixed Quaternary alluvion reservoir and the use of KCl fertilizers might favor an efficient remobilization of atmospheric lead in plowed soils and its transfer into groundwater as shown by lead isotope systematics.

Analysis of the structure of very large bacterial aggregates by small-angle multiple light scattering and confocal image analysis.

This work aims at developing a more accurate measurement of the physical parameters of fractal dimension and the size distribution of large fractal aggregates by small-angle light scattering. The theory of multiple scattering has been of particular interest in the case of fractal aggregates for which Rayleigh theory is no longer valid. The introduction of multiple scattering theory into the interpretation of scattering by large bacterial aggregates has been used to calculate the fractal dimension and size distribution. The fractal dimension is calculated from the form factor F(q) at large scattering angles. At large angles the fractal dimension can also be computed by considering only the influence of the very local environment on the optical contrast around a subunit. The fractal dimensions of E. coli strains flocculated with two different cationic polymers have been computed by two techniques: static light scattering and confocal image analysis. The fractal dimensions calculated with both techniques at different flocculation times are very similar: between 1.90 and 2.19. The comparison between two completely independent techniques confirms the theoretical approach of multiple scattering of large flocs using the Mie theory. Size distributions have been calculated from light-scattering data taking into account the linear independence of the structure factor S(q) relative to each size class and using the fractal dimension measured from F(q) in the large-angle range or from confocal image analysis. The results are very different from calculations made using hard-sphere particle models. The size distribution is displaced toward the larger sizes when multiple scattering is considered. Using this new approach to the analysis of very large fractal aggregates by static light multiple scattering, the fractal dimension and size distribution can be calculated using two independent parts of the scattering curve.

Application of strontium isotopes for tracing landfill leachate plumes in groundwater.

We are evaluating strontium isotopes as alternative tracers of landfill leachate in groundwater. The municipal landfill studied here is located in southeastern France. This landfill has no bottom liner, and wastes are placed directly on the ground. Based on the evaluation of chloride concentration, the plume extends a maximum of 4,600 m. Strontium isotopic composition characterizes two sources: natural groundwater (87Sr/86Sr = 0.708175) and landfill leachate contamination (87Sr/86Sr = 0.708457). The evolution of mixing ratios obtained with strontium reveals a second source of groundwater contamination: fertilizers (87Sr/ 86Sr = 0.707859). These results suggestthat isotopic signatures can be used to provide useful information on sources of groundwater contamination where conventional water quality parameters may yield ambiguous results.

Structural Interpretations of Static Light Scattering Patterns of Fractal Aggregates.

Information on the size and structure of aggregates is critical in predicting the formation kinetics, settling velocities, and reactivity of particle aggregates. For some systems, however, accessing this information may be very difficult. Light scattering measurements are among the most useful techniques for accessing such information. In the case of large primary particles forming aggregates, the common Rayleigh approximation is not valid. Instead, Mie scattering must be used and multiple scattering must be accounted for. Moreover, size polydispersity and structure of aggregates are combined in the scattered intensity measurements. This work presents an experimental validation of a new theoretical approach for extracting information on both aggregate structure and size when multiple scattering cannot be neglected. The chemically controlled aggregation of 0.8-µm latex particles demonstrates the following: (1) Polydispersity effects prevent the interpretation of data to obtain structural information from the Structure factor S(q). (2) The calculated optical contrast decreasing during the aggregation can be correlated with the structural changes in the growing aggregates independently of size polydispersity. We have shown that a strict correlation can be obtained between the fractal dimension D(f) and the scatterers' mean optical contrast calculated at large scattering angles. (3) The changes in the Form factor (F(q)) due to multiple scattering when particles are close together yield a predicted structure that is in agreement with expected fractal dimension values and therefore S(q) can be described in term of both structure and size polydispersity. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.