Effect of Landfill Leachate on Groundwater Contamination: A case study of Obio- Akpo Local Government Area, Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

This research investigates the effect of landfill leachate on the groundwater in “Odum”, a community that plays host to a dumpsite along  Choba/Alakahia road in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area (L.G.A.) of Rivers State, Nigeria. Five vertical electrical soundings (VES) were conducted using the Schlumberger configuration and also five horizontal profiling were done using the Wenner configuration. The field data were acquired using ABEM tarrameter SAS 300C, and processed using the IP TWO WAY software. The results showed that the area is composed of sandstone, clay, laterite, sandy clay, and sand. Also, from careful analysis and interpretation of the processed data it was observed that contaminated zones have low resistivity (high conductivity). Strikingly, areas of low resistivity such as 11.9 Ωm and others with high resistivity up to greater than 1818 Ωm do exist. The results show that groundwater around this landfill contaminated area contains highly conductive leachates like sulphur, methane, ammonia gas at depths > 16 m. This indicates that the study area is not a good aquifer zone.

Keywords: Resistivity, Landfill, Leachate, Groundwater, Dumpsite, Aquifer, Sounding