Landfill Site Selection Using Pollution Potential Zoning of Aquifers by Modified DRASTIC Method: Case Study in Northeast Iran

• DOI: 10.1007/s40996-017-0054-3
• Publication Date: 2017-04-28T13:15:23Z
• Authors: Ali Vosoogh; Akbar Baghvand; Abdolreza Karbassi; Touraj Nasrabadi
• Keywords: 2. Zero hunger; 13. Climate action; 11. Sustainability; 0207 environmental engineering; 02 engineering and technology; 01 natural sciences; 6. Clean water; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences; 12. Responsible consumption

Nowadays, with the ever-increasing growth of the population and the development of various industries, we are experiencing an increase in man-made leachates such as urban solid wastes, chemicals, and wastewater. Generally, the groundwater in aquifers is contaminated by these pollutants seeping through the above-ground sediment. The vulnerability of groundwater to contaminants can be assessed, which means those areas with lower vulnerability can be distinguished from those areas with high vulnerability. Hydrogeological parameters are presented in a modified DRASTIC method which assesses depth to groundwater surface (D), recharge (R), soil media (S), topography (T), impact of vadose zone (I), conductivity of aquifer, hydraulic capabilities (C), and the effect of land use activity (L). This study aims at zoning the pollution potential of the Mashhad aquifer by using the modified DRASTIC method and GIS to assess the old and new landfill sites. The results show that new and existing (old) landfill sites for solid waste disposal in Mashhad site selections should be closed down due to their location in high vulnerability zones where the risk of groundwater pollution is high.