Apparent formation factor for leachate-saturated waste and sediments: Examples from the USA and China

Abstract

The formation factor relates bulk resistivity to pore fluid resistivity in porous materials. Understanding the formation factor is essential in using electrical and electromagnetic methods to monitor leachate accumulations and movements both within and around landfills. Specifically, the formation factor allows leachate resistivity, the degree of saturation, and, possibly, even the hydraulic conductivity of the waste to be estimated from non-invasive surface measurements. In this study, apparent formation factors are computed for three landfills with different types of waste as well as sediments contaminated by landfill leachate. Resistivity soundings at the closed Mallard North landfill in suburban Chicago (Illinois, USA) mapped leachate surfaces that were confirmed by monitoring wells. The resistivity of leachate-saturated waste from resistivity sounding inversions was then divided by the leachate resistivity values measured in-situ to compute apparent formation factors (F _a) ranging from 1.6 to 4.9. A global F _a of 3.0±1.9 was computed for the entire monitored portion of this landfill. At a nearby mixed laboratory waste landfill, a 2D inverted resistivity section was used to compute an F _a of 2.9. Finally, a distinctly different F _a value of 10.6±2.8 was computed for leachate-saturated retorted oil shale wastes north of Maoming (茂名), Guangdong (广东) Province, China. Shallow aquifers in the Laohuling (老虎岭) Formation near this landfill are polluted by acidic leachate containing heavy metals and organic compounds. The F _a for aquifers containing contaminated groundwater fall in the same range as aquifers with normal groundwater, 1.7–3.9. However, models from inverted sounding curves over these contaminated areas exhibit unusually low resistivity layers, which may be diagnostic of contamination.

Keywords

landfill / leachate / formation factor / Archie’s law / Maoming

References

[1] Aguilera R.. Analysis of Naturally Fractured Reservoirs from Sonic and Resistivity Logs. Journal of Petroleum Technology, 1974, 26: 764-772.

[2] Archie G. E.. The Electrical Resistivity Log as an Aid in Determining Some Reservoir Characteristics. Transactions American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers, 1942, 146: 54-62.

[3] Aristodemou E., Thomas-Betts A.. DC Resistivity and Induced Polarization Investigations at a Waste Disposal Site and Its Environments. Journal of Applied Geophysics, 2000, 44: 275-302.

[4] Asquith G., Gibson C.. Basic Well Log Analysis for Geologists, 1983, Tulsa: American Association of Petroleum Geologists 216

[5] Atkins E. R., Smith G. H.. The Significance of Particle Shape in Formation Resistivity Factor-Porosity Relationships. Journal of Petroleum Technology, 1961, 13: 285-291.

[6] Bernstone C., Dahlin T., Ohlsson T., . DC-Resistivity Mapping of Internal Landfill Structures: Two Pre-excavation Surveys. Environmental Geology, 2000, 39(3–4): 360-371.

[7] Booth C. J., Price B. C.. Infiltration, Soil Moisture, and Related Measurements at a Landfill with a Fractured Cover, Illinois. Journal of Hydrology, 1989, 108: 175-188.

[8] Bouguerra A., Diop M. B., Laurent J. P., . Effect of Moisture Content on the Thermal Effusivity of Wood Cement-Based Composites. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 1998, 31: 3457-3462.

[9] Carpenter P. J., Calkin S. F., Kaufmann R. S.. Assessing a Fractured Landfill Cover Using Electrical Resistivity and Seismic Refraction Techniques. Geophysics, 1991, 56(11): 1896-1904.

[10] Carpenter P. J., Xi Y., El-Hussain I. W.. Geophysical Identification of Leachate Levels and Refuse Characterization in a Landfill at Argonne National Laboratory, Illinois. Proceedings of the 34th Annual Meeting of the Association of Engineering Geologists, 1991, Greensburg, PA: MEMS 431-440.

[11] Carpenter P. J., Grellier S., Reddy K. R., . Investigating the Interior of a Landfill Cell with Leachate Injection Using Electromagnetic Conductivity and Ground-Penetrating Radar Surveys. Proceedings of the 2008 Symposium on the Application of Geophysics to Engineering and Environmental Problems, 2008, Wheat Ridge, CO: Environmental and Engineering Geophysical Society 212-222.

[12] Carpenter P. J., Kaufmann R. S., Price B.. Use of Resistivity Soundings to Determine Landfill Structure. Ground Water, 1990, 28(4): 569-575.

[13] Carpenter, P. J., Xi, Y., El-Hussian, I. W., 1990b. Final Report on Geophysical Characterization of Landfills at the 319 and 800 Areas at Argonne National Laboratory. Environmental Safety and Health Dept., Argonne National Laboratory Report, 61

[14] Carpenter P. J., Keeley M. C., Kaufmann R. S.. Azimuthal Resistivity Surveys over a Fractured Landfill Cover. Bulletin of the Association of Engineering Geologists, 1994, 31: 123-131.

[15] Carpenter P. J., Ding A., Cheng L., . Gamey J., . Geophysical and Geochemical Characterization of Groundwater Contamination Surrounding, an Oil Shale Tailings Landfill, Maoming, China. Proceedings of the 2003 Symposium on the Application of Geophysics to Environmental and Engineering Problems, 2003, Wheat Ridge, CO: Environmental and Engineering Geophysical Society 938-948.

[16] Chambers J. E., Kuras O., Meldrum P. I., . Electrical Resistivity Tomography Applied to Geologic, Hydrogeologic and Engineering Investigations at a Former Waste-Disposal Site. Geophysics, 2006, 71(6): B231-B239.

[17] Ding A., Cheng L., Liu P., . Plant Response to Metal Contamination at an Oil Shale Tailing Site in Maoming, South China. Ground Water Monitoring and Remediation, 2007, 27(3): 111-117.

[18] Ding A., Fu J., Sheng G., . Effects of Oil Shale Waste Disposal on Soil and Water Quality: Hydrogeochemical Aspects. Chemical Speciation and Bioavailability, 2003, 14: 70-86.

[19] Elmore T., Carpenter P. J.. Geophysical Assessment of an Active Northern Illinois Landfill (Abstract). Abstracts with Programs, 39th Annual North-Central Section Meeting, Geological Society of America, 2005, 37(5): 16

[20] Grellier S., Duquennoi C., Guerin R., . Leachate Recirculation—Study of Two Techniques by Geophysical Surveys. Proceedings, Sardinia 2003, Ninth International Waste Management and Landfill Symposium, 2003, Cagliari, Italy: CISA, Environmental Sanitary Engineering Centre

[21] Grellier S., Reddy K. R., Gangathulasi J., . Correlation between Electrical Resistivity and Moisture Content of Municipal Solid Waste in a Bioreactor Landfill, 2007, Reston, VA: American Society of Civil Engineers Press 1-14.

[22] Guerin R., Munoz M. L., Aran C., . Leachate Recirculation: Moisture Content Assessment by Means of a Geophysical Technique. Waste Management, 2004, 24(8): 785-794.

[23] Hearst J., Nelson P. H., Paillet F. L.. Well Logging for Physical Properties, 2000 2nd ed. Chichester: J. Wiley and Sons 483

[24] Interpex ResixPlusTM User’s Manual (Including Disks), 1988, Golden, CO: Interpex, Ltd. 120

[25] Jackson P. D., Taylor-Smith D., Stanford P. N.. Resistivity-Porosity-Particle Shape Relationships for Marine Sands. Geophysics, 1978, 43: 1250-1268.

[26] Kelly W. E.. Geoelectric Sounding for Estimating Aquifer Hydraulic Conductivity. Ground Water, 1977, 15: 420-425.

[27] Kwader T.. Estimating Aquifer Permeability from Formation Resistivity Factors. Ground Water, 1985, 23: 762-766.

[28] Li Y., Oldenburg D. W.. Aspects of Charge Accumulation in DC Resistivity Experiments. Geophysical Prospecting, 1991, 44: 803-826.

[29] Li Z., Tang C.. The Process of Groundwater Pollution around Oil Shale Waste Disposal Sites in Maoming. Proceedings of the International Workshop on Groundwater and Environment, 1992, Beijing: Seismological Press 419-424.

[30] Loke M. H., Barker R. D.. Rapid Least-Squares Inversion of Apparent Resistivity Pseudosections by a Quasi-Newton Method. Geophysical Prospecting, 1996, 44: 131-145.

[31] Meju M. A.. Geoelectrical Investigation of Old/Abandoned, Covered Landfill Sites in Urban Areas: Model Development with a Genetic Diagnosis Approach. Journal of Applied Geophysics, 2000, 44: 115-150.

[32] Mitchell-Tapping H. J.. Mechanized Oil-Shale Mining in Southern China (Abstract). American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, 1990, 74: 990-991.

[33] Ogilvy R. D., Meldrum P. I., Chambers J. E.. Imaging of Industrial Waste Deposits and Buried Quarry Geometry by 3D Resistivity Tomography. European Journal of Environmental and Engineering Geophysics, 1999, 3: 103-113.

[34] Ogilvy R., Meldrum P., Chambers J., . The Use of 3D Electrical Resistivity Tomography to Characterise Waste and Leachate Distribution within a Closed Landfill, Thriplow, UK. Journal of Environmental and Engineering Geophysics, 2002, 7(1): 11-18.

[35] Patton T. L., Pearl R. H., Tsai S. Y.. Hydrological Conditions at the 800 Area at Argonne National Laboratory, 1990, Argonne, IL: Argonne National Laboratory 111

[36] Price B. C.. Infiltration at a Northeastern Illinois Landfill: [Dissertation], 1990, Dekalb: Dept. of Geology, Northern Illinois Univ. 233

[37] Ransom R. C.. A Contribution towards a Better Understanding of the Modified Archie Formation Resistivity Factor Relationship. The Log Analyst, 1984, 25(2): 7-12.

[38] STS Application for Permit to Develop and/or Operate a Solid Waste Management Site. Soil Testing Services Job Report No. 14236, 1980, Northbrook, IL: STS, Inc. 35

[39] Sundberg K.. Effect of Impregnating Waters on Electrical Conductivity of Soils and Rocks. Transactions American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers, 1932, 97: 367-391.

[40] Waxman M. H., Smits L. J. M.. Electrical Conductivities in Oil-Bearing Shaly Sands. Society of Petroleum Engineering Journal, 1968, 14: 213-225.

[41] Willman, H., 1971. Summary of the Geology of the Chicago Area. Illinois State Geological Survey Circular 460

[42] Worthington P. F.. The Uses and Abuses of the Archie Equations, 1: The Formation Factor-Porosity Relationship. Journal of Applied Geophysics, 1993, 30: 215-228.

[43] Yuan J., Murray H. H.. Murray H., Bundy W., Harvey C.. Mineralogical and Physical Properties of the Maoming Kaolin from Guangdong Province, South China. Clay Minerals, 1993, Boulder, CO: Clay Minerals Society 249-259.