Phytostabilization of a landfill containing coal combustion waste
Christopher Barton1, Donald Marx2, Domy
Adriano3, Bon Jun Koo4, Lee Newman5,
Stephen Czapka6, and John Blake7
1 Department
of Forestry, University of Kentucky, 203 Thomas Poe Cooper Building, Lexington,
Kentucky 40546-0073; barton@uky.edu
2 PHC Reclamation, 775 Eddings Point Road, Frogmore, South
Carolina 29920
3 Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Drawer E,
Aiken, South Carolina 29802
4 Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Drawer E,
Aiken, South Carolina 29802
5 Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina,
800 Sumpter Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29208
6 U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service–Savannah
River, P.O. Box 700, New Ellenton, South Carolina 29809
7 U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service–Savannah
River, P.O. Box 700, New Ellenton, South Carolina 29809
Abstract
The establishment of a vegetative cover to enhance evapotranspiration
and control runoff and drainage was examined as a method for stabilizing
a landfill containing coal combustion waste. Suitable plant species and
pretreatment techniques in the form of amendments, tilling, and chemical
stabilization were evaluated. A randomized plot design consisting of three
subsurface treatments (blocks) and five surface amendments (treatments)
was implemented. The three blocks included (1) ripping and compost amended,
(2) ripping only, and (3) control. Surface treatments included (1) topsoil,
(2) fly ash, (3) compost, (4) apatite, and (5) control. Inoculated loblolly
(Pinus taeda) and Virginia (Pinus virginiana) pine trees
were planted on each plot. After three growing seasons, certain treatments
were shown to be favorable for the establishment of vegetation on the
basin. Seedlings located on block A developed a rooting system that penetrated
into the basin media without significant adverse effects to the plant.
However, seedlings on blocks B and C displayed poor rooting conditions
and high mortality, regardless of surface treatment. Pore-water samples
from lysimeters in block C were characterized by high acidity, Fe, Mn,
Al, sulfate, and trace-element concentrations. Water-quality characteristics
of the topsoil plots in block A, however, conformed to regulatory protocols.
A decrease in soil-moisture content was observed in the rooting zone of
plots that were successfully revegetated, which suggests that the trees,
in combination with the surface treatments, influenced the water balance
by facilitating water loss through transpiration and thereby reducing
the likelihood of unwanted surface runoff and/or drainage effluent.
SREL Reprint #2928
Barton, C., D. Marx, D. C. Adriano, B. J. Koo, L. Newman, S. Czapka, and J. Blake. 2005. Phytostabilization of a landfill containing coal combustion waste. Environmental Geosciences 12(4): 251-265.
