Geoenvironmental investigation methods used for landfills and contaminated sites management

Abstract

One of the most important activities when preparing a land reclamation project of brownfields is a comprehensive analysis and documentation of subsoil conditions at the site. The paper presents the site investigation methodology applied for the purpose of preparing land reclamation project for a number of challenging case studies, located in Poland. These are mainly post-industrial brownfields like steel plants and old municipal landfill sites. The paper presents the range and methodology of contaminated soil survey, waste morphology and composition analyses as well as documentation of obtained results. The research consisted of both, site investigation and laboratory tests. A detailed analysis of the results allowed precise determination of soil contamination indicators, environmental impact zones, and volumetric capacity of contaminated soil. On the basis of methods such as geoelectrical tests, boreholes, geodetic surveys, and laboratory chemical analyses of samples, maps of contamination impact zones were prepared, which at the final stage allowed completing complex brownfield reclamation plans and works for a number of case studies.