Environmental Risk Assessment and Leachate Evolution at the Ekebyboda Landfill Site, Uppland, Sweden.

Abstract: Ekebyboda is a closed landfill north west of Uppsala where the leachate water was studied to evaluate the status of the landfill for, the Uppsala environmental office. Leachate water has been measured continually for different parameters, during the period 1959-2007. The landfill differs from other landfills because of its mixed content of domestic and industrial waste. Close to the investigated area is a small number of residents with private water wells which enhances the importance of the investigation of the landfill. In this thesis, the period 1990 -2007 is the investigated with an additional measurement during 2014. Precipitation data is compared with leachate water composition, to evaluate correlations between leachate water and precipitation. Correlation between leachate water, and precipitation also gave an indication of the status of the cover on the landfill during, 2014. Due to the problematic history of Ekebyboda the aim of the thesis is to evaluate the status of the landfill and do a risk classification according to MIFO, which is a classification system for polluted sites from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. Measurements were made in four wells in the spring of 2014. These results showed a decline in eight analysed parameters and increase or stagnant trend for pH, NO3- + NO2 and SO42-. Most of the parameters have large fluctuations during the period. A field investigation is also show a non-functional culvert system with stagnant water and indications of water running in the direction of the residential area due to malfunctioning pumps. The stagnant water and problematic culvert system raised concerns for the quality of the datasets. The data analysis shows that the correlation between precipitation and leachate water was non-existent and the second covering of the landfill has reduced the amount of infiltrating water. Analysis of the leachate water and problematic management of leachate water were two major causes for a high risk classification. The MIFO classification of this landfill was set as one which is the highest possible which mainly was due to a possible risk for contamination for private water wells.