Diagnostic Assessment of Polluted Water Leaks from the Site of a Chemical Production Waste Landfill Using the Self-Potential Method

Abstract

The main goal of the research is a diagnostic assessment of polluted water leaks from the chemical waste landfill site using the self-potential method integrated with other methods. The following tasks were to be solved: locating zones of contaminated water leakage from the drainage canals; detecting polluted water leaks from the sludge reservoir; identifying the discharge zones of contaminated groundwater into the swamps adjacent to the landfill. Electrical prospecting equipment ERA-MAX with non-polarizable electrodes of the VIRG system was used for field measurements. Two measuring techniques of the self-potential method were used: the fixed-base method (the measurement interval was 5 m) and the potential gradient method (measuring line MN = 5 m). The additional methods were as follows: geomagnetic microsurvey and phytoindication. The following diagnostic indicators were estab-lished for the zones of infiltration of contaminated waters from canals and sludge reservoirs: negative fixed-base potential anomalies or negative potential gradient anomalies of the natural electric field, which are characterized by the amplitude of 10-40 mV. The area of discharge of polluted groundwater into the surficial unit is indicated by a positive anomaly of the natural electric field (+ 20-47 mV), spatially associated with the zone of degradation of swamp vegetation.