Assessment of Leachate-Induced contamination in soil and groundwater surrounding the anantapur open dumpsite

Abstract

Open dumping remains the most prevalent practice in India, leads to generation of leachate containing highly toxic metals that can impact surface and groundwater sources and surrounding ecosystems. The current study aims to examine the physicochemical and heavy metal characteristics of leachate collected from the dumpyard of Anantapur, India, and evaluate its effects on adjacent soil and groundwater. Further, it employs the Leachate Pollution Index (LPI), Enrichment Factor (EF), and Contamination Factors (Cf) to assess the intensity of pollution and trace contamination origins. The analysis revealed significantly hazardous leachate characteristics, including a Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) of 19,200 mg/L, Chlorides at 6455 mg/L, and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) of 9700 mg/L, all exceeding the acceptable national standards. Elevated concentrations of Pb (1.1 mg/L) and Cr (1.39 mg/L) suggest the presence of hazardous waste materials. The soil sample collected near to dump site revealed moderate to severe contamination with Cf (2.11–11.2) and EF of 2.8, highlighting significant anthropogenic sources of pollution, especially for Pb and Cu. The overall degree of contamination of 33.68 classifies the site as very highly contaminated. Groundwater samples from nearby locations to the dumpsite also showed elevated EC and Mn levels, confirming possible leachate infiltration.