Application of 2H and 18O Isotopes for Tracing Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Contamination of Groundwater: Two Italian Case Histories

Groundwater contamination due to municipal solid waste landfills leachate is a serious environmental threat. During recent years, the use of stable isotopes as tracers identify groundwater phenomena has found application engineering. Deuterium (2H) and oxygen (18O) have successfully used if submitted interactions with leachate, significant organic amount. The paper shows two case studies, in central southern Italy, where potential phenomenon under occurred. In both cases, isotope compositions referred 2H 18O highlight δ2H enrichment for some samples taken wells, located near storage wells. probably caused by methanogenesis phenomena, during which bacteria preferentially hydrogen “lighter” (1H), remaining enriched “heavier” (2H). study composition variation, combined spatial trend analytes (Fe, Mn, Ni) concentrations, allowed interaction between histories. Therefore, these results confirm effectiveness tracer mixing leachate.