Screening of organic matter in leachates from sanitary landfills using gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry

Abstract

Sanitary landfills are potential groundwater pollution sources, normally producing leachate with very high content of organic matter. Leachates from five Danish sanitary landfills were sampled in order to investigate the composition of the organic matter. The samples were extracted using dichloromethane followed by sodium hydroxide solution, in this way dividing the sample into one phase containing the basic and neutral compounds and one containing the acidic compounds. One of the leachates was extracted using pentane, for analysis of volatile compounds. The three extracts were analysed using gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry. Several compounds were identified, including chlorinated pesticides (2 of the 5 leachates), aromatic carboxylic acids and alkylbenzenes. Benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene were found in the leachate analysed for volatile compounds. Some of the compounds identified in this work have been reported in the literature to give rise to severe groundwater problems.