Isotopic tracing of landfill leachates and pollutant lead mobility in soil and groundwater

Here we provide evidence of the capability of stable lead isotopes to trace landfill leachate in a shallow groundwater. The municipal landfill we have investigated is located in southeastern France. It has no bottom liner, and wastes are placed directly on the ground. Stable lead isotopes allow the characterization of this landfill leachate signature (Pb-206/Pb-207 = 1.189 +/- 0.004) that is clearly different from that of the local atmosphere (Pb-206/Pb-207 = 1.150 +/- 0.006) and crustal lead (Pb-206/Pb-207 = 1.200 +/- 0.005). Piezometers located in the direct vicinity of the landfill generally display this contaminant imprint. The landfill plume is monitored up to 1000 m downgradient of the landfill, in very good agreement with evaluation from chloride concentration. Meanwhile, Pb-206/Pb-207 ratios measured at a piezometer located 4600 m downgradient of the landfill suggest a contamination by the landfill plume. This result shows that the complexity of a pollutant plume dispersion in this shallow groundwater system requires several independent tracers to clearly resolve origin and transport pathways for contaminants. Furthermore, seasonal rainfall variation for this Mediterranean mixed Quaternary alluvion reservoir and the use of KCl fertilizers might favor an efficient remobilization of atmospheric lead in plowed soils and its transfer into groundwater as shown by lead isotope systematics.