Clay Liner Compatibility in Waste Disposal Practice

Abstract

Waste permeants can affect the value of fluid conductivity of clay soils used as liner material in disposal containment systems in a number of ways. Varying chemical constitutents found in permeants encountered in disposal practice may have different effects on the value of fluid conductivity of clay. To provide information concerning field performance, undisturbed samples of natural clay liner material that were exposed to either landfill leachate or acidic wastes in the field were subjected to physical and chemical testing in the laboratory. Index properties and values of fluid conductivity of exposed clay samples, as well as unexposed control samples, were measured. Chemical analysis of both waste permeants and clays were performed to evaluate chemical interactions between the soils and permeants. The results of the testing program indicate that the laboratory values of fluid conductivity of the clay samples did not significantly increase due to field exposure to the various wastes.