Objectives and Results
MULTIBARRIER is a sustainable solution to the prevention of groundwater contamination by leaking landfills and other point sources of contamination.
The objectives for Multibardem project are to:
- Demonstrate at pilot scale a MULTIBARRIER as a sustainable approach to the prevention of groundwater contamination by leaking landfills and other point sources of contamination.
- Demonstrate at field scale the technical feasibility of a MULTIBARRIER to treat mixed pollutants in groundwater.
- Demonstrate that a MULTIBARRIER can be, from a point of view of risk reduction, an alternative to landfill leachate treatment.
- Demonstrate that a MULTIBARRIER can prevent the risks of groundwater contamination in an economical more acceptable way compared to landfill remediation or re-installation.
- Demonstrate that a MULTIBARRIER can reduce the risks arising from sites or landfills contaminating groundwater with mixed pollutants.
- Demonstrate three MULTIBARRIERs at field scale in two different regions of Europe with completely different (hydro)geological characteristics –different solid waste data and operating conditions, namely for regions in Belgium and Austria.
- Demonstrate that the MULTIBARRIER will become a cost-effective risk management system for large contaminated sites and landfills/dumpsites.
Expected Results
- We expect to have 3 MULTIBARRIERS installed a pilot scale. The barriers will be different in design and composition of the filler (or carrier) material as well as the combination between chemical, physical and microbial mechanisms and/or processes will be different. • We expect to install three MULTIBARRIERs in May 2008 and monitor them for another 18 months • We expect to develop a tool allowing us in a fast way to develop a description of an optimal MULTIBARRIER system (for any given site).
- We expect to train the consultants in understanding the MULTIBARRIER system and being able to design a full-scale system.
- We expect to reach the existing standards for groundwater downstream of the barrier • We expect to reduce the cost of the MULTIBARRIER installation and maintenance with at least 20% compared to pump-and-treat systems.