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Willow stands as an alternative method for the reduction of leachate at contaminated sites — numerical investigations
Author(s) -
Kahle Petra,
Criegee Christian,
Lennartz Bernd
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of plant nutrition and soil science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.644
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1522-2624
pISSN - 1436-8730
DOI - 10.1002/1522-2624(200208)165:4<501::aid-jpln501>3.0.co;2-r
Subject(s) - willow , leachate , environmental science , pollutant , environmental engineering , forestry , hydrology (agriculture) , environmental chemistry , geotechnical engineering , geography , chemistry , engineering , ecology , biology , organic chemistry
Abstract The commonly used multiple‐liner‐system of modern top sealings of contaminated sites is expensive and in many cases (minor hazardousness of pollutants), not necessary. As an alternative, we investigated the performance of willow stands as the only measure to reduce percolating soil water and therewith pollutant transport to underlying ground water resources. It is well accepted that willows have a high water demand and may considerably reduce percolation. On the basis of experimentally determined soil physical properties of a landfill site, we performed water balance calculations with the physically based HYDRUS‐code and a simple bucket approach. The 20 yr annual leachate rate for bare soil was calculated to vary from 336 (HYDRUS) to 451 mm yr —1 (bucket‐model). Willows were able to reduce the annual leachate to 146 (HYDRUS) and 186 mm yr —1 (bucket‐model), indicating their great performance compared to a grass‐ or beechwood cover. However, legal regulations (TASi) in Germany cannot be met with the proposed method. In minor hazardous cases, official authorities may accept willow stands as an alternative system for protection.