Effects of Geomembrance on the Contaminant Transport in Compacted Clay Liner System

An analytical model is established to predict the seepage performance of the liner system composed of a compacted clay liner (CCL) covered by a geomembrane (GM). The contaminant of Pb2+diffusing through the geomembrane is assumed to be a steady-state process. The liner systems with low leakage performance are usually utilized in the municipal solid waste landfills to prevent the contaminants of the leachate from polluting the groundwater and soil beneath the landfill. To investigate the seepage rate of the Pb2+in the liner systems of the landfill considering the effects of the geomembrance, the influence of the geomembrance on the seepage performance of the liner system is studied. Parametric analyses are conducted to study the effects of the thickness of GM and the number of defects in the GM on the leakage performance of the liner system. In conclusion, some suggestions for the design of the municipal solid waste landfills are proposed based on the analyses results.