Landfills must be constantly monitored in terms of their impact on soils, groundwater and surface water, as well as plants and air quality. Leachate with high content of inorganic and organic substances, heavy metals and toxic compounds pose particular hazard. Release of leachates from the landfill may occur as a result of insulation leakage, leading to the transfer of hazardous substances into the soil and the aquifer. This paper is an attempt to describe the structure of the mathematical model used for the analysis of groundwater flow and possible directions of contaminants migration in the aquifer of an active landfill as a result of leachate release. The models have been assessed, which indicated the necessity of validation and calibration in order to obtain credible results. The analysis of literature has shown that mathematical models are often used as a tool in scientific or industrial studies. Available software products used for modeling migration of contaminants in groundwater are a vital part in landfill management and forecasting its potential environmental impact.
Józef Ciuła (Fri,) studied this question.