Alice in

Wasteland
L. Caterino, G. Diana, F. Misso,
G. Ratto, M.T. Zara

- ITALY -

Context
We are members of a no-profit association whose
name is

ALICE IN WASTELAND

Problem
Increasing media alert for illegal waste deposits in
South of Italy, in particular in Campania.

As members of the Alice in Wasteland association we

want to investigate the situation of waste deposits in our
country to suggest possible solutions to our Mayor.

RESEARCH OUTLINE:
Gathering of available information about
waste pollution in our district
Definition of the aims
Experimental design
Data analysis
Results
Conclusions

Gathering of information
DIFFERENT KINDS OF WASTE
Asbestos and
Fired
General
TOWN
Hazardous waste
waste
waste
Villa Literno
4
0
0
Aversa
1
16
0
Acerra
3
5
0
Nola
9
0
3
Napoli
2
5
0
Ercolano
0
1
4
http://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2013/11/09/napoli-la-terra-dei-fuochi-aria-infetta-rifiutie-tumori-attorno-al-vesuvio/771895/
Caserta
0
6
0

Gathering of information
Environment and health monitoring research in our district
Concentrations of organic
substances
Max
Regulatory
observations
limits
Concentrations of metals
(mg/l)
(mg/l)
Observations Regulatory limits
TetraChloroEthylene (TCE)
9,32
1,1
(mg/l)
(mg/l)
Trichloromethane
0,37
0,15
(min-max)
Tribromomethane
1,08
0,3
Beryllium (Be) 4,17 - 8,33
2
Concentrations of inorganic Copper (Cu) (D.Lgs
21,4 - 151
152/2006) 120
substances
Tin (Sn)
2,42 - 6,35
1
Max
Regulatory
0,24 - 2,10
1
observations
limits Thallium (Tl)

Observation period: August 2005 May 2008

Ground

Aluminum (Al)
Arsenic (As)
Fluorides
Nitrites
Lead (Pb)

(mg/l)
577
15,3
1820
1900
583

Ground waters

(mg/l)
200
10
1500
500
10

(D. Lgs 152/2006)

Casapesenna: monitoraggio ambientale e sanitario

ISS ARPAC ASL Ce2

Gathering of information

The Lancet Oncology (2004)

Research aims
We want to investigate the behavior of a landfill model
guided by the following research question:

WHICH SOILS SHOULD BE USED IN A LANDFILL?

Why this question??

To improve
landfills
impermeability

To investigate the
behavior of
leachate flow

Leachate is any liquid percolating through the deposited

waste (Council Directive 2006/31/EC).

Experimental design
How to model a landfill?

Council Directive 99/31/EC

Experimental design
Permeability tests
-

Soils:
Clay
Sand
Gravel
Crushed stone

Flowing liquids:
- Water
- Tomato-juice
- Olive oil

Experimental design
Testing conditions:
Remarks:

- Same soils
- Fully saturated
Volume
soils samples
- Same liquids
-Volume
Flow rate
decreases when
liquid level over
soil sample
decreases.

Data Analysis
Eureka!

Flow rate:Fine
leachate
volume
grained
soils to a
fixed
flowing
time
delay
leachate
flow!
LIQUID FLOW RATE (ml/s)
CLAY

SAND

GRAVEL

CRUSHED
STONE

WATER

0,01

1,148

3,5

6,07

TOMATO-JUICE

0,00015

0,074

0,203

0,258

OLIVE OIL

0,002

0,163

0,375

0,525

Dear Mr. Mayor,

The non-profit association
Alice in Wasteland would
like to help you to make
sites
safer
for
waste
deposits.

District

every
In our Inhabitants
district,Landfills
100.000

Landfills
Number

inhabitants
1,3
1,6
2,4
2,1
1,9

Naplesa lot of
40 legal
3.100.000
there are
and
illegal
landfills.
Salerno
16
1.000.000
Caserta
Benevento
Avellino
In all

22
6
8
92

900.000
280.000
420.000

http://www.munnezza.info/

Beneath
a landfill,
a thickbecause
clay layer
Our subsoils
arent suitable
of their is
required
to delay leachate flow.
high permeability.

Survey Exploration - AGIP (1966)

Dear Mr. Mayor,

Help us to come back

to the Wonderland our
fathers knew!

Thanks to all of you!!!

LICEO SCIENTIFICO STATALE

E. G. SEGR

- ITALY -