Journal article

Publication year: 2002

Pages: 501-505

Journal: Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science

Volume number: 165

Issue number: 4

ISSN: 1436-8730

eISSN: 1522-2624

Publisher: Wiley-VCH Verlag

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.