Chemical impact of uncontrolled solid waste combustion to the vicinity of the Kouroupitos Ravine, Crete, Greece

This study presents the results of an investigation on chemical impact of the uncontrolled combustion of municipal solid wastes in an open landfill. Soil and sand samples were collected in the vicinity and surrounding area of the waste disposal site and the concentrations of several toxic substances were measured. A list of these substances includes: Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH), Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB), Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD), Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans (PCDF) and heavy metals. The results show that the contamination of soil in the vicinity of the landfill decreases nearly exponentially with the distance between the sampling point and the waste disposal site increasing. The contamination of soil in the vicinity of a near-by village is below current limits. High concentrations were found in the soil inside the landfill and in the immediate proximity. In some cases remediation limits of some European countries were exceeded.