• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.70-78
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• 2004

The current study was undertaken to evaluate the hydrogeochemical implications of heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn) in both soils and groundwater in reclaimed lands of Sydney's 2000 Olympic Games site at Homebush Bay in Port Jackson, Sydney. The Olympic Games site can be divided into three areas, i.e. 'reclaimed areas' were previously estuarine, and were filled with waste materials and are now above present high tide level, whereas 'landfill areas' are areas where deposition of waste materials occurred above sea level. No deposition of waste took place in 'non-infilled areas'. 4513 soil core samples and 101 groundwater samples were analyzed for Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn. The mean heavy metal (Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn) concentrations in soils of the study area revealed the order of reclaimed (greatest), landfill and non-infilled area (smallest), whereas in groundwater it is all shown the order of landfill, reclaimed and non-infilled area, except for Pb. Mean Pb concentration in soils derived from the three land types at the Olympic Games site revealed the order of reclaimed area(174 $\mu\textrm{g}$/g), landfill area (102 $\mu\textrm{g}$/g) and non-infilled area (48 $\mu\textrm{g}$/g). Results reveal that soils contaminated by Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn in reclaimed/landfill areas are associated with dumped materials. No relationship could be established between soil and groundwater concentrations of heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn) in the landfill, reclaimed and non-infilled areas of the Olympic site, probably due to the varied nature of the materials deposited at the Olympic site.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-20
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• 2004

This study focuses on the hydrochemical characteristics in goundwater affected by reclamation at 2000 Sydney Olympic Games site, Sydney, Australia. The Olympic Games site can be divided into three areas, i.e. reclaimed areas; landfill areas and non-infilled areas. In the current work, 'reclaimed areas' were previously estuarine, and were filled with waste materials and are now above present high tide level, whereas 'landfill areas' are areas where deposition of waste materials occurred above sea level. No deposition of waste took place in 'non-infilled areas'. This study was also evaluated by three different types such as deep boreholes, shallow boreholes and standpipes. The hydrochemishy of groundwaters in reclaimed and non-in-filled areas is characterized by Mg- and Ca-enrichment, whereas groundwaters in landfill areas are elevated in K and NO₃. Na, K and Mg are the dominant cations in groundwater from reclaimed areas and Na and K are the dominant cations in groundwater in landfill areas. Na and Mg are the dominant cations in groundwater in deep boreholes, whereas Na and K are the dominant cations in groundwater in shallow boreholes and standpipes. There is no distinct trend in heavy metals with electrical conductivity in the groundwater between the re-claimed, landfill and non-infilled areas. Fe and Mn in landfill areas with respect to reclaimed areas and non-infilled areas show a distinct increase in concentration with declining pH. Mean electrical conductivity values in the deep and shallow boreholes are higher than that of standpipes, but the minimum and maximum value of electrical conductivity in groundwater in standpipes shows remarkably different value, probably due to perched pond. There is no correlation between Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr concentrations in groundwater with pH, from deep boreholes, shallow boreholes and standpipes, except for Fe and Mn, which demonstrate increasing concentrations with declining pH. The results revealed a close association between elevated concentrations in groundwater and the presence of fill materials at the site. Trace metals teachability from re-claimed soils adjacent to estuary plays a significant role in determining their potential environmental risk to surrounding environment.