Risk Evaluation of Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbons and MCF7 Cell Growth Activity at a Landfill Site

Yoshiro Ono*, Saeko Kanoh*, Katashi Kenmotsu** and Hideo Okamura***
* Dept. of Environmental and Civil Engineering, University of Okayama
** Okayama Prefectural Institute for Environmental Science and Public Health
*** Lab. of Marine Environ. Management, Kobe Univ. Mercantile Marine
+Correspondence should be addressed to Yoshiro Ono:
(3-1-1 Tsushimanaka, Okayama, 700-8530 Japan)

Abstract
Poly aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)contained in fly and bottom ash, their leaching characteristics and absorbance into ash and estorogen-like cell growth activity caused by the elution from the ash were investigated in order to evaluate the effect of these ashes on the leachate and the water quality at the site. The leaching of PAHs having less than 4 rings was observed. It was found that these compounds could be absorbed into ashes and sediments. The concentration of PAHs in the leachate was determined to be very low and there was only a trace of the PAHs in the sediments around the outlet of the leachate treatment facility. These compounds were removed through treatment processes with coagulated-sedimentation, biological treatment and sand filtration with activate carbon adsorption. The estrogen like growth activity of MCF7, a human breast cancer cell line, on the PAHs included in bottom ash was about 50% of the theoretical prediction.

Key words: landfill site, ashes, leachate, poly aromatic hydrocarbons, MCF7 cell