| dc.description.abstract | Harmony Landfill is a former industrial waste disposal site located adjacent to Harmony Creek in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. During active disposal, from 1957 until 1980, approximately 1 million tonnes of waste were land-filled at the site. Although past environmental monitoring had indicated localized contamination of ground and surface waters, the current level of impact remained unclear. In order to determine the potential of Harmony Landfill leachate to affect aquatic organisms in Harmony Creek, chemical analysis of field samples and laboratory toxicity testing were performed. Chemical analysis was completed on water samples from Harmony Creek and surface leachate samples collected seasonally at Harmony Landfill. Toxicity tests were conducted using the model freshwater invertebrate Green Hydra (Hydra viridissima). Hydra were pulse-exposed for 24 hours to varying concentrations (0%, 3.2%, 10%, 32%, 100%) of monthly field-collected leachate samples diluted with laboratory water. Population growth, Hydra morphology and survival were recorded daily for 7 days. Results showed that creek waters generally had comparable analyte levels upstream and downstream of Harmony Landfill. Leachate samples contained iron, manganese and zinc at levels which may be toxic to aquatic invertebrates. Population growth was significantly inhibited compared to lab water (0%) controls at the 100% leachate concentration in December 2008 and July 2009. Hydra morphology (32% and 100%) and survival (100%) were also affected by the December 2008 leachate. Findings indicate that leaching is occurring at Harmony Landfill and that the leachate sampled and tested during this research program had the potential to negatively affect Green Hydra (Hydra viridissima). | en |
