NORMs in Municipal Landfills

[estill@golder.com (Erik Still)]

     Have any RadSafers explored the issue of the effect of municipal solid 
     waste landfills on NORM concentrations (specifically in leachate and 
     gas collection systems)?  Owing to the potentially high concentrations 
     of potassium in leachate, K-40 concentrations may be as high as 2,000 
     pCi/L.  Are you familiar with any screening analyses (gross beta, 
     gross alpha) of leachate, and whether they could be used to indicate 
     the presence of radioactive contaminants (e.g., TRU) in a landfill?  
     What about the gas collection system:  would it tend to concentrate 
     radon, or would radon concentrations be lower than average because the 
     gas is being collected from solid waste and not soil.  Any input is 
     appreciated.
     
     
     Thanks in advance,
     Erik Still
     Project Health Physicist, Golder Associates, Inc. (Seattle)
     e_still@golder.com