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E-ISSN : 2541-5794  
   P-ISSN :2503-216X 

Journal of Geoscience,  

Engineering, Environment, and Technology 
Vol 5 No 2 2020 

 

104  Suryadi, A. et al./ JGEET Vol 5 No 2/2020 

RESEARCH ARTICLE 
 

Geophysical Survey on Open Dumping Landfill for Monitoring Spread 

of Leachate: A Case Study In Pekanbaru, Riau, Indonesia 

Adi Suryadi1*, Frezy Ukhuah Islami1, Husnul Kausarian1, Dewandra Bagus Eka Putra1 
1Department of Geological Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Islam Riau, Pekanbaru, Indonesia 

* Corresponding author : adisuryadi@eng.uir.ac.id 

Tel.:+62 822 8389 6947 ; fax: - 

Received: May 29, 2020; Accepted: Jun 20, 2020. 

DOI 10.25299/jgeet.2020.5.2.5340 

Abstract 

Pekanbaru is a city in Indonesia with high population growth. The increasing amount of the population has a parallel relation ship with the 

increasing quantity of waste disposal. This study has been conducted on an open dumping landfill at Pekanbaru that surrounded by residential areas. 

Waste disposal produces leachate as a threat to surface water and groundwater resources. This study aims to investigate the contamination spread 

formed by leachate using the geophysical method. Direct Current Resistivity (DCR) has been used to produce 2 D Resistivity subsurface Models. 

Data acquisition has been done using multi-electrodes (32 electrodes) with spacing 2 m between electrodes. 2D Resistivity model produced, a 

contaminant from leachate represented by low resistivity value 26.1 - 870 Ωm. The deepest penetration of leachate that detected is around 3 m from 

the surface. It has been understood that leachate from the landfill of the study area is not contaminated groundwater yet. It confirmed by groundwater 

analysis at residential around the landfill area. By knowing the spreading of leachate, preventive action can be made to maintain the quality of 

groundwater resources. 

 

Keywords: Contamination, Groundwater, Landfill, Leachate, Pekanbaru, Resistivity  

 

1. Introduction 

Geo-electrical survey is a survey that looking the physical 

parameters which is resistivity value to differentiate subsurface 

material. Recently, the interest of underground sources of water 

is increasing rapidly to fulfill the water demand. Pekanbaru is a 

city that use groundwater as main source of clean water. Parallel 

with increasing of population in Pekanbaru, waste production 

also increasing.  

The study area is an open dumping landfill at Marpoyan that 

have potential to produce leachate. As we known that open 

dumping landfill is a primitive way to dispose the waste without 

any technology to prevent the contamination through 

subsurface. The location of landfill become a big problem 

because it surrounded by residence area (Figure 1). So the aim 

of this study is to detect the probability of groundwater 

contamination from leachate leaded by open dumping landfill. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fig 1. Study area is an open dumping landfill that. 

Electrical Resistivity Imaging (ERI) is the most common 

and successfully used especially in groundwater exploration 

and environmental problem like soil or groundwater 

contamination (Azhar et al., 2016; Hamzah et al., 2007, 2008; 

Jumary et al., 2002; Saad et al., 2012; Adi Suryadi et al., 2019) 

.By using ERI, resistivity distribution of subsurface will be 

modelled into two-dimensional image. The model that resulted 

is showing the apparent resistivity value which can be 

interpreted as contaminant depend on the value (Akankpo, 

2011; N. Nwankwo and O. Emujakporue, 2012; Okereke and 

Harcourt, 2012; Surface et al., 2011; A. Suryadi et al., 2019). 

2. Methods 

ABEM SAS1000 resistivity meter and ABEM Lund ES464 

selector system is the equipment that used to collect the 

resistivity data. The survey employed 61 multi-electrodes with 

5 m minimum electrode spacing. The line survey length is reach 

400 m that arranged in a straight line. The selector system was 

connected with all electrodes through multi-core cable (Figure 

2) (Hamzah et al., 2008; Loke and Barker, 1995; A. Suryadi et 

al., 2019). In each measurement the resistivity meter only select 

four electrodes to activate. Beside of that, coordinate of line 

survey must be recorded to correlate all the lines taken 

(Kausarian et al., 2018; Lubis et al., n.d.; Suryadi, 2016). 

Apparent resistivity (ρa) calculated by multiple of geometry 
factor (k) with Voltage (V) and divided by Current (I) injected. 

ρa = k V/I   (1) 

Geometry factor (k) is depend on configuration electrode 

that utilized. In this study configuration used id pole-dipole 

(Figure 5) that k calculated with formula: 

k = 2π (b(a+b))/a   (2) 

http://journal.uir.ac.id/index.php/JGEET


 
Suryadi, A. et al./ JGEET Vol 5 No 2/2020 105 

 

 

Fig 2. Equipment set up to acquisition resistivity data (Loke and 

Barker, 1995). 

 

Fig 3. Hand Auger equipment to get shallow geological profile. 

The data collected processed by using inverse modelling 

software which is RES2DINV. The result of inverse modelling 

will interpreted based on apparent resistivity and proven by 

drilling data. 

Some supporting data also collected like subsurface 

condition using hang auger to get the real data of geology. The 

equipment hand auger is shown at Figure 3. The depth 

maximum of hand auger only 10 m from the surface. Else from 

hand auger, another supporting data taken is groundwater 

elevation and groundwater quality (Figure 4). This data can 
prove that groundwater already contaminated or not. 

 

Fig 4. Equipment for groundwater quality analysis (Ph, temperature, 

TDS and conductivity). 

3. Results and Discussion 

Interpretation from 3 survey line shown that contamination 

from leachate only affected surface. Based on resistivity value 

there are 3 types of layer (Figure 5) which is low resistivity 

value (L1), moderate resistivity value (L2) and high resistivity 

value. Low resistivity value is ranging from 26.1 – 870 Ωm that 

interpreted as wet clay and sand. Moderate resistivity value has 

value 269 – 3319 Ωm that interpreted as dry clay. The highest 

resistivity value is 2276 – 91770 Ωm interpreted as dry sand. 

From this interpretation dry clay (L2) become the preventer for 

penetration of leachate. That why in the beginning we mention 

that contamination only affect surface layer and not yet 

contaminate the groundwater. This statement also proven by 

result of hand auger that resulting there is clay layer at depth 

below 2 meters. The comparison  between resistivity result and 

can be seen at table 2.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fig 5. Result of resistivity survey from survey line 1, 2 and 3 that shown there are 3 layers named as L1, L2 and L3. 



 
106 Suryadi, A. et al./ JGEET Vol 5 No 2/2020  
 

Table 1. Interpretation of resistivity results. 

 

 

 

 

 

Table 2. Comparison between resistivity result and hand auger results. 

Resistivity Interpretation Log Profile 

Layer 
Resistivityy Value 

(Ωm) 

depth 

(m) 
Interpretation Depth (m) Material 

L1 26,1 – 870  0 – 3  Top soil  0 – 0,9 
Wet clay and 

sand 

L2 269 – 3319 1 – 6 Dry clay 0,9 – 2 
Grayish black 

clay 

L3 2776 – 91770 5 – 9,6 Dry sand 2 – 3 
Brownish gray 

sand 

 

Figure 6. Hand Auger result that shown geological profile of 

subsurface at study area. 

Another supporting data that parallel with interpretation 

that state groundwater is not contaminated by leachate yet is 

groundwater quality. As the result from 6 wells sampling 

(figure 7) around the study area showing 5 wells is in normal 

condition at variable TDS, Ph, temperature dan conductivity 

(Table 3). TDS ranging from 35.0 – 81.0 mg/L, Ph ranging from 

3 – 7, temperature ranging from 29.4 – 30.20C and conductivity 

ranging from 58.6 – 135.5 μs/cm. the well that contaminated 

only well from landfill area. Contamination clearly shown at 

variable TDS and conductivity that has very high value (207.9 

mg/L for TDS and 344.3 μs/cm. Based on groundwater flow we 

predict that contamination will migrate to Northeast from study 

area. 

 

Figure 7. Location of groundwater sampling for groundwater quality 

analysis. 

 

Table 3. Groundwater quality result. 

NO Well No. Coordinate TDS (mg/L) Ph Temperature (0C) 
Conductivity 

(μS/cm) 

1 SM1 N 00 26' 56.53" / E 101 27' 53.58" 64.9  6.07 29.6 C 108.6  

2 SM2 N 00 26' 55.35" / E 101 27' 48.04" 47.2  5.87 30.2 C 79.9  

3 SM3 N 00 27' 03.12" / E 101 27' 55.05" 62.6  5.94 29.4 C 104.3  

4 SM4 N 00 27' 00.64" / E 101 27' 49.53" 81.0  6.13 29.6 C 135.5  

5 SM5 N 00 26' 55.91" / E 101 27' 51.35" 35.0  6.28 29.6 C 58.6  

6 SM6 N 00 26' 57.81" / E 101 27' 51.93" 207.9  6.37 29.0 C 344.3  

7 Aquades   5.8  6.52 29.0 C 9.7  

Survey Line Layer Resistivity Value (Ωm) Depth (m) Interpretation 

Survey line 1 

L1 26,1 - 269  0 – 3  Top soil (wet) 
L2 269 – 2775 1 – 6 Dry clay 

L3 2776 – 91770 5 – 9,6 Dry sand 

Survey line 2  

L1 82,4 – 471  0 – 3  Peat mixed with clay and sand 
L2 471 – 2687 2 – 5 Clay  

L3 2687 – 36669 3 – 9,6 Dry sand 

Survey line 3 

L1 228 – 870 0 – 3 Peat mixed with clay and sand 

L2 870 - 3319 2 – 6 Clay 

L3 3319 – 24713 3 – 9,6 Dry sand 



 
Suryadi, A. et al./ JGEET Vol 5 No 2/2020 107 

 

 

 

Figure 8. Groundwater elevation map that show the probability of contaminant migrate to Northeast from study area.

4. Conclusion 

Technology of sustainable landfill must be apply to all 

landfill in Pekanbaru to prevent the contamination of 

groundwater. It very important because majority of society in 

Pekanbaru use groundwater as the main source of clean water. 

This study shown that contamination of leachate fortunately 

prevented by clay layer of study area. That layer is a 

impermeable media that can’t transfer fluid. Beside that, the 

groundwater quality analysis also shown there is no 

contaminant detected at groundwater except well at landfill. 

The contamination of leachate represented by high TDS and 

conductivity value. The probability of migration contaminant is 
predicted to northeast from study area. 

Acknowledgements 

The authors would like to give an acknowledgment to 

Department of Research and Community Service as funder of 

this research with contract No. 670/KONTRAK/LPPM-UIR/5-

2019. Additional thanks to Geology laboratory of UIR that 

provide all the equipment of this study and lastly to all our 

studentsthat help us during data acquisition at field. 

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