Water and soil samples from contaminated sites of Vanda Station to determine the mobility of contaminants

Vanda Station leaders were asked to recall what and where waste was disposed of at Vanda Station. A soil sampling regime was conducted on the responses received. Roughly 32 pits were excavated and samples were taken from the soil horizons identified for chemical analysis of leachates. Water samples were also taken where water was encountered and from juss off shore from known disposal sites. Additional soil samples were collected from six sites in the Vanda region to determine their moisture characteristics. Sites were found where contamination by organic matter was obvious and the growth of a cyanobacterial like mats was seen adjacent to known disposal sites and nowhere else on the lake shore. To determine if contamination of the lake waters had occurred, water samples were taken and analysed.