In order to investigate the groundwater pollution by landfill leachates, the distribution characteristics of inorganic salt, organic compounds and heavy metals in leachastes from a simple landfill and groundwater and its reason were study using conventional analysis, fluorescence excitation-emission matrix spectra and multivariate statistical analysis. The results showed that the landfill was heterogeneous, and the extracts from the landfill wastes showed a high concentration of NH4(+) -N, but low contents of Cl-, SO4(2-), dissolved organic matter (DOM) and heavy metals. The nitrification process was blocked due to a strong reducing atmosphere in landfill, which caused a low concentration of NO3(-) -N and NO2(-) -N in leachates. Cu was mainly associated with DOM in leachates, while the distribution of the metals Ba, Cd, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Zn and As was primarily related to hydrophobic organic compounds. The contaminate compositions in different groundwater were similar except for the groundwater under the landfill site. In contrast to landfill leachates, the groundwater showed a low concentration of NH4(+) -N, but high concentrations of Cl-, SO4(2-), DOM, NO3(-) -N and NO2(-) -N except for the groundwater under the landfill site. The organic compounds in the groundwater were mainly originated from microbial activity, and the distribution of the metals Ba, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn and Ni was mainly related to fluorescecent organic matter in DOM. The results showed that the leak point of landfill leachates can be identified through the cluster analysis method on the basis of the contaminant composition in groundwater.
