title: Cascade bioreactor with submerged biofilm for aerobic treatment of Tunisian landfill leachate.
abstract: A bioreactor cascade with a submerged biofilm is proposed to treat young landfill leachate of jbel chakir landfill site south west from capital Tunis, Tunisia. The prototype was run under different organic loading charges varying from 0.6 to 16.3 kg TOC m(-3)day(-1). Without initial pH adjustment total organic carbon (TOC) removal rate varied between 65% and 97%. The total reduction of COD reached 92% at a hydraulic retention time of 36 h. However, the removal of total kjeldahl nitrogen for loading charges of 0.5 kg Nm(-3)day(-1) reached 75%. The adjustment of pH to 7.5 improved nitrogen removal to a rate of 85% for loading charge of 1 kg Nm(-3)day(-1). The main bacterial groups responsible for a simultaneous removal of organic carbon and nitrogen belonged to Bacillus, Actinomyces, Pseudomonas and Burkholderia genera. These selected isolates showed a great capacity of degradation at different leachate concentrations of total organic carbon.
authors.affiliation: Water Research and Technologies Center (CERTE), Laboratory of Wastewater Treatment, University of Carthage, P.O. Box 273, 8020 Soliman, Tunis, Tunisia. ismail.trabelsi@certe.rnrt.tn
authors.forename: Trabelsi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ismail
authors.forename: Dhifallah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tarek
authors.forename: Snoussi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mejdi
authors.forename: Ben Yahmed
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Amira
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Murano
authors.forename: Saidi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Neyla
authors.forename: Jedidi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Naceur
mesh_terms: D000332:Aerobiosis; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism; D018441:Biofilms; D019149:Bioreactors; D002244:Carbon / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012037:Refuse Disposal; D014416:Tunisia
chemical_list: D002244:Carbon; D009584:Nitrogen