title: Evaluation of leachate treatment by trickling filter and sequencing batch reactor processes in Ibadan, Nigeria.
abstract: Strong and highly polluting leachate is continuously discharged into Omi stream and its tributaries in Ibadan, southwest Nigeria, from a municipal solid waste landfill. Previous studies have targeted physical and chemical treatment methods, which could not be implemented on site as stand-alone treatment systems. This study explored the bench-scale, trickling filter (TF) and sequencing batch reactor (SBR) treatment processes and assessed the quality of effluents produced. Leachate treatment using TF produced effluents with significant reductions (%) in suspended solids (SS) (73.17%), turbidity (71.96%), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) (76.69%) and ammonia (NH3) (59.50%), while SBR produced effluents with reductions in SS (62.28%), BOD5 (84.06%) and NH3 (64.83%). The dissolved oxygen of the reactors was 4.7 and 6.1mg/l, respectively, in TF and SBR. Also, NH3 values reduced marginally; however, nitrification took place significantly, but within permissible limits. The effluents produced by biological treatment processes were better in quality though the mean residual concentrations for colour, SS and dissolved solids; BOD5 and iron were above the national regulatory standards for discharge into surface water bodies. SBR gave a better effluent quality and should be combined with other treatment methods in sequence to produce quality effluents.
authors: Department of Community Health, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Nigeria. ooaluko@gmail.com
authors: Olufemi Oludare
authors: OO
authors: Aluko
authors: Mynepalli K C
authors: MK
authors: Sridhar
mesh_terms: D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D009549:Nigeria; D013696:Temperature; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Landfill leachates; Nigeria; aerobic treatment; environmental pollution; sequencing batch reactor; trickling filter