Co-treatment of landfill leachate and domestic wastewater using a submerged aerobic biofilter.
This study used a pilot-scale submerged aerobic biofilter (SAB) to evaluate the co-treatment of domestic wastewater and landfill leachate that was pre-treated by air stripping. The leachate tested volumetric ratios were 0, 2, and 5%. At a hydraulic retention time of 24 h, the SAB was best operated with a volumetric ratio of 2% and removed 98% of the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), 80% of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and 90% of the total suspended solids (TSS). A proposed method, which we called the "equivalent in humic acid" (Eq.HA) approach, indicated that the hardly biodegradable organic matter in leachate was removed by partial degradation (71% of DOC Eq.HA removal). Adding leachate at a volumetric ratio of 5%, the concentration of the hardly biodegradable organic matter was decreased primarily as a result of dilution rather than biodegradation, which was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The total ammoniacal nitrogen (TAN) was mostly removed (90%) by nitrification, and the SAB performances at the volumetric ratios of 0 and 2% were equal. For the three tested volumetric ratios of leachate (0, 2, and 5%), the concentrations of heavy metals in the treated samples were below the local limits.
Departamento de Hidráulica e Saneamento, Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, Av.Trabalhador Sao Carlense, 400, CEP 13566-590 Sao Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: fernanda.m.ferraz@gmail.com.
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Ferraz
Departamento de Hidráulica e Saneamento, Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, Av.Trabalhador Sao Carlense, 400, CEP 13566-590 Sao Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Povinelli
Departamento de Hidráulica e Saneamento, Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, Av.Trabalhador Sao Carlense, 400, CEP 13566-590 Sao Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Pozzi
Instituto de Química de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, Av.Trabalhador Sao Carlense, 400, CEP 13566-590 Sao Carlos, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
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Vieira
Departamento de Hidráulica e Saneamento, Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, Av.Trabalhador Sao Carlense, 400, CEP 13566-590 Sao Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Trofino
D000332:Aerobiosis; D019149:Bioreactors; D005374:Filtration / Q000379:methods*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*
D009584:Nitrogen; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
FTIR spectroscopy; Humic substances; India ink reverse stain; Municipal solid waste; Organic matter removal; Sanitary landfill leachate