title: Fluctuation of dissolved heavy metal concentrations in the leachate from anaerobic digestion of municipal solid waste in commercial scale landfill bioreactors: The effect of pH and associated mechanisms.
abstract: Heavy metals present in landfill leachate have infrequently been related to complete anaerobic degradation municipal solid waste (MSW) due to discrete ages of deposited MSW layers and leachate channelling in landfills. In this study, anaerobic digestion of MSW was performed in two enclosed 1000 tonne bioreactors using a unique flood and drain process. Leachates were characterised in terms of pH, soluble chemical oxygen demand, volatile fatty acids (VFAs), ammonium nitrogen and heavy metals over the entire course of digestion. All parameters, including pH, fluctuated during acidogenesis, acetogenesis and methanogenesis, which strongly impacted on the dynamics of dissolved heavy metal concentrations. The simulation of dissolution and precipitation processes indicated that metal sulphide precipitation was not a factor as metal concentrations exceeded solubility limits. The correlation of pH and dissolved heavy metal concentrations indicated that other, mechanisms were involved in the homogenised conditions within the bioreactors. Beside dissolution and precipitation, the main processes most likely involved in metal distributions were adsorption (Zn, Cu, Ni, Pb and Cd), complexation (Cr) or combinations of both process (As and Co).
authors.affiliation: Centre for Solid Waste Bioprocessing, Schools of Civil and Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane 4072, Australia. Electronic address: s.xie1@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: School of Civil Engineering, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Centre for Solid Waste Bioprocessing, Schools of Civil and Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Strong
authors.affiliation: Centre for Solid Waste Bioprocessing, Schools of Civil and Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: W P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Clarke
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D000693:Anaerobiosis; D057919:Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; D019149:Bioreactors; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D012995:Solubility; D064091:Waste Disposal Facilities
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy
keywords: Anaerobic digestion; Flood and drain; Heavy metal; Landfill bioreactor; Leachate; Municipal solid waste