title: Leachate/domestic wastewater aerobic co-treatment: A pilot-scale study using multivariate analysis.
abstract: Multivariate analysis was used to identify the variables affecting the performance of pilot-scale activated sludge (AS) reactors treating old leachate from a landfill and from domestic wastewater. Raw leachate was pre-treated using air stripping to partially remove the total ammoniacal nitrogen (TAN). The control AS reactor (AS-0%) was loaded only with domestic wastewater, whereas the other reactor was loaded with mixtures containing leachate at volumetric ratios of 2 and 5%. The best removal efficiencies were obtained for a ratio of 2%, as follows: 70 ± 4% for total suspended solids (TSS), 70 ± 3% for soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD), 70 ± 4% for dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and 51 ± 9% for the leachate slowly biodegradable organic matter (SBOM). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic analysis confirmed that most of the SBOM was removed by partial biodegradation rather than dilution or adsorption of organics in the sludge. Nitrification was approximately 80% in the AS-0% and AS-2% reactors. No significant accumulation of heavy metals was observed for any of the tested volumetric ratios. Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares (PLS) indicated that the data dimension could be reduced and that TAN, SCOD, DOC and nitrification efficiency were the main variables that affected the performance of the AS reactors.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Hidráulica e Saneamento, Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo - Av. Trabalhador São Carlense, 400, CEP 13566-590, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: fernanda.m.ferraz@gmail.com.
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Ferraz
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Bruni
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Hidráulica e Saneamento, Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo - Av. Trabalhador São Carlense, 400, CEP 13566-590, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Povinelli
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Química de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo - Av.Trabalhador São Carlense, 400, CEP 13566-590, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Vieira
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D000332:Aerobiosis; D000641:Ammonia / Q000378:metabolism; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D057919:Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; D019149:Bioreactors; D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D058465:Nitrification; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000641:Ammonia; D002244:Carbon; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D009584:Nitrogen; D012722:Sewage; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Activated sludge reactors; FTIR spectroscopy; Free-ammonia; Heavy metals; Partial least squares (PLS); Principal component analysis (PCA)