A laboratory simulation of in situ leachate treatment in semi-aerobic bioreactor landfill

Abstract

In this study, two laboratory-scale simulated landfill bioreactors were established, of which Reactor A was operated only with leachate recirculation and served as the control, and Reactor B was operated as semi-aerobic bioreactor landfill with leachate recirculation. In situ leachate treatment and accelerating organic decomposition in semi-aerobic bioreactor landfill was investigated. The results indicated that the introduction of air into the landfill was favourable for optimising the micro-organism growth environment and accelerating the degradation of organic matter. It can be seen clearly from the results that NH₄⁺-N can be removed in situ in the semi-aerobic bioreactor landfill with leachate recirculation. Moreover, semi-aerobic bioreactor landfill showed lower emissions for leachate than those in leachate from anaerobic landfill, with low concentrations of COD, VFA, NHH₄⁺-N and TKN, and which saved the disposing process of the discharged leachate. The three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy (EEMs) of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in Reactor B changed greatly, and fluorescence peak changed from protein-like fluorescence at Day 60 to humic-like fluorescence at Day 95 and 250, while in Reactor A, fluorescence peak of DOM was always protein-like fluorescence. The comparison of the EEMs indicated that the semi-aerobic landfill accelerated the organic decomposition.

Keywords: semi-aerobic landfill, bioreactor landfill, three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy (EEMs), in situ leachate treatment