Treatment of landfill leachate using ASBR combined with zeolite adsorption technology

Abstract

Sanitary landfilling is the most common way to dispose solid urban waste; however, improper landfill management may pose serious environmental threats through discharge of high strength polluted wastewater also known as leachate. The treatment of landfill leachate to fully reduce the negative impact on the environment, is nowadays a challenge. In this study, an aerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR) was proposed for the treatment of locally obtained real landfill leachate with initial ammoniacal nitrogen and chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration of 1800 and 3200 mg/L, respectively. ASBR could remove 65 % of ammoniacal nitrogen and 30 % of COD during seven days of treatment time. Thereafter, an effective adsorbent, i.e., zeolite was used as a secondary treatment step for polishing the ammoniacal nitrogen and COD content that is present in leachate. The results obtained are promising where the adsorption of leachate by zeolite further enhanced the removal of ammoniacal nitrogen and COD up to 96 and 43 %, respectively. Furthermore, this combined biological–physical treatment system was able to remove heavy metals, i.e. aluminium, vanadium, chromium, magnesium, cuprum and plumbum significantly. These results demonstrate that combined ASBR and zeolite adsorption is a feasible technique for the treatment of landfill leachate, even considering this effluent’s high resistance to treatment.

Novel and Conventional Technologies for Landfill Leachates Treatment: A Review

“…Lim et al [171] studied an aerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR) for the treatment of locally obtained, very old landfill leachate with initial ammonia-nitrogen and COD concentrations of 1800 and 3200 mg/L, respectively. ASBR was aerated using a fine air bubble diffuser and an air pump located at the bottom of the reactor with a superficial air upflow velocity of 1.0-1.2 cm/s to provide aeration to the system throughout the entire treatment process.…”

“…The results obtained are promising as the adsorption of leachate by zeolite further enhanced the removal of the ammoniacal nitrogen and COD up to 96% and 43%, respectively. Furthermore, this combined biological-physical treatment system was able to significantly remove heavy metals from the wastewater at 100% aluminum, 44% vanadium, 63% chromium, 75% magnesium, 24% cuprum and 85% plumbum [171].…”

Optimization and Analysis of Zeolite Augmented Electrocoagulation Process in the Reduction of High-Strength Ammonia in Saline Landfill Leachate

“…As a result, the removal of NH 3 -N, in particular, is significantly improved [30]. In addition, the natural zeolite mineral also offers a strong ion exchange and good adsorption bonding in a mixed suspension of contaminants [31].…”

Study of Biological Methods in Landfill Leachate Treatment

“…By adding zeolite, the removal of COD and ammonia nitrogen declined to 43% and 96%, respectively. According to Figure 5, SBR systems reduced the concentration of COD from 3150 to 2224 mg/L (30%) [28].…”

“…Partial of 80% removal of nitrogen in aerated Lagoon was done by ammonia evapora- Moving-bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) 800 -2000 20 [24] 7500 -7900 8 [25] Membrane bioreactor (MBR) 1000 -3000 80 -83 [26] 1550 63 [20] 14,000 80 [27] aerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR) 4000 87 [21] 3200 30 [28] Aerated lagoons 1740 75 [22] 5518 97 [29] tion [22]. In another study, the use of this method in leachate treatment led to the removal of 97% COD and 92% ammonia nitrogen [29].…”