Treatment of Leachate using Electrocoagulation Technology; Study case in Jatibarang Landfill-Semarang City

Abstract

Leachate are dominantly recalcitrant organic pollutants, and thus before its discharge to the environment, leachate must be treated. In this study, electrochemical processes, using aluminum and iron electrode in electrocoagulation, were used to remove non-biodegradable compounds in leachate. The electrocoagulation was conducted as main treatment at flow rate 20 ml/minutes and 40 ml/minutes and constant voltage of 5 volt, and 10 volt. The results showed that aluminum electrocoagulation was effective to remove organic pollutant (measured as COD) 54, 08% (2, 5 g) using 10 volt and flow rate 20 ml/minutes, respectively, while maintaining its initial pH condition at 5, 7-6, 6. Applied voltage 20 ml/minutes using iron electrode provides results 33, 7% (1, 9 g) removal of COD, by using Fe electrode provides increasing pH 6, 0 to 9, 1. This implies that higher voltage and minimum flowrate at aluminum and iron electrode was likely to affect higher COD removal than minimum voltage and higher flowrate. Overall, electrocoagulation processes can be used as alternative method for the removal of recalcitrant organic pollutants of leachate in Jatibarang Landfill, Semarang City.

The biological treatment method for landfill leachate

“…So, a combination of evapotranspiration and anaerobic systems would solve leachate in Jatibarang Landfill. Combination processes with evapotranspiration and microbial would be promising [28]. Leachate in landfills containing high levels of ammonium can be treated using an evapotranspiration-anaerobic system because this system is better in reducing the ammonium content gradually.…”