Treatment of stabilized landfill leachate in an integrated adsorption–fine-ultrafiltration system

Abstract

This study investigated the feasibility of using an adsorption-fine-ultrafiltration system for removing organics from stabilized landfill leachate. For adsorption, Norit SX2 powdered activated carbon was used; the fine-ultrafiltration system was equipped with a ceramic membrane. Due to low organics removal efficiency in fine-ultrafiltration alone (series 1) (46.5% of chemical oxygen demand, 22.1% of dissolved organic carbon), two doses of activated carbon were used for adsorption before fine-ultrafiltration: 0.2 g/L (series 2) and 1 g/L (series 3). Although organics removal efficiency at both doses of Norit SX2 differed (12.9 and 34.5% of chemical oxygen demand, 12.2 and 54.7% of dissolved organic carbon, at 0.2 and 1 g/L, respectively), permeate quality did not differ substantially. Although the use of Norit SX2 improved permeate quality in comparison with fine-ultrafiltration alone (220 mg/L in series 2 and 209 mg/L in series 3 vs. 842 mg/L in series 1), its particles blocked the membrane and lowered the permeate flux even at the lower dose. In the series with adsorption, permeate flux was about 10 times lower than during fine-ultrafiltration alone. This indicates that, in fine-ultrafiltration preceded by adsorption on activated carbon, it is reasonable to use the lower dose of Norit SX2 because the efficiency of treatment is similar to that at the higher dose, but the reduction in permeate flux is somewhat less. These results indicate that the possibility of using adsorption-fine-ultrafiltration in the practice of leachate treatment is limited because of blocking membrane pores with particles of activated carbon.

Biological treatment of leachate from stabilization of biodegradable municipal solid waste in a sequencing batch biofilm reactor

“…To meet strict quality standards for direct discharge of leachate into surface water, integrated methods of treatment would be required, i.e., a combination of chemical, physical and biological steps to improve the quality of the effluent from the three reactors in this study. For example, the combined system of adsorption on powdered activated carbon (PAC)-ultrafiltration (UF, cutoff of 5 kDa) was used for the treatment of leachate from the stabilized landfill of the low BOD 5 /COD ratio (0.11) (Kulikowska et al 2019). Adsorption alone did not effectively remove COD (12.9% and 34.5%, depending on PAC dose).…”

“…Similarly, UF was reported to remove 50% (Bohdziewicz et al 2001) or 38% (cutoff of 50 kDa) and 66% (cutoff of 1 kDa) of organics from leachate (Renou et al 2009). The combined system of PAC-UF increased the COD removal efficiency to about 86% (Kulikowska et al 2019). This was because organic compounds, including humic substances, were first adsorbed on PAC and then PAC particles blocked membrane pores, which made effective pore sizes of membrane smaller, thus allowing the retention of substances of small molecular weight.…”

Effect of waste landfill site on surface and ground water drinking quality

“…These leachate constituents are mainly a function of the age of the landfill and the degree of waste stabilisation (Talalaj and Biedka, 2016). Due to slow reaction kinetics, predominant stabilisation of leachate by biological methods has been found to be less effective, posing serious adverse effects on the environment (Kulikowska et al ., 2019).…”

Optimization of persulfate/iron(II)/UV-A irradiation process for the treatment of landfill leachate from Fez City (Morocco)

“…Moreover, the pH value (> 7.5) and BOD 5 /COD ratio (< 0.1) reveal that this sample has a low biodegradability and could be designated as stabilized leachate. Consequently, the refractory substances of this leachate could be effectively removed using physical-chemical processes [25,26]. 2− and Fe 2+ concentration.…”