Ecotoxicological evaluation of electrochemical oxidation for the treatment of sanitary landfill leachates

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2019, Vol.26 (1), p.24-33
• Main Authors: Fernandes, Annabel, Pastorinho, Manuel Ramiro, Sousa, Ana Catarina, Silva, Wilson, Silva, Rodrigo, Nunes, Maria João, Rodrigues, Ana Sofia, Pacheco, Maria José, Ciríaco, Lurdes, Lopes, Ana
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acute toxicity; Ammonia - analysis; Ammonia - toxicity; Ammonium; Animals; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Biodegradable materials; Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; Daphnia - drug effects; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Electrochemical oxidation; Electrochemical Techniques - methods; Electrochemistry; Environment; Environment and Society; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Environmental Sciences; Landfill; Landfills; Leachates; Metal concentrations; Metal ions; New Toxic Emerging Contaminants: Beyond the Toxicological effects; Nitrogen - analysis; Nitrogen - toxicity; Organic chemistry; Organic loading; Oxidation; Oxidation-Reduction; Reduction; Reduction (metal working); Test organisms; Toxicity; Waste Disposal Facilities; Waste disposal sites; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity; Water Pollution Control; Water pollution treatment; Water Purification - methods
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-2650-6

In this study, the efficiency of electrochemical oxidation to treat a sanitary landfill leachate was evaluated by the reduction in physico-chemical parameters and in ecotoxicity. The acute toxicity of the sanitary landfill leachates, before and after treatment, was assessed with the model organism Daphnia magna . Electrochemical oxidation treatment was effective in the removal of organic load and ammonium nitrogen and in the reduction of metal ions concentrations. Furthermore, a reduction of 2.5-fold in the acute toxicity towards D. magna after 36 h of treatment was noticed. Nevertheless, the toxicity of the treated leachate is still very high, and further treatments are necessary in order to obtain a non-toxic effluent to this aquatic organism. Toxicity results were also compared with others described in the literature for different leachate treatments and test organisms.