Stripping/flocculation/membrane bioreactor/reverse osmosis treatment of municipal landfill leachate

• Published in: Journal of hazardous materials 2009-11, Vol.171 (1), p.309-317
• Main Authors: Hasar, Halil, Unsal, Sezahat A., Ipek, Ubeyde, Karatas, Serdar, Cınar, Ozer, Yaman, Cevat, Kınacı, Cumali
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aerobic/anoxic MBR; Ammonia; Ammonia - chemistry; Ammonia toxicity; Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Biomass; Bioreactors; Biotechnology; Chemical engineering; Crack opening displacement; Effluents; Exact sciences and technology; Flocculation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General treatment and storage processes; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Leachate; Membrane separation (reverse osmosis, dialysis...); Membranes; Membranes, Artificial; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; Nitrification; Nitrogen - chemistry; Osmosis; Others; Oxygen - chemistry; Pollution; Pretreatment; Reactors; Refuse Disposal; Reverse osmosis; Stripping; Time Factors; Various methods and equipments; Waste Disposal, Fluid; Wastes; Water Pollutants, Chemical - chemistry; Water Pollutants, Chemical - isolation & purification; Water Purification - methods
• ISSN: 0304-3894; 1873-3336
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2009.06.003

This study presents a configuration for the complete treatment of landfill leachate with high organic and ammonium concentrations. Ammonia stripping is performed to overcome the ammonia toxicity to aerobic microorganisms. By coagulation–flocculation process, COD and suspended solids (SS) were removed 36 and 46%, respectively. After pretreatment, an aerobic/anoxic membrane bioreactor (Aer/An MBR) accomplished the COD and total inorganic nitrogen (total-N i) removals above 90 and 92%, respectively, at SRT of 30 days. Concentrations of COD and total-N i (not considering organic nitrogen) in the Aer/An MBR effluent decreased to 450 and 40 mg/l, respectively, by significant organic oxidation and nitrification/denitrification processes. As an advanced treatment for the leachate, the reverse osmosis (RO) was applied to the collected Aer/An MBR effluents. Reverse osmosis provided high quality effluent by reducing the effluent COD from MBR to less than 4.0 mg/l at SRT of 30 days.