Chemical characterization of emissions from a municipal solid waste treatment plant

Gaseous emissions are an important problem in municipal solid waste (MSW) treatment plants. The sources points of emissions considered in the present work are: fresh compost, mature compost, landfill leaks and leachate ponds. Hydrogen sulphide, ammonia and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were analysed in the emissions from these sources. Hydrogen sulphide and ammonia were important contributors to the total emission volume. Landfill leaks are significant source points of emissions of H₂S; the average concentration of H₂S in biogas from the landfill leaks is around 1700 ppmv. The fresh composting site was also an important contributor of H₂S to the total emission volume; its concentration varied between 3.2 and 1.7 ppmv and a decrease with time was observed. The mature composting site showed a reduction of H₂S concentration (<0.1 ppmv). Leachate pond showed a low concentration of H₂S (in order of ppbv). Regarding NH₃, composting sites and landfill leaks are notable source points of emissions (composting sites varied around 30–600 ppmv; biogas from landfill leaks varied from 160 to 640 ppmv).Regarding VOCs, the main compounds were: limonene, p-cymene, pinene, cyclohexane, reaching concentrations around 0.2–4.3 ppmv.H₂S/NH₃, limonene/p-cymene, limonene/cyclohexane ratios can be useful for analysing and identifying the emission sources.     

Sustainable sanitary landfills for neglected small cities in developing countries: The semi-mechanized trench method from Villanueva,Honduras

Open dumping is the most common practice for the disposal of urban solid wastes in the least developed regions of Africa, Asia and Latin America. Sanitary landfill design and operation has traditionally focused on large cities, but cities with fewer than 50,000 in population can comprise from 6% to 45% of a given country’s total population. These thousands of small cities cannot afford to operate a sanitary landfill in the way it is proposed for large cities, where heavy equipment is used to spread and compact the waste in daily cells, and then to excavate, transport and apply daily cover, and leachate is managed with collection and treatment systems. This paper presents an alternative approach for small cities, known as the semi-mechanized trench method, which was developed in Villanueva, Honduras. In the semi-mechanized trench method a hydraulic excavator is used for 1–3 days to dig a trench that will last at least a month before it is filled with waste. Trucks can easily unload their wastes into the trench, and the wastes compact naturally due to semi-aerobic biodegradation, after which the trenches are refilled and covered. The exposed surface area is minimal since only the top surface of the wastes is exposed, the remainder being covered by the sides and bottom of the trench. The surplus material from trench excavation can be valorized for use as engineering fill onsite or off. The landfill in Villanueva has operated for 15 years, using a total land area of approximately 11 ha for a population that grew from 23,000 to 48,000, with a land requirement of 0.2 m²/person year, a cover to waste ratio of 0.2, and an estimated soil surplus of 298,000 m³ that is valorized and used onsite. The landfill has been operated solely by the municipality with an operational cost in 2010 estimated at US$4.60 per ton. A modified water balance analysis at Villanueva shows negligible leachate generation from covered trenches and 700 m³/yr (60 m³/ha yr) from the two open trenches required for daily operation. If the site were an open dump, however, leachate generation is estimated to be 3900 m³/ha yr and contaminated runoff 5000 m³/ha yr. A simple model used to estimate dilution of generated leachate based on groundwater flow data and aquifer stratigraphy suggests that the leachate will be diluted by a factor of 0.01 in the aquifer. Leachate contaminants will not accumulate because the aquifer discharges to the Ulua River 2 km south of the landfill. While not suitable for all sites, the Villanueva method nevertheless serves as an excellent example of how a small city landfill with natural compaction of waste and attenuation of leachate can be sustainably operated.     

The performance of Electro-Fenton oxidation in the removal of coliform bacteria from landfill leachate

Leachate pollution is one of the main problems in landfilling. Researchers have yet to find an effective solution to this problem. The technology that can be used may differ based on the type of leachate produced. Coliform bacteria were recently reported as one of the most problematic pollutants in semi-aerobic (stabilized) leachate. In the present study, the performance of the Electro-Fenton process in removing coliform from leachate was investigated. The study focused on two types of leachate: Palau Borung landfill leachate with low Coliform content (200 MPN/100 m/L) and Ampang Jajar landfill leachate with high coliform content (>24 × 10⁴ MPN/100 m/L). Optimal conditions for the Electro-Fenton treatment process were applied on both types of leachate. Then, the coliform was examined before and after treatment using the Most Probable Number (MPN) technique. Accordingly, 100% removal of coliform was obtained at low initial coliform content, whereas 99.9% removal was obtained at high initial coliform content. The study revealed that Electro-Fenton is an efficient process in removing high concentrations of pathogenic microorganisms from stabilized leachate.     

Phytotoxicity of landfill leachate on willow – Salix amygdalina L.

Because of low investment and operational costs, interest is increasing in the use of willow plants in landfill leachate disposal. Toxic effects of leachate on the plants should be avoided in the initial period of growth and phytotoxicological testing may be helpful to select appropriate leachate dose rates. The aim of this study was to determine the phytotoxicity of landfill leachate on young willow (Salix amygdalina L.) cuttings, as a criterion for dose rate selection in the early phase of growth. Over a test period of 6 weeks plants were exposed to six concentrations of landfill leachate solutions (0%; 6.25%; 12.5%; 25%; 50% and 100%), under two different regimes. In regime A willow plants were cultivated in leachate solution from the beginning, whereas in regime B they were grown initially in clean water for 4 weeks, after which the water was exchanged for leachate solutions. The lowest effective concentration causing toxic effects (LOEC) was calculated (p < 0.05). In regime A LOEC was between 5.44% and 6.50% of leachate concentration, but slightly higher in regime B (5.32–6.59%). Willow plants were able to survive in landfill leachate solutions with electrical conductivity (EC) values up to 5.0 mS/cm in regime A, whereas in regime B plants were killed when EC exceeded 3.0 mS/cm. This indicates an ability of willow plants to tolerate higher strengths of landfill leachate if they are cultivated in such concentrations from the beginning.     

Fate of saline ions in a planted landfill site with leachate recirculation

Recirculation of leachate on a covered landfill site planted with willows or other highly evapotranspirative woody plants is an inexpensive option for leachate management. In our study, a closed landfill leachate recirculation system was established on a rehabilitated municipal solid waste landfill site with planted landfill cover. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the sustainability of the system with regard to high hydraulic loads of the landfill leachate on the landfill cover and high concentrations of saline ions, especially potassium (K⁺), sodium (Na⁺) and chloride (Cl^?), in leachate.The results of intensive monitoring, implemented during May 2004 and September 2007, including leachate, soil and plant samples, showed a high sustainability of the system regarding saline ions with the precipitation regime of the studied region. Saline ion concentrations in leachates varied between 132 and 2592 mg Cl^? L^?1, 69 and 1310 mg Na⁺ L^?1 and between 66 and 2156 mg K⁺ L^?1, with mean values of 1010, 632 and 686 mg L^?1, respectively. Soil salinity, measured as soil electrical conductivity (EC), remained between 0.17 and 0.38 mS cm^?1 at a depth between 0 and 90 cm. An average annual precipitation of 1000 mm provided sufficient leaching of saline ions, loaded by irrigation with landfill leachate, from the soil of the landfill cover and thus prevented possible salinity shocks to the planted willows.     

Pilot scale evaluation of the BABIU process – Upgrading of landfill gas or biogas with the use of MSWI bottom ash

Biogas or landfill gas can be converted to a high-grade gas rich in methane with the use of municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash as a reactant for fixation of CO₂ and H₂S. In order to verify results previously obtained at a laboratory scale with 65–90 kg of bottom ash (BA), several test runs were performed at a pilot scale, using 500–1000 kg of bottom ash and up to 9.2 N m³/h real landfill gas from a landfill in the Tuscany region (Italy). The input flow rate was altered. The best process performance was observed at a input flow rate of 3.7 N m³/(h t_BA). At this flow rate, the removal efficiencies for H₂S were approximately 99.5–99%.     

Liquid balance monitoring inside conventional,Retrofit, and bio-reactor landfill cells

The Outer Loop landfill bioreactor (OLLB) in Louisville, KY, USA has been the site of a study to evaluate long-term bioreactor performance at a full-scale operational landfill. Three types of landfill units were studied including a conventional landfill (Control cell), a new landfill area that had an air addition and recirculation piping network installed as waste was being placed (As-Built cell), and a conventional landfill that was modified to allow for liquids recirculation (Retrofit cell). During the monitoring period, the Retrofit, Control, and As-Built cells received 48, 14, and 213 L Mg^?1 (liters of liquids per metric ton of waste), respectively. The leachate collection system yielded 60, 57 and 198 L Mg^?1 from the Retrofit, Control, and As-Built cells, respectively. The head on liner in all cells was below regulatory limits. In the Control and As-Built cells, leachate head on liner decreased once waste placement stopped. The measured moisture content of the waste samples was consistent with that calculated from the estimate of accumulated liquid by the liquid balance. Additionally, measurements on excavated solid waste samples revealed large spatial variability in waste moisture content. The degree of saturation in the Control cells decreased from 85% to 75%. The degree of saturation increased from 82% to 83% due to liquids addition in the Retrofit cells and decreased back to 80% once liquid addition stopped. In the As-Built cells, the degree of saturation increased from 87% to 97% during filling activities and then started to decrease soon after filling activities stopped to reach 92% at the end of the monitoring period. The measured leachate generation rates were used to estimate an in-place saturated hydraulic conductivity of the MSW in the range of 10^?8 to 10^?7 m s^?1 which is lower than previous reports. In the Control and Retrofit cells, the net loss in liquids, 43 and 12 L Mg^?1, respectively, was similar to the measured settlement of 15% and 5–8% strain, respectively (Abichou et al., 2013). The increase in net liquid volume in the As-Built cells indicates that the 37% (average) measured settlement strain in these cells cannot be due to consolidation as the waste mass did not lose any moisture but rather suggests that settlement was attributable to lubrication of waste particle contacts, softening of flexible porous materials, and additional biological degradation.     

Evaluation of landfill leachate treatment by advanced oxidative process by Fenton’s reagent combined with membrane separation system

A high content of refractory organic matter, ammonia and toxic compounds is characteristic of landfill leachate. Advanced oxidative processes (AOPs) are an attractive alternative for landfill leachate treatment. However, when applied as a unique process treatment, they do not provide a complete solution for the effluent treatment. Combining AOP with a membrane separation process (MSP) presents a number of benefits and provides an adequate solution for this problem. With this in mind, the present work aims to evaluate, using a bench scale, leachate treatability through AOP by Fenton’s reagent (AOP/Fenton) combined with microfiltration (MF) and nanofiltration (NF). A high efficient removal of COD (63%), true color (76%) and humic substances (50%) was observed during AOP/Fenton under optimized conditions (1.7 g H₂O₂/g COD_{raw leachate}; FeSO₄·7H₂O:H₂O₂ = 1:5.3; pH = 3.8; reaction conditions = 115 rpm/28 min). According to the evaluated parameters, MSP presented an efficient complementary treatment, in which the integrity of the stages was sufficient for reaching regulatory levels in the effluent (Deliberação Normativa Conjunta COPAM/CERH-MG N^o. 1, May 5, 2008).     

Emissions of C&D refuse in landfills: A European case

A field study was developed in a new landfill for refuse from construction and demolition (C&D) material recovery plants of small size (4 Ha.) in Europe, with the aim of evaluating the liquid and gas emissions in this type of facility at a large scale. It included characterization of the materials, monitoring leachate and gas quantity and composition. Besides thermometers, piezometers and sampling ports were placed in several points within the waste. This paper presents the data obtained for five years of the landfill life. The materials disposed were mainly made up of wood and concrete, similar to other C&D debris sites, but the amount of gypsum drywall (below 3% of the waste) was significantly smaller than other available studies, where percentages above 20% had been reported. Leachate contained typical C&D pollutants, such as different inorganic ions and metals, some of which exceeded other values reported in the literature (conductivity, ammonium, lead and arsenic). The small net precipitation in the area and the leachate recirculation into the landfill surface help explain these higher concentrations, thus highlighting the impact of liquid to solid (L/S) ratio on leachate characteristics. In contrast to previous studies, neither odor nuisances nor significant landfill gas over the surface were detected. However, gas samples taken from the landfill inside revealed sulfate reducing and methanogenic activity.     

Greenhouse gas emissions from landfill leachate treatment plants: A comparison of young and aged landfill

With limited assessment, leachate treatment of a specified landfill is considered to be a significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In our study, the cumulative GHG emitted from the storage ponds and process configurations that manage fresh or aged landfill leachate were investigated. Our results showed that strong CH₄ emissions were observed from the fresh leachate storage pond, with the fluxes values (2219–26,489 mg C m^?2 h^?1) extremely higher than those of N₂O (0.028–0.41 mg N m^?2 h^?1). In contrast, the emission values for both CH₄ and N₂O were low for the aged leachate tank. N₂O emissions became dominant once the leachate entered the treatment plants of both systems, accounting for 8–12% of the removal of N-species gases. Per capita, the N₂O emission based on both leachate treatment systems was estimated to be 7.99 g N₂O–N capita^?1 yr^?1. An increase of 80% in N₂O emissions was observed when the bioreactor pH decreased by approximately 1 pH unit. The vast majority of carbon was removed in the form of CO₂, with a small portion as CH₄ (<0.3%) during both treatment processes. The cumulative GHG emissions for fresh leachate storage ponds, fresh leachate treatment system and aged leachate treatment system were 19.10, 10.62 and 3.63 Gg CO₂ eq yr^?1, respectively, for a total that could be transformed to 9.09 kg CO₂ eq capita^?1 yr^?1.     

Developments to a landfill processes model following its application to two landfill modelling challenges

The landfill model LDAT simulates the transport and bio-chemical behaviour of the solid, liquid and gas phases of waste contained in a landfill. LDAT was applied to the LMC1 and LMC2 landfill modelling challenges held in 2009 and 2011. These were blind modelling challenges with the model acting in a predictive mode based on limited early time sections of full datasets. The LMC1 challenge dataset was from a 0.34 m deep 0.48 m diameter laboratory test cell, and the LMC2 dataset was from a 55 m × 80 m 8 m deep landfill test cell which formed part of the Dutch sustainable landfill research programme at Landgraaf in the Netherlands. The paper describes developments in LDAT arising directly from the experience of responding to the two challenges, and discusses the model input and output data obtained from a calibration using the full datasets.The developments include the modularisation of the model into a set of linked sub-models, the strategy for converting conventional waste characteristics into model input parameters, the identification of flexible degradation pathways to control the CO₂:CH₄ ratio, and the application of a chemical equilibrium model that includes a stage in which the solid waste components dissolve into the leachate.     

Ultrasound assisted biogas production from landfill leachate

The aim of this study is to increase biogas production and methane yield from landfill leachate in anaerobic batch reactors by using low frequency ultrasound as a pretreatment step. In the first part of the study, optimum conditions for solubilization of organic matter in leachate samples were investigated using various sonication durations at an ultrasound frequency of 20 kHz. The level of organic matter solubilization during ultrasonic pretreatment experiments was determined by calculating the ratio of soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD) to total chemical oxygen demand (tCOD). The sCOD/tCOD ratio was increased from 47% in raw leachate to 63% after 45 min sonication at 600 W/l. Non-parametric Friedman’s test indicated that ultrasonic pretreatment has a significant effect on sCOD parameter for leachate (p < 0.05). In the second part of the study, anaerobic batch reactors were operated for both ultrasonically pretreated and untreated landfill leachate samples in order to assess the effect of sonication on biogas and methane production rate. In anaerobic batch reactor feed with ultrasonically pretreated leachate, 40% more biogas was obtained compared to the control reactor. For statistical analysis, Mann–Whitney U test was performed to compare biogas and methane production rates for raw and pretreated leachate samples and it has been found that ultrasonic pretreatment significantly enhanced biogas and methane production rates from leachate (p < 0.05) in anaerobic batch reactors. The overall results showed that low frequency ultrasound pretreatment can be potentially used for wastewater management especially with integration of anaerobic processes.     

Methane production from food waste leachate in laboratory-scale simulated landfill

Due to the prohibition of food waste landfilling in Korea from 2005 and the subsequent ban on the marine disposal of organic sludge, including leachate generated from food waste recycling facilities from 2012, it is urgent to develop an innovative and sustainable disposal strategy that is eco-friendly, yet economically beneficial. In this study, methane production from food waste leachate (FWL) in landfill sites with landfill gas recovery facilities was evaluated in simulated landfill reactors (lysimeters) for a period of 90 d with four different inoculum–substrate ratios (ISRs) on volatile solid (VS) basis. Simultaneous biochemical methane potential batch experiments were also conducted at the same ISRs for 30 d to compare CH₄ yield obtained from lysimeter studies. Under the experimental conditions, a maximum CH₄ yield of 0.272 and 0.294 L/g VS was obtained in the batch and lysimeter studies, respectively, at ISR of 1:1. The biodegradability of FWL in batch and lysimeter experiments at ISR of 1:1 was 64% and 69%, respectively. The calculated data using the modified Gompertz equation for the cumulative CH₄ production showed good agreement with the experimental result obtained from lysimeter study. Based on the results obtained from this study, field-scale pilot test is required to re-evaluate the existing sanitary landfills with efficient leachate collection and gas recovery facilities as engineered bioreactors to treat non-hazardous liquid organic wastes for energy recovery with optimum utilization of facilities.     

Comparison between lab- and full-scale applications of in situ aeration of an old landfill and assessment of long-term emission development after completion

Sustainable landfilling has become a fundamental objective in many modern waste management concepts. In this context, the in situ aeration of landfills has been recognised for its potential to convert conventional anaerobic landfills into biological stabilised state, whereby both current and potential (long-term) emissions of the landfilled waste are mitigated. In recent years, different in situ aeration concepts have been successfully applied in Europe, North America and Asia, all pursuing different objectives and strategies.In Austria, the first full-scale application of in situ landfill aeration by means of low pressure air injection and simultaneous off-gas collection and treatment was implemented on an old, small municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill (2.6 ha) in autumn 2007. Complementary laboratory investigations were conducted with waste samples taken from the landfill site in order to provide more information on the transferability of the results from lab- to full-scale aeration measures. In addition, long-term emission development of the stabilised waste after aeration completion was assessed in an ongoing laboratory experiment. Although the initial waste material was described as mostly stable in terms of the biological parameters gas generation potential over 21 days (GP₂₁) and respiration activity over 4 days (RA₄), the lab-scale experiments indicated that aeration, which led to a significant improvement of leachate quality, was accompanied by further measurable changes in the solid waste material under optimised conditions. Even 75 weeks after aeration completion the leachate, as well as gaseous emissions from the stabilised waste material, remained low and stayed below the authorised Austrian discharge limits. However, the application of in situ aeration at the investigated landfill is a factor 10 behind the lab-based predictions after 3 years of operation, mainly due to technical limitations in the full-scale operation (e.g. high air flow resistivity due to high water content of waste and temporarily high water levels within the landfill; limited efficiency of the aeration wells). In addition, material preparation (e.g. sieving, sorting and homogenisation) prior to the emplacement in Landfill Simulation Reactors (LSRs) must be considered when transferring results from lab- to full-scale application.     

Stable isotope signatures for characterising the biological stability of landfilled municipal solid waste

Stable isotopic signatures of landfill leachates are influenced by processes within municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills mainly depending on the aerobic/anaerobic phase of the landfill. We investigated the isotopic signatures of δ¹³C, δ²H and δ¹⁸O of different leachates from lab-scale experiments, lysimeter experiments and a landfill under in situ aeration. In the laboratory, columns filled with MSW of different age and reactivity were percolated under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. In landfill simulation reactors, waste of a 25 year old landfill was kept under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The lysimeter facility was filled with mechanically shredded fresh waste. After starting of the methane production the waste in the lysimeter containments was aerated in situ. Leachate and gas composition were monitored continuously. In addition the seepage water of an old landfill was collected and analysed periodically before and during an in situ aeration.We found significant differences in the δ¹³C-value of the dissolved inorganic carbon (δ¹³C-DIC) of the leachate between aerobic and anaerobic waste material. During aerobic degradation, the signature of δ¹³C-DIC was mainly dependent on the isotopic composition of the organic matter in the waste, resulting in a δ¹³C-DIC of ?20‰ to ?25‰. The production of methane under anaerobic conditions caused an increase in δ¹³C-DIC up to values of +10‰ and higher depending on the actual reactivity of the MSW. During aeration of a landfill the aerobic degradation of the remaining organic matter caused a decrease to a δ¹³C-DIC of about ?20‰. Therefore carbon isotope analysis in leachates and groundwater can be used for tracing the oxidation–reduction status of MSW landfills.Our results indicate that monitoring of stable isotopic signatures of landfill leachates over a longer time period (e.g. during in situ aeration) is a powerful and cost-effective tool for characterising the biodegradability and stability of the organic matter in landfilled municipal solid waste and can be used for monitoring the progress of in situ aeration.     

Enhancement of the anaerobic hydrolysis and fermentation of municipal solid waste in leachbed reactors by varying flow direction during water addition and leachate recycle

Poor performance of leachbed reactors (LBRs) is attributed to channelling, compaction from waste loading, unidirectional water addition and leachate flow causing reduced hydraulic conductivity and leachate flow blockage. Performance enhancement was evaluated in three LBRs M, D and U at 22 ± 3 °C using three water addition and leachate recycle strategies; water addition was downflow in D throughout, intermittently upflow and downflow in M and U with 77% volume downflow in M, 54% volume downflow in U while the rest were upflow. Leachate recycle was downflow in D, alternately downflow and upflow in M and upflow in U. The strategy adopted in U led to more water addition (30.3%), leachate production (33%) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) solubilisation (33%; 1609 g against 1210 g) compared to D (control). The total and volatile solids (TS and VS) reductions were similar but the highest COD yield (g-COD/g-TS and g-COD/g-VS removed) was in U (1.6 and 1.9); the values were 1.33 and 1.57 for M, and 1.18 and 1.41 for D respectively. The strategy adopted in U showed superior performance with more COD and leachate production compared to reactors M and D.     

Impact of nitrate-enhanced leachate recirculation on gaseous releases from a landfill bioreactor cell

This study evaluates the impact of nitrate injection on a full scale landfill bioreactor through the monitoring of gaseous releases and particularly N₂O emissions. During several weeks, we monitored gas concentrations in the landfill gas collection system as well as surface gas releases with a series of seven static chambers. These devices were directly connected to a gas chromatograph coupled to a flame ionisation detector and an electron capture detector (GC-FID/ECD) placed directly on the field. Measurements were performed before, during and after recirculation of raw leachate and nitrate-enhanced leachate. Raw leachate recirculation did not have a significant effect on the biogas concentrations (CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O) in the gas extraction network. However, nitrate-enhanced leachate recirculation induced a marked increase of the N₂O concentrations in the gas collected from the recirculation trench (100-fold increase from 0.2 ppm to 23 ppm). In the common gas collection system however, this N₂O increase was no more detectable because of dilution by gas coming from other cells or ambient air intrusion. Surface releases through the temporary cover were characterized by a large spatial and temporal variability. One automated chamber gave limited standard errors over each experimental period for N₂O releases: 8.1 ± 0.16 mg m^?2 d^?1 (n = 384), 4.2 ± 0.14 mg m^?2 d^?1 (n = 132) and 1.9 ± 0.10 mg m^?2 d^?1 (n = 49), during, after raw leachate and nitrate-enhanced leachate recirculation, respectively. No clear correlation between N₂O gaseous surface releases and recirculation events were evidenced. Estimated N₂O fluxes remained in the lower range of what is reported in the literature for landfill covers, even after nitrate injection.     

Emission of volatile sulfur compounds during composting of municipal solid waste (MSW)

Volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) are the main source for malodor from composting plants. In this study, the VSCs generated from composting of 15–80 mm municipal solid waste (T0), kitchen waste (T1) and kitchen waste mixed dry cornstalks (T2) were measured in 60 L reactors with forced aeration for a period of 30 days. The VSCs detected in all treatments were hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), methyl mercaptan (MM), dimethyl sulfide (DMS), carbon bisulfide (CS₂) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS). Over 90% of the VSCs emissions occurred during the first 15 days, and reached their peak values at days 4–7. The emission profiles of five VSCs species were significantly correlated with internal materials temperature and outlet O₂ concentration (p < 0.05). Total emissions of the VSCs were 216.1, 379.3 and 126.0 mg kg^?1 (dry matter) for T0, T1 and T2, respectively. Among the five VSCs, H₂S was the most abundant compound with 39.0–43.0% of total VSCs released. Composting of kitchen waste from separate collection posed a negative influence on the VSC and leachate production because of its high moisture content. An addition of dry cornstalks at a mixing ratio of 4:1 (wet weight) could significantly reduce the VSCs emissions and avoid leachate. Compared to pure kitchen waste, VSCs were reduced 66.8%.     

Landfill aeration in the framework of a reclamation project in Northern Italy

In situ aeration by means of the Airflow technology was proposed for landfill conditioning before landfill mining in the framework of a reclamation project in Northern Italy. A 1-year aeration project was carried out on part of the landfill with the objective of evaluating the effectiveness of the Airflow technology for landfill aerobization, the evolution of waste biological stability during aeration and the effects on leachate and biogas quality and emissions.The main outcomes of the 1-year aeration project are presented in the paper.The beneficial effect of the aeration on waste biological stability was clear (63% reduction of the respiration index); however, the effectiveness of aeration on the lower part of the landfill is questionable, due to the limited potential for air migration into the leachate saturated layers.During the 1-year in situ aeration project approx. 275 MgC were discharged from the landfill body with the extracted gas, corresponding to 4.6 gC/kgDM. However, due to the presence of anaerobic niches in the aerated landfill, approx. 46% of this amount was extracted as CH₄, which is higher than reported in other aeration projects. The O₂ conversion quota was lower than reported in other similar projects, mainly due to the higher air flow rates applied.The results obtained enabled valuable recommendations to be made for the subsequent application of the Airflow technology to the whole landfill.     

Pilot study on the advanced treatment of landfill leachate using a combined coagulation,fenton oxidation and biological aerated filter process

Mature landfill leachate is typically non-biodegradable. A combination process was developed that includes coagulation, Fenton oxidation, and biological aerated filtering to treat biologically-produced effluent. In this process, coagulation and Fenton oxidation were applied in order to reduce chemical oxygen demand (COD) organic load, and enhance biodegradability. Poly-ferric sulfate (PFS) at 600 mg l^?1 was found to be a suitable dosage for coagulation. For Fenton oxidation, an initial pH of 5, a total reaction time of 3 h, and an H₂O₂ dosage of 5.4 mmol l^?1, with a (H₂O₂)/n(Fe²⁺) ratio of 1.2 and two-step dosing were selected to achieve optimal oxidation. Under these optimal coagulation and Fenton oxidation conditions, the COD removal ratios were found to be 66.67% and 56%, respectively. Following pretreatment with coagulation and Fenton oxidation, the landfill leachate was further treated using a biological aerated filter (BAF). Our results show that COD was reduced to 75 mg l^?1, and the color was less than 10 degrees.