Assessment of internal condition of waste in a roofed landfill

Recently, roofed landfills have been gaining popularity in Japan. Roofed landfills have several advantages over non-roofed landfills such as eliminating the visibility of waste and reducing the spread of offensive odours. This study examined the moisture balance and aeration conditions, which promote waste stabilisation, in a roofed landfill that included organic waste such as food waste. Moisture balance was estimated using waste characterization and the total amount of landfilled waste. Internal conditions were estimated based on the composition, flux, and temperature of the landfill gas. Finally, in situ aeration was performed to determine the integrity of the semi-aerobic structure of the landfill.With the effects of rainfall excluded, only 15% of the moisture held by the waste was discharged as leachate. The majority of the moisture remained in the waste layer, but was less than the optimal moisture level for biodegradation, indicating that an appropriate water spray should be administered. To assess waste degradation in this semi-aerobic landfill, the concentration and flow rate of landfill gas were measured and an in situ aeration test was performed. The results revealed that aerobic biodegradation had not occurred because of the unsatisfactory design and operation of the landfill.     

Fundamental processes and implications during in situ aeration of old landfills

Results of investigations from many old landfills in Germany and Europe indicate that significant emissions occur under conventional landfill operating conditions (i.e., anaerobic conditions). Significant emissions via the gas phase are predicted to last at least three decades after landfill closure, while leachate emissions are predicted to continue for many decades, potentially even lasting for centuries. When considering the specific type and quality, and quite often lack of, protection barriers associated with old landfills, these leachate and gas emissions may result in a significant negative impact on the environment. However, complete sealing of the landfill only temporarily reduces emissions because dry-conservation of the biodegradable waste fraction results, thus not allowing any severe reduction in the emission and hazardous potential of the landfill to occur. If noticeable damage of the surface capping system occurred in these landfills, infiltrating water would restart the interrupted emission formation. In contrast, aerobic in situ stabilization by means of low pressure aeration attempts to stabilize and modify the inventory of organic matter inside the landfill, acting to reduce the emission potential in a more sustainable manner. By enabling faster and more extensive aerobic degradation processes in the landfill (compared with anaerobic processes), the organics (e.g., hydrocarbons) are degraded significantly faster, resulting in an increased carbon discharge via the gas phase, as well as reduced leachate concentrations. Because carbon dioxide (CO(2)) is the main compound in the extracted off-gas (instead of methane (CH(4)), which dominated under anaerobic landfill conditions), the negative impact of diffuse LFG emissions towards an increased global warming effect may be significantly lowered. With respect to leachate quality, a reduction of organic compounds as well as ammonia-nitrogen can be expected. In addition to these positive ecological effects, aerobic in situ stabilization is associated with significant cost savings potential due to both quantitative and qualitative reductions in the aftercare period. This paper describes the fundamental processes and implications of in situ landfill aeration. Additionally, possible criteria for defining an endpoint of the active aeration process are presented and discussed.     

Mass balance to assess the efficiency of a mechanical-biological treatment

Using mechanical-biological treatment of residual municipal solid waste, it is possible to significantly lower landfill volume and gas and leachate emissions. Moreover, the landfill characteristics are improved. The performance of the Mende (France) mechanical-biological treatment plant is assessed via mass balances coupled with manual sorting according to the MODECOMtrade mark methodology and biochemical methane potential after 90 days of incubation. The site includes mechanical sorting operations, a rotary sequential bioreactor, controlled aerobic stabilisation corridors, maturation platforms, and a sanitary landfill site for waste disposal in separated cells. Results showed that several steps could be improved: after a first sieving step, about 12% of the potentially biodegradable matter is landfilled directly without any treatment; mechanical disintegration of papers and cardboards in the rotary sequential bioreactor is insufficient and leads to a high proportion of papers and cardboards being landfilled without further treatment. Two fine fractions go through stabilisation and maturation steps. At the end of the maturation step, about 54% of the potentially biodegradable matter is degraded. The biochemical methane potential after 90 days of incubation is reduced by 81% for one of the two fine fractions and reduced by 88% for the other one. Considering the whole plant, there is a reduction of nearly 20% DM of the entering residual municipal solid waste.     

Assessment and analysis of industrial liquid waste and sludge disposal at unlined landfill sites in arid climate

Municipal solid waste disposal sites in arid countries such as Kuwait receive various types of waste materials like sewage sludge, chemical waste and other debris. Large amounts of leachate are expected to be generated due to the improper disposal of industrial wastewater, sewage sludge and chemical wastes with municipal solid waste at landfill sites even though the rainwater is scarce. Almost 95% of all solid waste generated in Kuwait during the last 10 years was dumped in five unlined landfills. The sites accepting liquid waste consist of old sand quarries that do not follow any specific engineering guidelines. With the current practice, contamination of the ground water table is possible due to the close location of the water table beneath the bottom of the waste disposal sites. This study determined the percentage of industrial liquid waste and sludge of the total waste dumped at the landfill sites, analyzed the chemical characteristics of liquid waste stream and contaminated water at disposal sites, and finally evaluated the possible risk posed by the continuous dumping of such wastes at the unlined landfills. Statistical analysis has been performed on the disposal and characterization of industrial wastewater and sludge at five active landfill sites. The chemical analysis shows that all the industrial wastes and sludge have high concentrations of COD, suspended solids, and heavy metals. Results show that from 1993 to 2000, 5.14+/-1.13 million t of total wastes were disposed per year in all active landfill sites in Kuwait. The share of industrial liquid and sludge waste was 1.85+/-0.19 million t representing 37.22+/-6.85% of total waste disposed in all landfill sites. Such wastes contribute to landfill leachate which pollutes groundwater and may enter the food chain causing adverse health effects. Lined evaporation ponds are suggested as an economical and safe solution for industrial wastewater and sludge disposal in the arid climate of Kuwait.     

Waste stabilization mechanism by a recirculatory semi-aerobic landfill with the aeration system

The main purpose of this research is to clarify and compare the mechanism of waste stabilization by a recirculatory semi-aerobic landfill with the aeration system. Our research is proposing the semi-aerobic landfill system for developing countries because of the simple and low-cost technology for the final disposal. Moreover, this system with leachate recirculation can be a more effective system for waste stabilization because of the improvement of leachate quality as an organic pollutant and, also, nitrogen removal. In this research, five different systems of landfill (Ae: aerobic, An: anaerobic, Se: semi-aerobic, SeR: recirculatory semi-aerobic landfill, and SeRA: recirculatory semi-aerobic landfill with aeration system) are compared with lysimeters which are 1 m high with a diameter of 0.3 m. The results of the leachate quality shows that the leachate treatment effect of the SeRA system can be observed to be as high as the Ae system. To determine the mechanism of this process, all lysimeters are dismantled after 1,100 days in the experimental period and the waste composition, the dissolution test, the mass balance of carbon and nitrogen, the determination of bacterial counts, etc., were analyzed. In this research, it was proven that the SeRA system has an optimal leachate treatment effect that is the same as the Ae system. And, from the results of the mass balance of carbon and nitrogen, the SeR and SeRA systems show higher waste stabilization effectiveness and nitrogen removal than the other systems. Moreover, the number of the aerobic bacteria can be observed to be higher in the SeR and SeRA systems. To determine these results, the waste stabilization mechanism is considered by the results of leachate quality, the mass balance of carbon and nitrogen, and, also, the bacterial numbers.     

Effects of limestone addition and sintering on heavy metal leaching from hazardous waste incineration slag

Hazardous waste incineration (HWI) in rotary kilns and the disposal of the residual slag on landfills play an important role in German waste treatment. In order to save disposal costs the elution behaviour of HWI-slag should be further optimised. Quality-improved slag may be disposed off on cheaper landfill sites still applying to landfill regulations. In a new process-integrated approach hazardous waste is mixed with limestone, which initiates chemical reactions with heavy metals in the rotary kiln yielding new compounds of different solubility. In this work HWI-slag/limestone mixtures are thermally treated and then examined by elution tests. Experimental data indicate that the heavy metals pertinent to landfill class assignment of a HWI-slag share a solubility minimum at a CaO-content of about 15%. Such improved HWI-slags are allowed to be disposed off on cheaper landfill sites. Furthermore, a new combination of thermodynamic calculation methods is applied to predict heavy metal solubility for different process conditions. Used models hold the opportunity to explain the tendencies of heavy metal leaching and propose plausible chemical reactions. With it, a new tool to examine the impact of temperature treatment and slag composition on heavy metal elution from HWI-slag is presented.     

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.     

Municipal solid waste management in India: From waste disposal to recovery of resources?

Unlike that of western countries, the solid waste of Asian cities is often comprised of 70-80% organic matter, dirt and dust. Composting is considered to be the best option to deal with the waste generated. Composting helps reduce the waste transported to and disposed of in landfills. During the course of the research, the author learned that several developing countries established large-scale composting plants that eventually failed for various reasons. The main flaw that led to the unsuccessful establishment of the plants was the lack of application of simple scientific methods to select the material to be composted. Landfills have also been widely unsuccessful in countries like India because the landfill sites have a very limited time frame of usage. The population of the developing countries is another factor that detrimentally impacts the function of landfill sites. As the population keeps increasing, the garbage quantity also increases, which, in turn, exhausts the landfill sites. Landfills are also becoming increasingly expensive because of the rising costs of construction and operation. Incineration, which can greatly reduce the amount of incoming municipal solid waste, is the second most common method for disposal in developed countries. However, incinerator ash may contain hazardous materials including heavy metals and organic compounds such as dioxins, etc. Recycling plays a large role in solid waste management, especially in cities in developing countries. None of the three methods mentioned here are free from problems. The aim of this study is thus to compare the three methods, keeping in mind the costs that would be incurred by the respective governments, and identify the most economical and best option possible to combat the waste disposal problem.     

The environmental comparison of landfilling vs. incineration of MSW accounting for waste diversion

This study evaluates the environmental performance and discounted costs of the incineration and landfilling of municipal solid waste that is ready for the final disposal while accounting for existing waste diversion initiatives, using the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. Parameters such as changing waste generation quantities, diversion rates and waste composition were also considered. Two scenarios were assessed in this study on how to treat the waste that remains after diversion. The first scenario is the status quo, where the entire residual waste was landfilled whereas in the second scenario approximately 50% of the residual waste was incinerated while the remainder is landfilled. Electricity was produced in each scenario. Data from the City of Toronto was used to undertake this study. Results showed that the waste diversion initiatives were more effective in reducing the organic portion of the waste, in turn, reducing the net electricity production of the landfill while increasing the net electricity production of the incinerator. Therefore, the scenario that incorporated incineration performed better environmentally and contributed overall to a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions because of the displacement of power plant emissions; however, at a noticeably higher cost. Although landfilling proves to be the better financial option, it is for the shorter term. The landfill option would require the need of a replacement landfill much sooner. The financial and environmental effects of this expenditure have yet to be considered.     

Risk assessment of landfill disposal sites--State of the art

A risk assessment process can assist in drawing a cost-effective compromise between economic and environmental costs, thereby assuring that the philosophy of 'sustainable development' is adhered to. Nowadays risk analysis is in wide use to effectively manage environmental issues. Risk assessment is also applied to other subjects including health and safety, food, finance, ecology and epidemiology. The literature review of environmental risk assessments in general and risk assessment approaches particularly regarding landfill disposal sites undertaken by the authors, reveals that an integrated risk assessment methodology for landfill gas, leachate or degraded waste does not exist. A range of knowledge gaps is discovered in the literature reviewed to date. From the perspective of landfill leachate, this paper identifies the extent to which various risk analysis aspects are absent in the existing approaches.     

Revegetating industrial waste disposal sites

Short-rotation tree plantations were established at seven industrial waste disposal sites in southern Finland. Altogether 31,500 willow cuttings were planted between 1984 and 1989. Neutralized residue from a titanium dioxide pigment process had an unfavourable influence on growth. Biological sludges from a municipal sewage treatment plant, and pulp and paper mills were too compact to be used alone as substrate, but gave a good supply of nutrients. Sand, bark and de-inking waste were sufficiently porous, but were low in nutrients. A mixture of different waste materials is therefore recommended as a substrate for willow stands. Replacement of a natural soil cover with waste material allows disposal of a greater volume of refuse and diminishes the costs of revegetation. The landfill characteristics have to be taken into account. The high temperature of bark also disturbed the growth of willow stands. Ferrous sulphate in the landfill limits the possibility of irrigating the stand. The highest biomass production of the stands exceeded that of normal Finnish forest. Willow stands can be used for landscaping industrial waste disposal sites, for increasing evapotranspiration and minimizing leachate discharge.     

Oxygen demand for the stabilization of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste in passively aerated bioreactors

Conventional aerobic waste treatment technologies require the use of aeration devices that actively transport air through the stabilized waste mass, which greatly increases operating costs. In addition, improperly operated active aeration systems, may have the adverse effect of cooling the stabilized biomass. Because active aeration can be a limiting factor for the stabilization process, passive aeration can be equally effective and less expensive. Unfortunately, there are few reports documenting the use of passive aeration systems in municipal waste stabilization. There have been doubts raised as to whether a passive aeration system provides enough oxygen to the organic matter mineralization processes. In this paper, the effectiveness of aeration during aerobic stabilization of four different organic fractions of municipal waste in a reactor with an integrated passive ventilation system and leachate recirculation was analyzed. For the study, four fractions separated by a rotary screen were chosen. Despite the high temperatures in the reactor, the air flow rate was below 0.016 m³/h. Using Darcy’s equation, theoretical values of the air flow rate were estimated, depending on the intensity of microbial metabolism and the amount of oxygen required for the oxidation of organic compounds. Calculations showed that the volume of supplied air exceeded the microorganisms demand for oxidation and endogenous activity by 1.7–2.88-fold.     

Changes in carbon and nitrogen pool during in-situ aeration of old landfills under varying conditions

Emissions from old landfills via leachate and the gas phase are influenced by state and stability of the organic matter in the solid waste and by environmental conditions within the landfill. Remediation of landfills by means of in-situ aeration is one possibility to reduce these emissions. By establishing aerobic conditions, biological processes in the landfill are accelerated. To investigate the effects of this remediation technology, lab-scale experiments with column tests have been carried out. The main goal of the present work is to characterize the changes of the carbon and nitrogen compounds in the aerated solid waste, the leachate and the gas phase under varying conditions. The results demonstrate a clear reduction of emissions and a stabilization of the organic matter. Furthermore, it is shown that both the intensity of aeration and the amount of water affect biological processes to a certain extent. Even when columns were operated under anaerobic conditions after a long running period of aeration, the emissions remained low.     

GIS-based approach for optimized siting of municipal solid waste landfill

The exponential rise in the urban population of the developing countries in the past few decades and the resulting accelerated urbanization phenomenon has brought to the fore the necessity to develop environmentally sustainable and efficient waste management systems. Sanitary landfill constitutes one of the primary methods of municipal solid waste disposal. Optimized siting decisions have gained considerable importance in order to ensure minimum damage to the various environmental sub-components as well as reduce the stigma associated with the residents living in its vicinity, thereby enhancing the overall sustainability associated with the life cycle of a landfill. This paper addresses the siting of a new landfill using a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) and overlay analysis using a geographic information system (GIS). The proposed system can accommodate new information on the landfill site selection by updating its knowledge base. Several factors are considered in the siting process including geology, water supply resources, land use, sensitive sites, air quality and groundwater quality. Weightings were assigned to each criterion depending upon their relative importance and ratings in accordance with the relative magnitude of impact. The results from testing the system using different sites show the effectiveness of the system in the selection process.     

Performance of a low cost MBT prior to landfilling: study of the biological treatment of size reduced MSW without mechanical sorting

In France, the interest in Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) prior to landfilling is actually growing. In the absence of acceptance criteria for the waste to be landfilled, an alternative to the intensive, high-technology MBT can only find its place in the French context if it shows substantial benefits from an environmental, economic or operational point of view. This paper presents an experiment of low-cost MBT of size reduced MSW without material splitting. The performance of an experimental, pilot-scale mechanical and biological treatment process has been studied on 37.5 Mg of raw municipal solid waste. The mechanical process has been kept simple with only coarse shredding and no material recovery. The biological treatment, which was a low-cost forced aeration process, was monitored for 25 weeks. The biogas production potential of the waste was reduced by 90% to 19 NL kgDM(-1). The initial AT4 index of 82.9 mg O2 gDM(-1) decreased to 16.0 mg O2 gDM(-1). After 25 weeks of aerobic treatment, the dry mass loss reached 37%, while the mass of waste going to landfill was reduced by 28%. The average performances of the process were explained by the biological process itself, which was not optimal, and also by the characteristics of the input waste. The high particle size of the treated waste and the high content of slowly biodegradable matter (such as paper and cardboard) may both be significant drawbacks for the biological stabilisation of waste.     

From mixed to separate collection of solid waste: Benefits for the town of Zavidovići (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

In Bosnia and Herzegovina only 50% of the municipalities have a well-organized service for (mixed) waste collection and disposal. Illegal dumping is very common, in particular in rural areas, which are not regularly served by any service of collection. This situation leads to serious risks for public health and has dangerous environmental impacts. In Zavidovi?i the municipality is trying to meet high standards in the delivery of services of waste collection, but is constrained by scarce financial and technical resources. Different scenarios for the implementation of a system of separate collection in Zavidovi?i were elaborated in order to provide a useful tool for decision making by comparing costs and environmental & economic benefits of each scenario. Six scenarios were considered, based on different recovery rates for plastic, paper & cardboard, and metals. Benefits resulting from the implementation of each of the proposed scenarios are compared in terms of savings of landfill volume and costs. The study concludes that the adoption of a system of separate collection could generate positive impacts on all the stakeholders involved in the solid waste management sector in Zavidovi?i and could contribute to the compliance of European standards in many Central and Eastern European countries as established by a number of national environmental protection strategies.     

Landfill reduction experience in The Netherlands

Modern waste legislation aims at resource efficiency and landfill reduction. This paper analyses more than 20 years of landfill reduction in the Netherlands. The combination of landfill regulations, landfill tax and landfill bans resulted in the desired landfill reduction, but also had negative effects. A fierce competition developed over the remaining waste to be landfilled. In 2013 the Dutch landfill industry generated €40 million of annual revenue, had €58 million annual costs and therefore incurred an annual loss of €18 million. It is not an attractive option to prematurely end business. There is a risk that Dutch landfill operators will not be able to fulfil the financial obligations for closure and aftercare. Contrary to the polluter pays principle the burden may end up with society. EU regulations prohibiting export of waste for disposal are in place. Strong differentials in landfill tax rate between nations have nevertheless resulted in transboundary shipment of waste and in non-compliance with the self-sufficiency and proximity principles. During the transformation from a disposal society to a recycling society, it is important to carefully plan required capacity and to guide the reorganisation of the landfill sector. At some point, it is no longer profitable to provide landfill services. It may be necessary for public organisations or the state to take responsibility for the continued operation of a ‘safety net’ in waste management. Regulations have created a financial incentive to pass on the burden of monitoring and controlling the impact of waste to future generations. To prevent this, it is necessary to revise regulations on aftercare and create incentives to actively stabilise landfills.     

Pricing landfill externalities: emissions and disamenity costs in Cape Town, South Africa

The external (environmental and social) costs of landfilling (e.g. emissions to air, soil and water; and 'disamenities' such as odours and pests) are difficult to quantify in monetary terms, and are therefore not generally reflected in waste disposal charges or taken into account in decision making regarding waste management options. This results in a bias against alternatives such as recycling, which may be more expensive than landfilling from a purely financial perspective, but preferable from an environmental and social perspective. There is therefore a need to quantify external costs in monetary terms, so that different disposal options can be compared on the basis of their overall costs to society (financial plus external costs). This study attempts to estimate the external costs of landfilling in the City of Cape Town for different scenarios, using the benefits transfer method (for emissions) and the hedonic pricing method (for disamenities). Both methods (in particular the process of transferring and adjusting estimates from one study site to another) are described in detail, allowing the procedures to be replicated elsewhere. The results show that external costs are currently R111 (in South African Rands, or approximately US$16) per tonne of waste, although these could decline under a scenario in which energy is recovered, or in which the existing urban landfills are replaced with a new regional landfill.     

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.     

Sustainable disposal of municipal solid waste: Post bioreactor landfill polishing

Sustainable disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW) requires assurance that contaminant release will be minimized or prevented within a reasonable time frame before the landfill is abandoned so that the risk of contamination release is not passed to future generations. This could be accomplished through waste acceptance criteria such as those established by the European Union (EU) that prohibit land disposal of untreated organic matter. In the EU, mechanical, biological and/or thermal pretreatment of MSW is therefore necessary prior to landfilling which is complicated and costly. In other parts of the world, treatment within highly engineered landfills is under development, known as bioreactor landfills. However, the completed bioreactor landfill still contains material, largely nonbiodegradable carbon and ammonia that may be released to the environment over the long-term. This paper provides a conceptual analysis of an approach to ensure landfill sustainability by the rapid removal of these remaining materials, leachate treatment and recirculation combined with aeration. The analysis in this paper includes a preliminary experimental evaluation using real mature leachate and waste samples, a modeling effort using a simplified mass balance approach and input parameters from real typical bioreactor cases, and a cost estimate for the suggested treatment method.