A novel design for anaerobic chemical oxygen demand and nitrogen removal from leachate in a semiaerobic landfill

The removal capacity of carbon and nitrogen from an artificial leachate was evaluated by using laboratory-scale columns, and a design was proposed to remove nitrogen more efficiently from a semiaerobic landfill. Five columns (i.e., two artificial municipal waste columns under anaerobic and semiaerobic conditions, an artificial construction waste column under semiaerobic conditions, and two crushed stone columns under anaerobic and semiaerobic conditions) were used. The influent load rates of organics g chemical oxygen demand (COD)/m3 x day], NH4+, NO3- and aeration conditions for the columns were varied, and the removal capacities of the columns for COD, NH4+-N, and NO3--N were measured. Among the packed column materials, crushed stone was shown to be most effective in removing COD, NH4+ N, and NO3--N from artificial leachate. Average removal rates of crushed column under the semiaerobic condition (column D) for COD and NH4+-N were estimated at about 150 g COD/m3 x day and 20 g COD/m3 x day, while those of crushed column under anaerobic condition (column E) for COD and NO3--N at about 400 and 150 g COD/m3 x day, respectively. It also was found that denitrification and nitrification reactions in column D occurred at the same time, and the ratio of denitrification to nitrification was estimated to be about 80%. Therefore, an anaerobic structure, which could be attached to the bottom of a main pipe in a semiaerobic landfill, is suggested to remove nitrogen and organic substances more effectively.