Solid Waste Management

Landfill Leachate Treatment

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Leachate treatment

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Leachate treatment

What is landfill leachate?

Leachate is formed when water present in the landfill percolates through the waste, picks up
contaminants (organic and inorganic chemicals, metals, biological waste products of
decomposition)

This water with the dissolved or suspended contaminants is called leachate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsyg472MQp8

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Leachate treatment
Leachate Source

(1) By the natural humidity of the garbage, increasing in the

rainy season or any rain water seeping in

(2) By the water that is present in organic matter, which flows

during the decomposition process

(3) By the bacteria in the garbage, they release enzymes, which

dissolve the organic matter with formation of liquids

Leachate Characteristics

(1)dark color

(2)strong odor

(3)viscous texture
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Leachate treatment

What is the problem with leachate?

Leachate may be a major groundwater and surface water contaminant, particularly where there
is heavy rainfall and rapid percolation through the soil.

So leachate must be tested and after testing, the leachate must be treated like any other
sewage/wastewater; the treatment may occur on-site or off-site.

Some landfills recirculate the leachate and later treat it. This method reduces the volume of
leachate from the landfill, but increases the concentrations of contaminants in the leachate.

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Leachate treatment

Leachate composition
Factors influencing:

(1)Geographical location

(2)Waste composition

(3)Age of landfill

(4)pH

(5)Moisture content

(6)Internal processes
like hydrolysis, adsorption,
biodegradation,
decomposition.

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Leachate treatment

Leachate treatment

Leachate generated in landfill is collected and treated by one or more of the following strategies
depending on various parameters

On-site treatment and discharge

Treatment system is constructed on-site or leachate is recycled on-site

On-site pretreatment followed by off-site treatment

Some off-site facilities may have limits that require pretreatment

Transport and treatment off-site

Leachate is transported via tanker truck or pumped directly through a pipe to off-site wastewater
treatment facility

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Leachate treatment

Leachate treatment: Biological Methods

Aerobic Activated Sludge Rotating biological contactors

Aerobic systems Nitrification/Denitrification

Anaerobic systems Anammox

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 Leachate treatment: Biological Methods

Rotating biological contactors

A rotating biological contactor or RBC is a biological fixed-film

treatment process used in the treatment of wastewater
following primary treatment.

It consists of circular plastic discs mounted centrally on a

common horizontal shaft. These discs are approximately 40%
submerged in a tank containing wastewater and are slowly
rotated by either a mechanical or a compressed air drive.

Microorganisms from the wastewater adhere to the plastic disc

surfaces and, within 1–4 weeks from start-up, form a biofilm
ranging from 1 to 2mm in thickness.

This biological growth assimilates organics from the wastewater

passing over the surface of the disc and is responsible for most
of the treatment
which occurs.
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 Leachate treatment: Biological Methods

Nitrification-Denitrification

The ammonium ion in the wastewater may also be oxidized completely to nitrate by bacteria like
Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter, in a process called nitrification.

The nitrate and nitrite forms are removed from the system by the process of denitrification. It is
an anaerobic process in which Pseudomonas found in activated sludges reduce nitrite and nitrate
to nitrogen gas.

Denitrification is brought about by a great variety of bacteria. Some of the most important
genera are Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter and Thiobacillus, Lactobacillus and Spirillum.

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 Leachate treatment: Biological Methods

Anammox

The anaerobic ammonium oxidation process is a novel, promising, low-cost alternative to

conventional denitrification systems.

In the anammox reaction, nitrite and ammonium ions are converted directly into Diatomic Nitrogen
and water.

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Leachate treatment: Biological Methods

Anammox Advantages

Conventional nitrogen removal from ammonium-rich wastewater is accomplished by Nitrification

and Denitrification which are:

Highly energy consuming.

Associated with the production of excess sludge.

Produce significant amounts of green-house gases such as CO2 and N2O and ozone-depleting NO.

Because anammox bacteria convert ammonium and nitrite directly to N2 anaerobically, this process
does not require aeration and other electron donors.

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Leachate treatment: Physiochemical Methods

Coagulation–flocculation Adsorption by Activated Carbon

Membrane filtration

Chemical oxidation

Ion Exchange

Air Stripping

Chemical Precipitation
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 Leachate treatment: Physicochemical Methods

Activated Carbon Adsorption

Removes some inorganic as well as organic compounds

specially from pesticides and insecticides.

An activated carbon column is a completely enclosed

tube, which dirty water is pumped into at the bottom
and clear water exits at the top.

Microscopic crevices in the carbon catch and hold

colloidal and smaller particles.

As the carbon column becomes saturated, the pollutants

must be removed from the carbon and the carbon
reactivated, usually by heating it in the absence of
oxygen.

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