Anaerobic treatment of landfill leachate using a peat moss filter for pre-treatment.

Abstract

The feasibility of anaerobically treating a leachate from a landfill site in the Ottawa-Carleton Region, ON, was studied. The levels of specific pollutants present in the leachate, COD, Fe, B and Ba, were required by the landfill owners to be treated in order to meet the local sewer user bylaw (SUB) discharge limits. The leachate had a high COD concentration (from 14 to 40 g COD L-1); however most of the organic content was readily biodegradable (up to 98%). The studied leachate was concluded to stimulate anaerobic bacterial microbial activity. The filtration of the leachate by peat moss was found to be an excellent means of removing suspended solids. The core experiments of this work were the treatment of the leachate by the combined peat-filter-UASB reactor process. Three series of reactor runs were conducted; feed leachate COD concentration and reactors flow rates were varied in order to mimic seasonal landfill leachate conditions (spring, summer and fall conditions). Finally, the removal of soluble inorganic ions by the combined treatment was studied. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)