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Removal of phenols and other pollutants from different landfill leachates using powdered activated carbon supplemented SBR technology

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Abstract

In this research, two types of sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) with 8 h of cycle times, namely non-powdered activated carbon (NPAC-SBR) and powdered activated carbon (PAC-SBR), were used for the treatment of raw leachates at Kulim and Pulau Burung landfill sites. To test the performance of SBRs, phenols, total iron, zinc, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, color, suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand, and total dissolved salts removal efficiencies and sludge volume index (SVI) were studied at both sites. The rates of phenols removal, for instance in NPAC-SBRs and PAC-SBRs at Kulim, were 25% and 55%, respectively, whereas those at Pulau Buring were 94.81% and 97.75%, respectively. PAC as adsorbent in PAC-SBRs enhanced the removal efficiencies of the aforementioned pollutants from leachates at both sites. In addition, PAC as adsorbent decreased the SVI values at Kulim (59.7 mL/g) and Pulau Burung (91.4 mL/g) leachates and improved the nitrification and denitrification processes.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) for providing the grant of this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Civil Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), 14300, Nibong Tebal, Penang, Malaysia

    Shuokr Qarani Aziz, Hamidi Abdul Aziz, Mohd Suffian Yusoff & Soraya Mohajeri

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  1. Shuokr Qarani Aziz
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  2. Hamidi Abdul Aziz
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  3. Mohd Suffian Yusoff
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  4. Soraya Mohajeri
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Correspondence to Hamidi Abdul Aziz.

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Aziz, S.Q., Aziz, H.A., Yusoff, M.S. et al. Removal of phenols and other pollutants from different landfill leachates using powdered activated carbon supplemented SBR technology. Environ Monit Assess 184, 6147–6158 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-011-2409-8

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