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A pilot study of three-stage biological–chemical treatment of landfill leachate applying continuous ferric sludge reuse in Fenton-like process

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Abstract

This pilot study describes a three-stage continuous process for treating landfill leachate containing significant concentrations of recalcitrant organic substances. The proposed technological scheme consisted of an activated sludge pre-treatment combined with a Fenton-like process enhanced by continuous sludge reuse and followed by an activated sludge post-oxidation. Biological pre-treatment removed >99, 86, >99, 83 and 86 % of BOD7, COD, NH4 +–N, phenols and the sum of lignin and tannins, respectively. Operational conditions in the ferric sludge-catalysed Fenton-like process stage were carefully adjusted in order to maintain the efficacy and practicability of combined treatment scheme. Although the application of ferric sludge as a catalyst in the Fenton-like oxidation reduced COD removal efficiency by 32 % as compared to the conventional Fenton process, lower process efficiency was compensated by reducing the water exchange ratio to 50 % without increasing the consumption of reagents. Moreover, an intermittent addition (added to every second treatment cycle) of fresh ferrous iron catalyst at a H2O2/Fe2+ w/w ratio of 20/1 increased the BOD7/COD ratio from 0.04 to 0.32 and resulted in 60 % COD removal. A cyclic addition (added to every treatment cycle) of the same amount of catalyst increased the BOD7/COD ratio from 0.09 to 0.32, and a 10 % higher COD removal efficiency as compared to intermittent catalyst addition was achieved. Finally, biological post-treatment of the leachate resulted in more than 95 % removal of each measured parameter. Overall, the combined technological scheme with continuous ferric sludge reuse in the Fenton-like stage proved promising alternative for landfill leachate treatment.

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Abbreviations

BOD7 :

A 7-day biochemical oxygen demand (mg/L)

COD:

Chemical oxygen demand (mg/L)

BOD7/COD:

Biodegradability (ratio of biochemical oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand)

NH4–N:

Ammonium nitrogen (mg/L)

NO3–N:

Nitrate nitrogen (mg/L)

NO2–N:

Nitrite nitrogen (mg/L)

DO:

Concentration of dissolved oxygen (mgO2/L)

MLSS:

Mixed liquor suspended solids (g/L)

HRT:

Hydraulic retention time (day)

SRT:

Solids retention time (day)

WER:

Water exchange ratio (%)

SVI:

Sludge volume index (mL/g)

SBR:

Sequencing batch reactor

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express their gratitude to the European Union for their financial support through the European Regional Development Fund Project CHEMBIO (code 3.2.0802.11–0043) and to the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research for the institutional research funding IUT20–16.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Chemistry, University of Tartu, Ravila Street 14A, 50411, Tartu, Estonia

    Kati Klein, Arthur Kivi, Ivar Zekker, Erik Mölder, Toomas Tenno & Taavo Tenno

  2. Department of Chemical Engineering, Tallinn University of Technology, 5 Ehitajate Road, 19086, Tallinn, Estonia

    Niina Dulova & Marina Trapido

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  1. Kati Klein
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  2. Arthur Kivi
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  3. Niina Dulova
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  7. Marina Trapido
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Correspondence to Kati Klein.

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Klein, K., Kivi, A., Dulova, N. et al. A pilot study of three-stage biological–chemical treatment of landfill leachate applying continuous ferric sludge reuse in Fenton-like process. Clean Techn Environ Policy 19, 541–551 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-016-1245-5

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