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Landfill leachate biological treatment: perspective for the aerobic granular sludge technology

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Abstract

Landfill leachates are high-strength complex mixtures containing dissolved organic matter, ammonia, heavy metals, and sulfur species, among others. The problem of leachate treatment has subsisted for some time, but an efficient and cost-effective universal solution capable of ensuring environmental resources protection has not been found. Aerobic granular sludge (AGS) has been considered a promising technology for biological wastewater treatment in recent years. Granules’ layered structure, with an aerobic outer layer and an anaerobic/anoxic core, enables the presence of diverse microbial populations without the need for support media, allowing simultaneous removal of different pollutants in a single unit. Besides, its strong and compact arrangement provides higher tolerance to toxic pollutants and the ability to withstand large load fluctuations. Furthermore, its good that settling properties allow high biomass retention and better sludge separation. Nevertheless, AGS-related research has focused on carbon-nitrogen-phosphorus removal, mainly from sanitary sewage. This review aims to summarize and analyze the main findings and problems reported in the literature regarding AGS application to landfill leachate treatment and identify the knowledge gaps for future applications.

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Funding

This work was financially supported by (i) Capes/FCT, project number 88887.309177/2018-00 and CNPq, and (ii) LA/P/0045/2020 (ALiCE), UIDB/50020/2020 and UIDP/50020/2020 (LSRE-LCM), funded by national funds through FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC). Sara G.S. Santos received from the FCT her Ph.D. scholarship (2020.04970.BD). Tânia F.C.V. Silva and Vítor J.P. Vilar received the FCT Individual Call to Scientific Employment Stimulus 2017 (CEECIND/01386/2017 and CEECIND/01317/2017, respectively).

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  1. Vicente E. P. S. G. da Silva, Silvio L. d. S. Rollemberg and Sara G. S. Santos contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

    Vicente E. P. S. G. da Silva, Silvio L. de S. Rollemberg & André B. dos Santos

  2. LSRE-LCM - Laboratory of Separation and Reaction Engineering – Laboratory of Catalysis and Materials, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal

    Sara G. da S. e Santos, Tânia F. C. V. Silva & Vítor J. P. Vilar

  3. ALiCE - Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal

    Sara G. da S. e Santos, Tânia F. C. V. Silva & Vítor J. P. Vilar

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Contributions

The statement to specify the contribution of each co-author is as follows:

Vicente E.P.S.G. da Silva, Silvio L.S. Rollemberg, Sara G.S. Santos: writing — original draft ; writing — review and editing

Tânia F.C.V. Silva, Vítor J.P. Vilar, André B. dos Santos: writing — review and editing; funding acquisition

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Correspondence to André B. dos Santos.

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P. S. G. da Silva, V.E., de S. Rollemberg, S.L., da S. e Santos, S.G. et al. Landfill leachate biological treatment: perspective for the aerobic granular sludge technology. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 45150–45170 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-20451-3

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