Treatment of landfill leachate using anaerobic baffled reactor

Author(s)

Claudia Regina Clareto

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Carlos.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC/SBD)
• Defense date: 1997-04-01

Examining board members

Jose Roberto Campos; Deovaldo de Moraes Júnior; Valdir Schalch

• Advisor: Jose Roberto Campos

Abstract

This work presents a study of treatment process of landfill leachates produces by a new sanitary landfill (Aterro Sanitário Delta IA- Campinas/SP) with COD of approximately 60.000 mglf in an anaerobic reactor baffled at hydraulic detention times of 80; 45; 15 and 5 days and temperature of 30 ± 2° C. The laboratory scale reactor (10l) has 4 chambers in series equipped with baffles and settlers in the form of truncated inverted pyramid in the bottom. The first chamber is larger to contain variations of influent load and the last simulates an \"anaerobic filter\" with glass sphere filling. The reactor has sampling ports for effluent and has removable cover .. Treatment results were analyzed and it was observed that the removal efficiency for COD varied from 97 to 80% for detention times from 80 to 5 days. The Organic Loading Rate (OLR) varied quite a bit during the experiment (0,3 - 11 kg COD/m³ day). The first chamber was considered an indicator of treatment process tolerating OLR of up to 5 kg COD/m³ day. However, for OLR of 12 kg COD/m³ day, fermentation was observed increasing the quantity of volatile acids and reducing the removal efficiency to 5% at OLR of 34 kg COD/m³ day, besides carrying sludge. It is concluded that the landfill leachates admits anaerobic biological treatment. However, it is recommended that it should be followed by an anaerobic treatment system when high concentration of organic matter is present. (AU)