Evaluation of mature landfill leachates Treatment systems: the case of the landfill Curva de Rodas (Medellín-Colombia)

Abstract

Leachates produced in the closed landfill Curva de Rodas in Medellin, Colombia are catalogued as mature leachates. These are characterized as poorly biodegradable waste containing organic compounds such as fulvic and humic acids, heavy metals, ammonia, nitrogen, and salts. In this paper five possible physicochemical leachate treatments are evaluated: adsorption with five types of granular activated carbon (GAC), adsorption with zeolite type A, Fenton oxidation, chemical precipitation by Ca(OH)2, and coagulationflocculation with aluminum sulfide type A. The treatments are compared in terms of their capacity to remove Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and color. GAC adsorption removals of up to 39% for COD and 50% for color were achieved. In the case of the adsorption with zeolite type A, negligible removals of COD and color were achieved (3% and 7% respectively). Removals using the Fenton oxidation and neutralization with NaOH reached up to 95% for COD and 97% for color. When additionally neutralized with raw leachate the removals were up to 79% for COD and 87% for color. Finally in the chemical precipitation tests, removals of 27% for COD and 63% for color were achieved. Clearly, Fenton oxidation was identified as the most appropriate treatment process.

Keywords

• fenton oxidation
• adsorption
• coagulation-flocculation
• chemical precipitation
• mature leachate treatment
• landfill leachate