Thesis (M.App.Sc.) - Carleton University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 120-128). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (M.Sc.Eng.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010. / Full text also available online. Scroll down for electronic link.

The discharge of a landfill leachate to a receiving water body can cause a serious pollution problem. One component of leachate that can have a severe impact on a receiving water body is ammonia and its oxidized form, nitrate. This study investigated the biological treatibility of a high ammonia leachate, with specific regard to nitriification and denitrification. A continuous-feed, single sludge denitrification system with recycle was used. Leachate ammonia concentrations of up to 288 mg/L-N were reduced to less than 1 mg/L. The ammonia was removed by nitrification and bacterial uptake. About 25% of the incoming ammonia was taken up by the bacteria in the anoxic reactor; the rest was subsequently nitrified in the aerobic reactor. The nitrates produced in the aerobic reactor were recycled back to the anoxic reactor to undergo denitrification. Glucose was added directly to the anoxic reactor to aid denitrification. The degree of denitrification was dependent on the glucose loading to the anoxic reactor; however, 100% denitrification was achieved on several occasions. The influent leachate COD removal was 20%; however after the addition of glucose to the system, a mean COD removal of 74% was obtained. Of the COD removed across the system, 85% was used in the anoxic reactor for denitrification, and the remaining 15% was used by the heterotrophs in the aerobic reactor. The four metals monitored regularly, zinc, manganese, nickel and iron were removed by the biomass, but not to the same extent During the latter part of the study, the system was first spiked with manganese, and then - zinc, to try and induce an inhibitory effect on the nitrification process. The manganese had no detectable effect on the system. However, total zinc (>95% soluble) levels of between 14.9 and 17.6 mg/L caused substantial inhibition of the nitrification process, resulting in approximately 70 mg/L ammonia in the effluent (feed = 216 mg/L). This inhibition was also evident from the lower percent nitrification values and the unit nitrification rates. This high influent zinc concentration also caused deflocculation, resulting in the loss of significant quantities of biomass with the effluent. The high zinc concentrations also inhibited the denitrifiers, resulting in a decrease in the ammonia uptake, as well as an increase in the COD (used)/Nitrate+Nitrite (NOT) (reduced) ratios in the anoxic reactor. The zinc levels were then lowered to allow the system to return to normal; after this state had been reached, the influent total zinc (>95% soluble) levels were again increased up to 19.5 mg/L. This concentration of zinc did not result in any ammonia appearing in the effluent; thus, it is possible that the bacteria had acclimatized to these high influent zinc concentrations. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Civil Engineering, Department of / Graduate

Several operational and environmental conditions can result in poor biogas yield during the operation of anaerobic digesters and anaerobic bioreactor landfills. Over time, anaerobic co-digestion and leachate blending have been identified as strategies that can help address some of these challenges to improve biogas production. While co-digestion entails the co-treatment of multiple substrates, leachate blending involves combination of mature and young landfill leachate. Despite the benefits attributed to these strategies, their impact on recirculating bioreactor landfill scenarios and anaerobic digesters requires further investigation. In the first phase of this thesis, an attempt to assess biogas production improvement from organic fraction of municipal solid waste in simulated bioreactor landfills through recirculation of blended landfill leachate was conducted. Real old and new leachate blends (67%New leachate:33%Old leachate, 33%New leachate:67%Old leachate) as well as 100%New and 100%Old leachate were recirculated through six laboratory-scale bioreactors using open-loop and closed-loops modes. Compared with the control bioreactor where 100% new leachate was recirculated and operated as a closed-loop, cumulative biogas production was improved by as much as 77 to 193% when a leachate blend of 33%New:67%Old was recirculated. Furthermore, comparison of the results from open-loop and closed-loop operated bioreactors indicated that there was approximately 28 to 65% more biogas in open-loop bioreactors. The Gompertz model applied to the methane data produced a better fit (R2 > 0.99) than first order and logistic function models. Leachate blending reduced the lag phase by almost half and thus helps in alleviating the ensiling during the start-up phase. In the second phase, a biochemical methane potential (BMP) assay was conducted to investigate the synergistic effect of percentage sewage scum addition; 10%, 20% and 40% (volatile solids basis) on biogas production during mesophilic co-digestion with various organic substrates viz; organic fraction of municipal solid waste, old leachate, new leachate and a leachate blend prepared from 67%old leachate and 33%new leachate under sub-optimal condition. Results show that the net cumulative bio-methane yield was improved with increased sewage scum percentage during co-digestion because of positive synergism. Meanwhile, the addition of 40% sewage scum to the individual co-substrates improved net cumulative bio-methane yield by 28% - 67% when compared to their respective mono-substrate digestion bio-methane yield. Furthermore, reactors containing leachate blends consistently produced more biogas over other sets because of blending. Kinetic modelling applied to the bio-methane production data shows modified Gompertz equation achieved a better fit with up to an R2 value of 0.999. Finally, co-digestion substantially reduced the lag time encountered during mono-digestion. In the last phase, the biomethane potential involved in the ACo-D of sewage scum, organic fraction of municipal solid waste was investigated in this phase using either thickened waste activated sludge or leachate blend (67%old leachate and 33%new leachate) as a tertiary component. Compared to the mono-digestion of TWAS, results shows that biomethane yield was enhanced in by as much as 32 - 127% in trinary mixtures with SS and OFMSW mainly due to the effect of positive synergism. Furthermore, LB addition improved biomethane production in trinary mixtures of SS:LB: OFMSW by 38% than in corresponding trinary mixtures of TWAS. Whereas an optimal combination of 40%SS:10%TWAS:50%OFMSW and 20%SS:70%LB:10%OFMSW produced the highest biogas yield of 407mL.gVS-1 and 487mL.gVS-1 respectively. The application of the first order model showed that lower hydrolysis rates promoted methanogenesis with k = 0.04day-1 in both 20%SS:70%LB:10%OFMSW and 20%SS:50%LB:30%OFMSW. Estimations by the modified Gompertz and logistic function were conclusive methane production rate improved by as much a 60% in a trinary mixture over the production rate during mono-digestion of TWAS alone. The results of the various experiments of this thesis therefore suggest that leachate blending can be used as a strategy to improve biogas production in both bioreactor landfills and anaerobic digesters. Also, sewage scum as an energy-rich substrate can be better utilized during co-digestion with other low-energy substrates.

MESC / Department of Mining and Environmental Geology

Three major microbial subpopulations from an industrial leachate system were characterized with respect to their bioremediation potential, and particular aspects of a cometabolically active subpopulation were determined.

No description available.

Thesis (MTech (Agriculture))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2014. / In this study, laboratory and greenhouse experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of utilization of land fill leachate for irrigation purposes on potted soil and Swiss chard, to provide more insight into effects of landfill leachates on the environment. Swiss chard was grown and irrigated with different concentrations of leachates in pot experiments. For several weeks, the experimental soil and Swiss chard leaves was analyzed to assess extent of change in different chemical compositions, post-irrigation. The leachate samples had a high electrical conductivity (mean = 383 mS cm-1) and high soluble salts content (mean values, Na = 714.5 mg/L, K= 56.8 mg/L, Ca = 133.7 mg/L, Mg = 68.8 mg/L, Cl = 983 mg/L); while the composition of heavy metals in these wastewater leachates were of low concentrations. The application of leachates in irrigation resulted in increased soil cation concentrations, particularly those of Na ions (increased sodicity). Similarly, an increase in electrical conductivity and pH were recorded in the soils after irrigation with leachates. The soil metal concentrations were low and there was no significant difference in soil heavy metal concentrations between the soils irrigated with leachate and those of the controls. The results also show significant (p <0.05) reduction (up to 50%) in Swiss chard growth with application of (100%, 50% and 25%) of leachate as source of irrigation water compared to the growth observed in leachate-free (control) irrigation systems. This reduction in growth was best attributed to the high cation content in plant tissue picked up from the soil which was high in cations as a result of leachate irrigation.

A grande quantidade de resíduos sólidos gerados nas cidades é um desafio para o saneamento ambiental no Brasil. A fim de se reduzir os impactos gerados ao meio ambiente e à saúde pública, é necessário que haja um gerenciamento adequado, desde a coleta até a disposição final, desses resíduos sólidos urbanos. Os aterros sanitários permitem um maior controle ambiental, desde que sejam bem projetados e operados. A decomposição da matéria orgânica presente nesses resíduos, somada às águas das chuvas gera o lixiviado, líquido com alto potencial poluidor. Várias formas de tratamento são propostas com a finalidade de tornar o lixiviado menos poluente ao meio ambiente. Wetlands construídos tem se mostrado uma alternativa eficiente para a remoção de poluentes em lixiviados, além dos baixos custos operacionais e de implantação. O presente estudo investigou o uso de wetlands subsuperficiais em escala-piloto para o tratamento de um lixiviado prétratado. Os wetlands foram monitorados com a finalidade de se obter remoções de matéria orgânica e nitrogênio amoniacal. As maiores reduções percentuais de concentração de nitrogênio amoniacal, DQO e COD foram, 91%, 42% e 35%, respectivamente. As maiores reduções percentuais em carga de nitrogênio amoniacal e DQO foram, 67% e 50%, respectivamente. Os resultados dos ensaios de toxicidade realizados com os organismos Vibrio fischeri e Danio rerio revelaram que, a toxicidade do lixiviado foi reduzida ao ser tratado pelo wetland. / Large amounts of solid wastes are generated in cities and this is a challenge for environmental sanitation in Brazil. In order to reduce impacts to the environment and to public health, it is necessary to manage these municipal solid wastes appropriately, from their collection to their final disposal. Landfills allow a greater environmental control, provided that they are well designed and operated. Landfill leachate generation results from the decomposition of the organic matter in the wastes, combined with the rainwater that percolates the waste. Landfill leachate has a high pollution potential. Various forms of treatment are proposed in order to attenuate the potential of the leachate to pollute the environment. Constructed wetlands seem to be efficient alternatives in removing leachate pollutants with low operational and implementation costs. The present study investigated the use of subsurface wetlands in pilot scale in a pretreated leachate treatment. The wetlands were monitored in order to obtain results in reducing the concentration and loads of pollutants. The best removal performance of the concentration of ammonia nitrogen, COD and DOC were 91%, 42% and 35%, respectively. The best removal performance of the load of ammonia nitrogen and DOC were 67% and 50%, respectively. The results of the toxicity tests conducted with Vibrio fischeri and Danio rerio revealed that wetlands were effective in reducing the toxicity of the leachate.

A grande quantidade de resíduos sólidos gerados nas cidades é um desafio para o saneamento ambiental no Brasil. A fim de se reduzir os impactos gerados ao meio ambiente e à saúde pública, é necessário que haja um gerenciamento adequado, desde a coleta até a disposição final, desses resíduos sólidos urbanos. Os aterros sanitários permitem um maior controle ambiental, desde que sejam bem projetados e operados. A decomposição da matéria orgânica presente nesses resíduos, somada às águas das chuvas gera o lixiviado, líquido com alto potencial poluidor. Várias formas de tratamento são propostas com a finalidade de tornar o lixiviado menos poluente ao meio ambiente. Wetlands construídos tem se mostrado uma alternativa eficiente para a remoção de poluentes em lixiviados, além dos baixos custos operacionais e de implantação. O presente estudo investigou o uso de wetlands subsuperficiais em escala-piloto para o tratamento de um lixiviado prétratado. Os wetlands foram monitorados com a finalidade de se obter remoções de matéria orgânica e nitrogênio amoniacal. As maiores reduções percentuais de concentração de nitrogênio amoniacal, DQO e COD foram, 91%, 42% e 35%, respectivamente. As maiores reduções percentuais em carga de nitrogênio amoniacal e DQO foram, 67% e 50%, respectivamente. Os resultados dos ensaios de toxicidade realizados com os organismos Vibrio fischeri e Danio rerio revelaram que, a toxicidade do lixiviado foi reduzida ao ser tratado pelo wetland. / Large amounts of solid wastes are generated in cities and this is a challenge for environmental sanitation in Brazil. In order to reduce impacts to the environment and to public health, it is necessary to manage these municipal solid wastes appropriately, from their collection to their final disposal. Landfills allow a greater environmental control, provided that they are well designed and operated. Landfill leachate generation results from the decomposition of the organic matter in the wastes, combined with the rainwater that percolates the waste. Landfill leachate has a high pollution potential. Various forms of treatment are proposed in order to attenuate the potential of the leachate to pollute the environment. Constructed wetlands seem to be efficient alternatives in removing leachate pollutants with low operational and implementation costs. The present study investigated the use of subsurface wetlands in pilot scale in a pretreated leachate treatment. The wetlands were monitored in order to obtain results in reducing the concentration and loads of pollutants. The best removal performance of the concentration of ammonia nitrogen, COD and DOC were 91%, 42% and 35%, respectively. The best removal performance of the load of ammonia nitrogen and DOC were 67% and 50%, respectively. The results of the toxicity tests conducted with Vibrio fischeri and Danio rerio revealed that wetlands were effective in reducing the toxicity of the leachate.