The purpose of this study was to investigate treatment alternatives for a leachate from a municipal landfill in Roanoke County, Virginia. A continuous flow, laboratory scale, single sludge waste treatment system utilizing the Modified Ludzack Ettinger (MLE) nitrification/denitrification process with the addition of phosphorus and methanol was operated to determine its effectiveness in removing total nitrogen, organic compounds and metals from the leachate. The system was compared with the effectiveness of a totally aerobic activated sludge system operated in various configurations and at different mean cell residence times (MCRT’s) with and without the addition of methanol. The ability of activated carbon to remove organics from the leachate was briefly examined. The early results from this study indicated that the MLE process could successfully treat the leachate by removing up to 84% of the total nitrogen present while operating at high MCRT’s (eight days or greater). The MLE process removed as much as 56% of the total nitrogen at the lowest MCRT operated (1.5 days), By comparison, a maximum removal of only 30% was achieved for the completely aerobic activated sludge system operating under the same conditions. The MLE process and the completely aerobic process were not effective in removing the organics from the leachate as evidenced by a leachate COD removal of only 2% to 5%. Limited studies with activated carbon proved successful in substantially reducing the COD from the effluent of the biological treatment systems. The MLE process consistently reduced the iron concentration in the leachate from the average level of 18.6 mg/l to levels below 1.0 mg/l. Towards the end of this 584-day study, there were indications that toxic agents were intermittently entering the leachate from the landfill as evidenced by two episodes of severe nitrification inhibition during operating periods when nitrification should have been essentially complete. This raises doubts concerning the ability of biological nitrification/denitrification to successfully treat the Dixie Caverns landfill leachate on a long-term basis without special treatment for the removal of the unknown toxic components. / Master of Science

Dumping of municipal solid waste (MSW) generated due to anthropogenic activities in any barren land or out fields causes severe hazards to human populations, ecosystems and the environment. In order to avoid this, it is required to design landfills in an engineered and scientific manner. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the behaviour of landfills over a period of time, to design landfills for site specific conditions. In this thesis such an attempt is made to evaluate performance of conventional landfill system using a large scale anaerobic reactor in the laboratory. The performance of the containment (bottom liner and final cover) systems is evaluated through numerical modelling and reliability based analysis. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) is used to develop linear regression models. Influence of various parameters and their uncertainty on the reliability of the containment systems are studied for various scenarios and conditions. Reliability assessment of containment systems play a decisive role in taking remedial measures in order to reduce its adverse affects on the environment and human health in the vicinity of landfill sites. On the other hand, pre-assessment of risk guides the engineers, planners and decision makers in achieving the goal of sustainable solid waste management as well as safe landfills. The thesis also includes assessment of vulnerability of groundwater to contamination, identification and ranking of suitable sites for municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal in the Bengaluru district, using remote sensing and Geographic information system (GIS) integrated with analytical hierarchy process (AHP), a multi criteria decision making tool. The study considers various land use, geological, hydrogeological and environmental factors as criteria. As a result, two most suitable locations are identified around the Bengaluru city and their descriptions are provided. Further, reliability analysis of the suitability of sites is evaluated considering criteria as random variables. The proposed reliability based approach helps the decision makers and planners to choose site locations having low probability of environmental pollution. The provided methods in the thesis can be effectively used for engineered design of landfills.

published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

Este trabalho procurou contribuir na busca por informações das características de tratabilidade de lixiviados de diferentes aterros sanitários do interior de São Paulo, e estabelecer correlações entre parâmetros analisados. As coletas foram realizadas nos aterros sanitários de: São Carlos, Araraquara, Rio Claro, Ribeirão Preto, Catanduva e Votorantim. O experimento foi conduzido a 30ºC, em dois filtros biológicos anaeróbios operados em batelada sequencial, com capacidade de tratamento de 8 L de lixiviado cada e biomassa imobilizada em suportes de poliuretano inoculados com lodo do fundo de uma das lagoas de lixiviados do aterro de São Carlos-SP. Os filtros operados simultaneamente eram idênticos e foram, alimentados com os lixiviados. O monitoramento do reator foi realizado por meio da caracterização físico-química do afluente e efluente de cada ciclo de batelada e dois perfis temporais. Foi realizada a caracterização do lodo, que apresentou morfologias microbianas pertinentes ao tratamento anaeróbio. A caracterização do lixiviado de São Carlos apresentou sólidos totais de 14,5 g/L e sólidos totais voláteis de 5,1 g/L, nitrogênio amoniacal de 2.411 mg/L e nitrato de 115,5 mg/L. Além disso, apresentou resultados mais elevados para DQO (bruta 3.940 mg/L e filtrada 3.565 mg/L); entretanto apresentou características recalcitrantes ao tratamento anaeróbio, assim como os lixiviados de Araraquara, Rio Claro e Ribeirão Preto. Nos tratamentos dos lixiviados de Catanduva e Votorantim a eficiência de remoção de DQO foi de aproximadamente 30%. Com exceção do lixiviado de Catanduva, o nitrogênio amoniacal esteve presente em todos os lixiviados em altas concentrações, representando cerca de 80% do nitrogênio total e refletindo na alcalinidade total. A concentração de metais estava dentro dos valores máximos permitidos pela Resolução no. 430/2011 do CONAMA. A população de coliformes totais manteve-se estável (de 2,3 x \'10 POT.5\' para 1,1 x \'10 POT.5\' NMP/100 mL) no lixiviado de São Carlos, no entanto, em todos os demais tratamentos, os coliformes totais e termotolerantes foram removidos totalmente, demonstrando a eficiência do tratamento em filtro anaeróbio para estes parâmetros. Os lixiviados de aterros jovens apresentaram algumas características de aterros velhos, o que sugere que eles passaram rapidamente para a fase metanogênica. A implementação de filtros biológicos nos aterros sanitários torna-se uma alternativa de pré-tratamento em municípios com número reduzido de habitantes e baixa vazão de lixiviado, sendo possível dimensionar o filtro biológico e viabilizar o tratamento. / The present study intends to contribute in the research for information about anaerobic treatability of leachates from different landfills in the country part of São Paulo State, and also to establish correlation among analyzed parameters. Leachates were collected in landfills from different cities: São Carlos, Araraquara, Rio Claro, Ribeirão Preto, Catanduva and Votorantim. Experiments were carried out in 30ºC, in two anaerobic biological sequencing batch filters, with capacity for treating 8 L of leachate and immobilized biomass in polyurethane supports inoculated with sludge from one of the São Carlos landfill leachate reservoir. Filters are identical and were operated simultaneously a filled with leachates from the places mentioned above. Reactors monitoring was performed by through physicochemical characterization of the influent and effluent of each batch cycle, and two temporal profiles. Characterization of the sludge was performed and showed microbial morphologies pertinent to anaerobic treatment. Characterization of the leachates from São Carlos showed total solids of 14,5 g/L and total volatile solids of 5,1 g/L, ammonia nitrogen of 2.411 mg/L and nitrate of 115,5 mg/L. Furthermore depicted high results of COD (gross 3.940 mg/L and filtered 3.565 mg/L); however presented recalcitrante behavior to anaerobic treatment such as the leachates of Araraquara, Rio Claro and Ribeirão Preto. The treatment of leachates from Catanduva and Votorantim presented removal efficiency of COD of approximately 30%. Except for leachate of Catanduva, the ammonia nitrogen was present in high concentrations from all the leachates representing about of 80% of the total nitrogen. These high concentrations of ammonia nitrogen reflected in the total alkalinity. The metals concentration was within the maximum values allowed by Resolution number 430/2011 of CONAMA. In the leachates of São Carlos, the population of total coliforms remained stable (of 2,3 x \'10 POT.5\' to 1,1 x \'10 POT.5\' NMP/100 mL), however, in all other treatments, the total coliforms and thermotolerant coliforms were fully removed, demonstrating the efficiency of treatment in anaerobic filter for such parameters. The leachates of young landfills presented some characteristics of old landfills, suggesting that it passed quickly to metanogenic phase. The implementation of biological filters in landfills would be an alternative as a pretreatment in \"young\" landfills, with few inhabitants and low leachate flow, making it possible to measure the biological filter and facilitating treatment.

A landfill is in a reserved space on land used for the disposal of refuse by utilizing the principles of engineering to confine the refuse to the smallest practical area to prevent the creation of nuisances to public health or safety (Andersen et al. 1967). However, because landfills are open to the atmosphere, rainfall can saturate them, resulting in a liquid called leachate. Leachate generated within the landfill contains suspended solids, soluble components of the waste and by-products from the degradation of the waste by various micro-organisms. Treatment of leachate is an emerging area of need. In this manuscript the main purpose is to investigate a laboratory scale batch reactor that is able to detoxify and treat leachate by using an advanced oxidation process (i.e. TiO2). Based on the results obtained from this ground breaking research, it appears that the process investigate has the potential to radically change the way landfill leachate is treated. Scale up may provide direction that can be used to improve the efficiency of the different stages of toxicity of leachate during the entire life of a landfill. / by Andrâe McBarnette. / Thesis (M.S.C.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2011. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2011. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Since the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) began requiring landfills to implement a leachate collection system in 1991, the proper disposal of leachate has become a growing concern. The potential toxicity of landfill leachate will contaminate groundwater and soil if not managed properly. Research has been made in efforts to manage leachate in a cost-effective, single treatment process. Photocatalytic oxidation is an advanced oxidation process (AOP) which has shown ability to reduce toxicity of an array of leachate constituents including organics, inorganics and heavy metals. The purpose of this manuscript is to scale up the batch scale study of TiO2 photocatalytic degradation of leachate utilizing a pilot scale falling film reactor. In this research project, the use of UV/TiO2 for the removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia, alkalinity and color will be studied in order to optimize catalyst dosage, determine pH effects and reaction kinetics and develop preliminary cost estimates. / by Frank Youngman. / Thesis (M.S.C.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2013. / Includes bibliography. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader.

Determination of the vertical and horizontal groundwater hydraulic gradient within a landfill is the first step in determining the potential of groundwater contamination from the landfill leachate. The length of a study and the frequency at which measurements are recorded can greatly affect the description of the local groundwater environment. A more comprehensive analysis can be preformed for longer periods of study and greater measurement frequency. The intent of this study was to install a continuous groundwater level monitoring system around the st. Johns Landfill for a minimum study length of one year. This would allow a more thorough study of the seasonal character and behavior of the groundwater system beneath the landfill than in previous studies. Particular interest was paid to groundwater level changes resulting from seasonal weather changes. Additional attention was paid to other forcing mechanisms which could be perturbing groundwater levels, and variations in the geochemical groundwater constituents. Included throughout this report is a literature review of various studies pertinent to the analysis of groundwater level variations. Seasonal variations in vertical groundwater hydraulic gradients were reviewed and time averaged vertical seepage rates were estimated. Areal plots of groundwater levels were used to view expected horizontal groundwater hydraulic gradients during seasonal maximum and minimum groundwater levels. A computer model was developed to study the effects temporal variations in slough water levels had on groundwater seepage rates through the perimeter dike separating the landfill from the sloughs. The modeling provided an estimate of the average horizontal leachate seepage rate into the sloughs. Comparison plots of monitoring well groundwater levels were used to analyze potential swash zones beneath the landfill and potential effects of lowered water levels in Bybee Lake. Spectral analysis techniques were imployed to determine the dominant frequencies observed in the groundwater levels, allowing determination of the type of forcing mechanism driving the fluctuations. Geochemical groundwater constituents were statistically analyzed to determine the significance of observed trends in the data: areal plots of chloride concentrations and electrical conductivity were made to view constituent distributions within the underlying aquifers. Estimated vertical and horizontal groundwater seepage rates into the local waters showed that horizontal leachate seepage is insignificant compared to vertical leachate seepage. Groundwater level comparison plots indicated no significant swashing beneath the landfill occurred. The statistical studies on groundwater forcing mechanisms indicated that either the slough or the Columbia River water levels could be perturbing groundwater levels. Trend analyses on the geochemical groundwater constituents indicated significant, positive trends in chloride concentrations, and undeterminable trends in electrical conductivity.

Abstract not available

There are over one thousand closed ‘small’ landfills in Ontario, each with differing circumstances and potential problems. This project proposes a method of addressing such dormant sites in situ, based upon a case study in Hamilton. Of the four closed landfills within Hamilton city limits, three of them lie in the low lands of the Red Hill Creek Valley. Perched at the source of the Red Hill Creek, the Upper Ottawa Street Landfill introduces unspoken toxins into the ecosystem of the entire valley. As the storm water catchment for the escarpment watershed, the creek serves a critical role in the recreational green belt which divides Hamilton and Stoney Creek. The source of this creek must be celebrated, not fenced off from public access due to landfill hazards. This proposal investigates beyond material recovery, into the possibilities of resource, ecosystem, and community recovery. Landfill mining, material sorting, and power generation through incineration are employed to reduce landfill volume. As the landfill is consumed, a new landscape is constructed, providing improved flood-prevention at the creek and a sanitary lined landfill for those materials remaining on site. Creek, forest, and field habitats are restored on site without the threat of contamination from landfill contents. The public can safely view the landfill mining operations from an elevated walkway, having new experiences with every visit. As the boundaries of the closed landfill are stripped away, the source of the Red Hill Creek and the new recreational parkland are made publicly accessible. Using this design as a reference, the equipment and operations designed for this site can be developed into a province-wide proposal.