No Estado de São Paulo, a CETESB (1993), a exemplo da maioria das legislações e regulamentações ambientais em todo o mundo, recomenda que o coeficiente de permeabilidade da camada de impermeabilização de fundo de solo compactado (CCL ou compacted clay liner) em aterros sanitários seja menor ou igual a 10\'POT.-9\' m/s. O material mais utilizado para este fim é a argila; porém, esse material já está escasso na Região Metropolitana de São Paulo (RMSP), na qual são abundantes solos saprolíticos derivados de rochas ácidas. Estudos anteriores mostraram que a permeabilidade de um solo saprolítico siltoso de filito da RMSP, da ordem de 5x10\'POT.-8\' m/s no ponto ótimo de compactação na energia normal, diminui para 6x10\'POT.-10\' m/s com adição de 5% de bentonita em peso seco e compactação na energia modificada. Este estudo visou a conhecer os efeitos da adição da bentonita no comportamento à resistência e compressibilidade desse material na presença de água e na presença de lixiviado, pois mudanças das propriedades mecânicas e hidráulicas do solo de revestimento podem comprometer sua integridade, levando à contaminação do solo e da água subterrânea. Foram realizados ensaios de cisalhamento direto, adensamento edométrico e expansão com o solo natural e com uma mistura de solo com 5% de bentonita, compactados na energia modificada. A adição de 5% de bentonita ao solo saprolítico de filito causou pequena alteração na resistência (aumento da coesão e redução do ângulo de atrito, mas gerando envoltórias de resistência praticamente coincidentes na faixa de tensões estudadas) e ligeiro aumento da compressibilidade e da expansão. Portanto, o material torna-se adequado em termos de permeabilidade sem que sejam alteradas significativamente suas demais propriedades geotécnicas. A percolação de lixiviado pelo solo natural e pela mistura do solo com 5% de bentonita causou uma redução do coeficiente de permeabilidade para 3x10\'POT.-10\' m/s, um aumento pouco significativo na compressibilidade, uma redução na expansão e uma pequena alteração nos parâmetros de resistência, a qual praticamente não modifica as envoltórias de resistência na faixa de tensões estudadas. Pode-se concluir que os dois materiais são compatíveis com o lixiviado. Tendo em vista os resultados obtidos, a mistura de solo saprolítico de filito com 5% de bentonita compactada na energia modificada é um material adequado para a construção de revestimentos de fundo de aterros sanitários. / The Environmental Protection Agency from São Paulo State (Brazil), as most environmental regulations in the world, recommends a permeability coefficient equal or lower than 10\'POT.-9\' m/s for the bottom mineral liner in sanitary landfills. Clays are nowadays scarce in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP), whereas saprolitic sandy silts derived from acidic rocks are abundant in the area. Previous studies showed that the permeability of a saprolitic silt derived from phyllite from MRSP, which is 5x10\'POT.-8\' m/s at the optimum water content under normal Proctor effort, decreases to 6x10\'POT.-10\' m/s with the addition of 5% bentonite (dry weight) and compaction under modified Proctor effort. This research aimed at verifying the effects of bentonite addition on the shear strength and compressibility of this material in the presence of water and leachate, since alterations in the mechanical an hydraulic properties may damage the bottom liner and cause the pollution of the subsoil and subterranean waters. Direct shear, edometric compression and expansion tests were carried out with the natural soil and a mixture of soil and 5% bentonite, compacted under modified Proctor effort. The addition of 5% bentonite to the soil caused a slight alteration in the shear strength (increase of cohesion and decrease of friction angle, however resulting in practically coincident strength envelopes for the range of applied stresses), and slight increase of compressibility and expansion. Therefore, the material is adequate in terms of permeability without significant alteration of other geo-mechanical properties. Leachate seepage through the natural soil and through the mixture resulted in a reduction of permeability to 3x10\'POT.-10\' m/s, and a slight increase of compressibility, a reduction of expansion and a slight alteration in shear strength parameters, which however practically did not modify the strength envelopes for the range of applied stresses. It can be concluded the both materials are compatible to the leachate. Based on the results of this research, a mixture of the saprolitic soil of phyllite with 5% bentonite compacted under modified Proctor energy is an adequate material for the construction of bottom liners in sanitary landfills.

O lançamento dos efluentes de depósitos de resíduos no ambiente altera significativamente a qualidade das águas. Apesar do amplo acervo de dados sobre os mecanismos de formação do lixiviado e das mudanças de sua qualidade nas diferentes fases do aterro, pouco se sabe sobre os mecanismos de mobilização de poluentes do maciço de resíduos para o lixiviado e da interação deste com as águas subterrâneas e o meio geológico. A compreensão destes processos é essencial para orientar critérios de estabilidade destes aterros e para avaliar se o maciço de resíduos não representa mais uma ameaça para o ambiente. Nesse sentido, um poço de 1,5 m de diâmetro com lisímetros de sucção instalados em diferentes profundidades foi instalado dentro do maciço de resíduos do lixão desativado de São Carlos/SP para análise do conteúdo aterrado e do lixiviado em camadas de resíduos com diferentes idades de deposição. Amostras de águas subterrâneas coletadas em poços de monitoramento a montante, dentro e a jusante do maciço também foram analisadas. Concluiu-se que o lixão está na fase metanogênica e que o maciço é composto por chorume imóvel com elevadas concentrações de poluentes e por resíduos não inertes. Condições redutoras e de tamponamento são mantidas constantes no lixão, as quais controlam as reações redox ocorrentes no maciço e a qualidade do lixiviado. A mobilização de Fe, Ca, Mg, K, Na, Ni, Zn, Pb e Cd do maciço para o lixiviado apresentou-se mais significativa sobre os demais elementos avaliados e ocorre a partir dos resíduos sólidos aterrados e dos solos de cobertura. Os principais parâmetros de interesse ambiental identificados no lixiviado foram nitrogênio amoniacal, Cd, Cr, Pb, NO3 e DBO5 e nas águas subterrâneas foram nitrogênio amoniacal, Cr, Cd, Al, Ni, Fe, Mn e Pb. A análise dos dados de qualidade do conteúdo aterrado e do lixiviado comprovou uma significativa mobilização de poluentes dentro do maciço de resíduos do lixão desativado de São Carlos/SP. Apesar de estar desativado há 18 anos, o maciço de resíduos ainda é fonte primária de poluentes, comprovando seu potencial remanescente de contaminação, principalmente para as águas do Sistema Aquífero Guarani (SAG) e do manancial Ribeirão do Feijão. Portanto, o monitoramento da área não pode ser descontinuado. / The effluent release of waste disposal sites in the environment alters significantly the water quality. Despite the large collection of data about leachate formation mechanisms and its quality changes in the different landfill phases, very little is known about pollutants mobilization in solid waste of an uncontrolled landfill and its interaction with groundwater and geological environment. Understanding these processes is essential to guide stability criteria for these landfills and to assess whether the waste mass no longer represents a threat to the environment. Thus, a dug well with 1.5 meter diameter equipped with suction lysimeters in different depths was installed within the solid waste mass of the uncontrolled landfill of São Carlos/SP to analyze the landed content and the leachate in different aged waste layer. Groundwater samples collected at monitoring wells upstream, within and downstream of the massif were also analyzed. It was concluded that the landfill is in methanogenic phase and that the waste body is composed by immobile leachate with high concentrations of pollutants and by non-inert solid waste. Reductive and tamponade conditions are kept constant in the waste mass, which control the redox reactions occurring in the mass and the quality of leachate. The mobilization of Fe, Ca, Mg, K, Na, Ni, Zn, Pb and Cd from the solid waste to the leachate is very significant and occur from the landed solid waste and from the soil cover. The main parameters of environmental interest identified in the leachate were ammonia nitrogen, Cd, Cr, Pb, NO3 and BOD5 and in groundwater were ammonia nitrogen, Cr, Cd, Al, Ni, Fe, Mn and Pb. Data analysis of grounded content quality and leachate quality has proved significant mobilization of pollutants within the waste mass of uncontrolled landfill of São Carlos. Despite being deactivated 18 years ago, the waste mass is still a primary source of pollutants, proving its remaining potential contamination, mainly for water of Guarani Aquifer System (SAG) and of Ribeirão do Feijão river. Therefore, monitoring of the area can not be discontinued.

Estudos recentes constataram a existência de processos que permitem a atenuação natural dos contaminantes presentes nos lixiviados. O adequado entendimento destes processos pode originar benefícios possíveis de serem aplicados em aterros antigos, novos ou naqueles que ainda serão concebidos. O presente estudo avaliou o comportamento e a atenuação de contaminantes dos líxiviados no solo, por meio de experimento desenvolvido em colunas de percolação e, para a avaliação da atenuação este teste é indicado por refletir as condições naturais e as características adsortivas do solo, propiciando uma melhor simulação da atenuação. O lixiviado e o solo utilizados neste experimento são provenientes do aterro sanitário de São Carlos - SP. O solo utilizado foi caracterizado quanto à composição física, química, biológica e mineralógica para verificar o transporte do percolado nas colunas e a interação solo-contaminante. Na área do aterro foram feitas perfurações, ensaios de condutividade hidráulica e avaliação da geologia local, para conhecimento das características físicas, químicas, biológicas, mineralógicas e geológicas do solo in situ. Este foi classificado como arenoso, apresentando características físicas e químicas que não se enquadram nos parâmetros adequados para sua utilização em áreas de disposição de resíduos sólidos urbanos, pois, a capacidade de troca de cátions, superfície específica, potencial hidrogeniônico e classe textural arenosa, evidenciam que este solo possui deficiente capacidade de retenção e imobilização de contaminantes. Além disso, pela observação in situ, constata-se que a área de disposição de resíduos sólidos de São Carlos esta situado sobre rochas da Formação Botucatu, sendo que a mineralogia do solo presente no local é composta de quartzo, caulinita, goethita, hematita, gibsita e ilita. O ensaio de condutividade hidráulica indicou que o solo presente na base do Aterro sanitário não atende a valor de permeabilidade exigida por norma, o que poderá permitir a infiltração de água da chuva, aumentando a produção do lixiviado e sua movimentação no perfil, podendo atingir as águas subterrâneas. Assim, foram traçadas curvas características do transporte de contaminantes nas amostras efluentes monitoradas durante o processo de percolação, coletadas a cada 0,25 volume de poros até atingir 10,0 volume de poros percolados. As curvas características do transporte de contaminantes traçadas apresentaram baixas concentrações de Chumbo, Cádmio, Ferro, Zinco, Manganês, Cálcio, Magnésio, Cobre, Cromo nas amostras fluentes. Já o Sódio, Potássio, Cloro, Níquel e Alumínio foram preferencialmente percolados com o lixiviado, evidenciando a variação da faixa de concentração de cada elemento no percolado. Os perfis de concentração dos metais pesados mostraram que existe uma frente de contaminação. As curvas de retenção de metais no solo mostraram que a preferência de sorção apresentada pelos solos nas colunas foi : Cobre > Cádmio > Cálcio > Zinco > Magnésio > Potássio > Manganês > Fósforo > Ferro > Níquel > Alumínio. Cujos valores retidos no solo das colunas podem estar evidenciando a capacidade deste solo em reter contaminantes.O solo em questão apresentou baixo potencial para retenção dos contaminantes presentes no lixiviado, classificado como arenoso e, com características químicas que não se enquadram nos parâmetros adequados para sua utilização em áreas de disposição de resíduos sólidos urbanos. / Recent studies had found the existence of processes that allow a natural attenuation of the leachates\'s cotaminants. An adequate understanding of these processes may originate benefits, that may be applied in ancient, new or to be created landfills. This work evaluated the contaminant\'s behavior and attenuation, contaminants existing in soil\'s leaching, throughout an experiment developed in percolation columns. This is the indicated examination for evaluate the attenuation, because it reflects soil\'s natural conditions and adsorptive characteristics, providing a better simulation of it\'s attenuation. The leachate and the soil used in this experiment came from Sao Carlos-SP landfill. The used soil has been characterized as its mineralogical\'s and physical chemical-biological\'s composition, looking for the percolated\'s transportation inside the columns, and for the interaction soil-contaminant. The landfill\'s area has been several times drilled, tested as it\'s hydraulic conductivity and assessment of local geology, in order to know the physical, chemical, biological, mineralogical and geological in situ soil\'s characteristics. This, has been classified as sandy, and, by presenting chemical characteristics that does not reach the adequated value for utilization on solid urban wastes, due to the values of CTC, SE, pH, and the textural sandy class, what shows a deficient buffering capacity in retaining and immobilisating contaminants. By observation in situ, has been found that Sao Carlos\'s solids disposal waste is located over rocks from the Botucatu formation, and the mineralogy of it is composed of quartz, caulinith, goethith, hematith, gibsith an ilith. The hydraulic conductivity test has indicated that the soil in the base of the sanitary landfill does not reaches the permeability values required by the standards, what may allow rain water\'s infiltration, and raises the amount of leachate and it\'s movement onto the ground, and even the leachete to reach the underground waters. So, has been drawn the characteristics curves of the contaminant\'s transportation in the effluents samples found during the percolation process, collected by every 0,25 VP until it reaches 10,0 VP percolated. The characteristical curves of the contaminant\'s transportation drawn showed low concentrations in the effluent samples of Lead, Cadmium, Iron, Zinc, Manganese, Calcium, Magnesium, Cooper, Chromium. Also, Sodium, Potassium, Chlorine, Nickel and Aluminium had been preferencially percolated within the leachate, what evidentiates the variation in the range of concentrations of every percolated element. The concentration profiles from heavy metal\'s had shown that there is a front of contamination. The retention curves from the soil\'s retaining metal showed that the preferency for the sorption was: Cooper > Cadmium > Calcium > Zinc > Magnesium > Potassium > Manganese > Phosphorus > Iron > Nickel > Aluminium, whose values may point the soil\'s ability in retaining contaminants. The studied soil has presented low potential in retain contaminants from the leachete, and is characterized as sandy, and it\'s chemical features shall not be framed according the standards parameters to be utilized in solid urban waste\'s disposal.

Microaerobic fermentation (MF) is a process of controlled degradation of organic waste material that occurs in enclosed fermentors under micro-aerobic conditions at near-room temperature. MF processing of vegetal materials progresses to endpoints in about 2-5 weeks. During MF processing, an acidic leachate rich in organic acids and alcohols is produced. The research presented in this thesis focuses on the efficiency of MF pre-processing of feedstock containing fibrous lignocellulosic (FLC) materials; efficiency of microbial and insect larvae-based treatments of MF leachate; tolerance of the Black Soldier fly larvae (BSFL) to various biological inhibitors common in leachate; and effectiveness of using MF and BSFL solid and liquid processing products as agricultural fertilizers. Results indicate that MF is unsuitable for pre-processing of FLC materials. Enhanced MF leachate treatment may increase efficiency of FLC processing though. Leachate can be efficiently treated using BSFL which decrease overall leachate toxicity. BSFL are able to tolerate increased levels of many of the biological inhibitors within the leachate including ethanol, acetate, pH extremes and temperature. MF solid residues increased corn plant growth when amended into soil, but residues resulting from BSFL processing of solid organics stunted corn plant growth. Short-term phytotoxicity of MF leachate was eliminated by diluting it 10 - 10,000 times or through BSFL processing. It can be concluded that MF processing of organics is beneficial for producing solid soil amendments from non-FLC materials and that dilution or BSFL treatment of MF leachate leads to a beneficial liquid fertilizer.

Abstract not available

Landfill leachates are a concern in the Pacific Region where they may contribute contaminants to the coastal marine environment. Poor waste management and pollution of coastal waters are amongst the major environmental problems in Kiribati, particularly in South Tarawa. An investigation of areas adjacent to coastal landfill sites; Betio, Kiribati and Auckland, New Zealand was undertaken. The Kiribati case study investigated metal contamination in marine sediments at an operational landfill while the New Zealand study was adjacent to a coastal landfill decommissioned in the 1970s. Surficial sediments (top 15 cm) were collected along transects. At both the New Zealand and Kiribati sites, 3 transects adjacent to the landfill and 1 control transect were sampled. The sediments were analyzed for particle size distribution, organic matter content, and Cd, As, Cr, Cu, Pb, Hg, Ni and Zn concentrations. The pH was also measured. The Kiribati study site had a groundwater pH of 7.14 - 8.85, and sediment materials were dominated by sand with a low organic matter content (1.60 - 2.21 %). At the Kiribati sites Cd, As, and Ni were below the detection limits. The Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn concentrations were lower at the Kiribati control transect than the landfill transects. Cr level decreased away from the landfill indicating the landfill as a possible source. However, Cu and Zn did not show any distribution pattern suggesting other potential sources (port and shipwrecks) may have contributed to the elevated levels. At the Kiribati landfill and control transects the Cr, As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Ni, and Zn concentration were below the Effects Range-Low (ERL) and the threshold Effects levels (TEL) of the Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQCs) of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, indicating no potential adverse ecological effects on the biota. At the Kiribati control site the Cr, As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Ni and Zn concentrations were within the background ranges published for clean reef sediment but the concentration at the landfill transects exceeded the background ranges. The concentration of mercury at both the control and landfill transects in Kiribati exceeded the Effects Range-Median (ERM) and the Probable Effects Level (PEL) of the SQGs indicating potential adverse ecological effects on the local benthic communities. The New Zealand study site sediments had a pH of 6.22 - 7.24, and comprised up to 90 % clay/silt, with an organic matter content of 5 - 22 %. At the New Zealand landfill transects Arsenic concentrations decreased away from the landfill indicating the landfill as a possible source. Other metals such as Cr did not show a pattern of distribution along the transects, or with depth, suggesting that the landfill was not the only source of these metals. There was a weak correlation between organic matter content, particle size distribution, and metal enrichment. At the New Zealand site, there were no marked differences in metal concentrations between the landfill and control transects suggesting the landfill was not the only source of metals and that the wider urban or industrial run-off may have contributed. All the metal concentrations, except Hg and Zn, exceeded the ERL and the TEL values indicating the potential for adverse ecological effects of metals on the benthic communities. At the New Zealand site the Hg and Zn concentrations exceeded both the ERM and PEL of the SQGs and are considered highly contaminated.

<p>Phytoremediation as a way to control and lessen nutrient concentrations in landfill leachate is a cheap and environmentally sustainable method. Accumulated nutrients in the plants can then be removed by harvesting and anaerobically digesting the biomass. This study presents two aquatic plants (L. minor (L.) and P. stratiotes (L.)) and one microalgae species (C. vulgaris (L.)), their capacities for growth and nutrient removal in leachate from Häradsudden landfill, Sweden, are investigated. The biogas potential of the two plants is determined via anaerobic digestion in a batch run, followed by a lab-scale reactor run for L. minor only. Results show that growth in leachate directly from the landfill is not possible for the selected species, but at a leachate dilution of 50% or more. Nutrients are removed in leachates with plants to a higher extent than in leachates without, yet the actual amounts do not differ notably between plant species. L. minor proves a better choice than P. stratiotes despite this as growth is superior for L. minor under the experimental conditions of this study. Considering biogas production, L. minor gives more methane than P. stratiotes according to the results from the batch run. The former is however not suitable for large-scale anaerobic digestion unless as an additional feedstock due to practical cultivation issues.</p>

<p>Treatment wetlands been showed efficient for reducing pollutant in waste water. In Lajeado – RS, Brazil the landfill has poor leachate water treatment. It is necessary to supplement the treatment plant because they need to reduce BOD, COD and nitrate of the water going to recipient. A subsurface flow wetland (SSF) can be a good choice.  In order to be able to design an efficient SSF it is important to understand how the grain sizes of a substrate affect the reducing of pollutants in waste water. This study focus on two substrate, sand with grain size of 0 - 3 mm and gravel with the grain size of 10 - 20 mm. To see the grain size reduces BOD, COD and nitrate best, the experiment used eight pilot scales SSF for leachate water treatment, four filled with sand and four filled with gravel. Two different flows, four with batch and four used continuous flow; two of each was planted with <em>Thypa angustifolia</em> <em>L</em>. Samples were taken from each wetland every week during a four week period. The results showed that the wetlands with the fine- grained substrate; sand gave the better reduction of BOD, COD and TKN (total kjeldahl kväve). It also showed great reduction in color. Important to notice in this study is the lack of time; more samples are required to be able to establish a pattern.</p>

The legal requirements for wastewater discharge into environment, especially to zones exposed to eutrophication, lately became stricter. Nowadays wastewater treatment plants have to manage with the new rules and assure better biogenic elements’ removal, in comparison with the past. There are some well-known methods of diminishing concentrations of these compounds, but they are ineffective in case of nitrogen-rich streams, as landfill leachate or reject waters from dewatering of digested sludge. This wastewater disturbs conventional processes of nitrification-denitrification and raise necessity of building bigger tanks. The partial nitritation followed by Anaerobic Ammonium Oxidation (Anammox) process appear to be an excellent alternative for traditional nitrification/denitrification. The process was investigated in three different reactors – Membrane Bioreactor (MBR), Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) and Rotating Biological Contactor (RBC). The process was evaluated in two options: as a two-stage process performed in two separate reactors and as a one-stage process. The two-step process, in spite of very low nitrogen removal rates, assured very high nitrogen removal efficiency, exceeding even 90% in case of the MBBR. However, obtained results revealed that the one-step system is a better option than the two-step system, no matter, what kind of nitrogen-rich stream is taken into consideration. Moreover, the one-step process was much less complicated in operation. Performed research confirmed a hypothesis, that the oxygen concentration in the bulk liquid and the nitrite production rate are the limiting factors for the Anammox reaction in a single reactor. In order to make a quick and simple determination of bacteria activity, the Oxygen Uptake Rate (OUR) tests were shown as an excellent tool for evaluation of the current bacteria activity reliably, and without a need of using expensive reagents. It was also shown, that partial nitritation/Anammox process, could be successfully applied at temperatures much lower than the optimum value. Performed Fluorescent in situ Hybridization (FISH) analyses, proved that the Anammox bacteria were mainly responsible for the nitrogen removal process. / QC 20100707

The bioreactor landfill is an emerging concept for solid waste management that has gained significant attention in the last decade. This technology employs specific operational practices to enhance the microbial decomposition processes in landfills. However, the unsupervised management and lack of operational guidelines for the bioreactor landfill, specifically leachate manipulation and recirculation processes, usually results in less than optimal system performance. Therefore, these limitations have led to the development of SMART (Sensor-based Monitoring and Remote-control Technology), an expert control system that utilizes real-time monitoring of key system parameters in the management of bioreactor landfills. SMART replaces conventional open-loop control with a feedback control system that aids the human operator in making decisions and managing complex control issues. The target from this control system is to provide optimum conditions for the biodegradation of the refuse, and also, to enhance the performance of the bioreactor in terms of biogas generation. SMART includes multiple cascading logic controllers and mathematical calculations through which the quantity and quality of the recirculated solution are determined. The expert system computes the required quantities of leachate, buffer, supplemental water, and nutritional amendments in order to provide the bioreactor landfill microbial consortia with their optimum growth requirements. Soft computational methods, particularly fuzzy logic, were incorporated in the logic controllers of SMART so as to accommodate the uncertainty, complexity, and nonlinearity of the bioreactor landfill processes. Fuzzy logic was used to solve complex operational issues in the control program of SMART including: (1) identify the current operational phase of the bioreactor landfill based on quantifiable parameters of the leachate generated and biogas produced, (2) evaluate the toxicological status of the leachate based on certain parameters that directly contribute to or indirectly indicates bacterial inhibition, and (3) predict biogas generation rates based on the operational phase, leachate recirculation, and sludge addition. The later fuzzy logic model was upgraded to a hybrid model that employed the learning algorithm of artificial neural networks to optimize the model parameters. SMART was applied to a pilot-scale bioreactor landfill prototype that incorporated the hardware components (sensors, communication devices, and control elements) and the software components (user interface and control program) of the system. During a one-year monitoring period, the feasibility and effectiveness of the SMART system were evaluated in terms of multiple leachate, biogas, and waste parameters. In addition, leachate heating was evaluated as a potential temperature control tool in bioreactor landfills. The pilot-scale implementation of SMART demonstrated the applicability of the system. SMART led to a significant improvement in the overall performance of the BL in terms of methane production and leachate stabilization. Temperature control via recirculation of heated leachate achieved high degradation rates of organic matter and improved the methanogenic activity.