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Autotrophic nitrogen removal of landfill leachate at lab‐scale and pilot‐ scale: feasibility and cost evaluation
Author(s) -
Gao Junling,
He Yanling,
Chys Michael,
Decostere Bjorge,
Audenaert Wim T.M.,
Van Hulle Stijn W.H.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of chemical technology and biotechnology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1097-4660
pISSN - 0268-2575
DOI - 10.1002/jctb.4526
Subject(s) - leachate , nitrification , denitrifying bacteria , environmental science , denitrification , ammonium , environmental engineering , nitrogen , chemical oxygen demand , bioreactor , pulp and paper industry , sewage treatment , environmental chemistry , waste management , chemistry , engineering , organic chemistry
BACKGROUND Persistence of ammonium nitrogen in landfill leachate still remains a challenge. The Autotrophic Nitrogen Removal ( ANR ) system has shown promise and become one of the treatments used for removing nitrogen from high strength wastewater. Less well known is the fact that the nitrifying–denitrifying inoculum can readily be grown in large quantities and can be used in the ANR system directly to treat real leachate without adaptation. As such, a scale‐up study from lab‐scale to pilot‐plant scale was performed using nitrifying–denitrifying sludge to analyse the feasibility. RESULTS Results showed on average 72 mg N L −1 d −1 was effectively removed in the lab‐scale bioreactor and up to 36.6 mg N L −1 d −1 in pilot‐scale reactors. When the leachate was treated to reduce the ammonium content, it was found to be possible to reach a chemical oxygen demand ( COD ) removal of roughly 40% in both lab‐ and pilot‐scale reactors. Operational costs were decreased by 37% costs when combining ANR and nitrification–denitrification compared with individual conventional nitrification–denitrification. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that high‐rate ammonium nitrogen and organic matter removal from landfill leachate by ANR is possible and this will allow a significant decrease in operational costs without significant investment costs. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry