Effect of Aeration on the Performance of a Simulated Landfilling Reactor Stabilizing Municipal Solid Wastes

Abstract

In this study, the effects of intermittent aeration on the anaerobic treatment of domestic solid waste and leachate characteristics were investigated in three simulated landfill anaerobic bioreactors. All of the reactors were operated with leachate recirculation and recirculation rate was 300 mL/d. All the reactors were loaded with solid waste having different operational mode. The first reactor was operated with recirculation (control-no aeration). The second reactor was aerated three days in a week during 1 h (Run 1) and the last reactor was aerated one day in a week during 1 h (Run 2). pH, chemical oxygen demand (COD), volatile fatty acids (VFA), ammonium nitrogen (NH₄-N), nitrate nitrogen (NO₃-N) concentrations, total, and methane gas productions in the leachate samples were regularly monitored. 96, 85, and 97% COD and 86, 77, and 93% VFA removals were obtained, in the leachate samples of the control, R1 and R2 reactors, respectively, after 79 days of anaerobic incubation. The TN, TP and NH₄-N concentrations in MSW reduced to 4300, 1100, and 160 mg/g from 11,100, 2450, and 630 mg/g in R1 reactor by day 79. The values of pH were 6.98, 6.76, and 7.98, respectively, after anaerobic incubation, respectively in the aforementioned reactors. It was observed that the aeration decreased the methane percentage and the quantity in the simulated bioreactor. The maximum cumulative methane gas production was recorded as 11.2, 0.9, and 3.6 L in control, R1 and R2 reactors, respectively, at the end of 79 days. A BOD₅/COD ratio of 0.23 achieved in the R2 reactor indicated the better MSW stabilization resulting in a high rate than that of R1 and control reactors. It was observed that the aerated reactor one day in a week during one hour (R2) reduced the COD and VFA concentrations in leachate samples. The aerated reactor three days in a week during 1 h (R1) reduced the waste quantity, the organic content of the solid waste. The final leachate quantities of aerated runs were lower than that of control reactor operated under strictly anaerobic conditions.

Keywords:

• Municipal solid waste
• Bioreactor
• Leachate recirculation
• Aeration

Acknowledgments

This study was executed as a part of the research activities of the Environmental Microbiology Laboratory of Environmental Engineering Department of the project which was partially funded by the Dokuz Eylül University Research Foundation. The authors would like to thank for the financial support to projects with grant numbers Fen 021, 051, and 03.KB.Fen.017.