Estimate of the Pollution Removed by Leaching of Standard Domestic Waste: Mass Assessments Carried Out in Batches and Columns

Abstract

Batch and column tests allowed estimation of the mobilization of pollution of standard domestic waste in leachate and biogas. Three laboratory tests (biochemical methane potential (BMP), tank leaching test (TLT), and column tests) have been applied to evaluate the emission of pollutants in liquid and/or gas phase from reconstituted municipal solid waste (MSW) on the basis of French waste. In the case of the batch tests (BMP and TLT), BMP tests indicated a maximum organic carbon share produced by waste (biogas potential) equal to 59% of the initial carbon. The maximum quantity of carbon likely to be leached by the waste (TLT) corresponded to 6% of the carbon contained in the waste. On the other hand, during column tests, 3.3% of carbon was leached and 8% of carbon was evacuated in biogas at the end of a 440-day follow-up. It thus appears that the test conditions have a great influence on the remobilization of pollution. In particular it has been proven than the greater the optimization of the liquid/solid ratio, the agitation, the sowing, and the temperature, the greater the pollutant is leached. This study highlights the possible use of batch and column tests to evaluate the pollution risk of a landfill.