Treatment of Sanitary Landfill Leachate Using a Combined Anaerobic Fluidized Bed Reactor and Fenton's Oxidation

Sanitary Landfill leachate treatment by a combined anaerobic fluidized bed reactor and Fenton's oxidation was investigated. Anaerobic treatability studies were performed in a pilot-scale fluidized bed reactor using the typical quartz sand media. The anaerobic fluidized bed reactor (AFBR) attained chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiencies of 80–90% and stable biogas production yield of 0.54 L biogas/g COD_rem with increasing organic loading rates (OLRs) within the range 2 and 15 kg COD/m³-day. Anaerobically pretreated landfill leachate was further treated by Fenton's oxidation to decompose the refractory organic and inorganic components in the leachate and optimum operation conditions for two different organic loadings (2 and 4 kg COD/m³-day) were examined. An optimum pH of 2.5 and an optimum H2O2 dosage of 1,200 mg/L, for the OLR of 2 kg COD/m³-day, yield a COD removal of 85%. The results have clearly indicated that landfill leachate treatment by a combined AFBR and Fenton's Oxidation system is an appropriate treatment option to enhance the COD removal efficiency.