Enhanced leachate recirculation and stabilization in a pilot landfill bioreactor in Taiwan

This study focused on the treatment of municipal solid waste (MSW) by modification and recirculation of leachate from a simulated landfill bioreactor. Hydrogen peroxide was added to recirculated leachate to maintain a constant oxygen concentration as the leachate passed again through the simulated landfill bioreactor. The results showed that leachate recirculation increased the dissolved oxygen concentration in the test landfill bioreactor. Over a period of 405 days, the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD(5)) in the collected leachate reduced by 99.7%, whereas the chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduced by 96%. The BOD(5)/COD ratio at the initial stage of 0.9 improved to 0.09 under aerobic conditions (leachate recirculation with added hydrogen peroxide) compared with the anaerobic test cell 0.11 (leachate recirculation alone without hydrogen peroxide). The pH increased from 5.5 to 7.6, and the degradation rate of organic carbon was 93%. Leachate recirculation brings about the biodegradation of MSW comparatively faster than the conventional landfill operation. The addition of a constant concentration of hydrogen peroxide was found to further increase the biodegradation. This increased biodegradation rate ultimately enables an MSW landfill to reach a stable state sooner and free up the land for further reuse.