Biodrying of municipal solid waste under different ventilation modes: drying efficiency and aqueous pollution

Area of Science:

• Environmental Engineering
• Waste Management
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Ventilation is crucial for effective biodrying of municipal solid waste (MSW).
• Different ventilation modes can impact biodrying efficiency and secondary pollution.
• Understanding ventilation effects is key for optimizing MSW treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficiency of three ventilation modes for MSW biodrying.
• To evaluate secondary pollution levels under different ventilation strategies.
• To determine the optimal ventilation mode for MSW biodrying.

Main Methods:

• Three ventilation modes were tested: intermittent negative ventilation (IN), continuous negative ventilation (CN), and intermittent positive ventilation (IP).
• The same total air volume was supplied across all modes over a 16-day experiment.
• Biodrying efficiency was assessed by water loss and the ratio of water loss to volatile solid loss.

Main Results:

• Water removal ranged from 67.2% to 68.7% across the ventilation modes.
• Biodrying efficiency ratios (water loss/volatile solid loss) were 5.35 (IN), 5.93 (CN), and 4.82 (IP).
• Leachate and condensate showed high organic carbon and ammonia concentrations, with leachate being higher.

Conclusions:

• Continuous negative ventilation (CN) demonstrated the highest biodrying efficiency for MSW.
• Aqueous pollution, particularly from leachate, requires careful management in MSW treatment plants.
• CN is the most preferable ventilation mode for MSW biodrying, provided pollution control measures are in place.