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PRACTICE REVIEW OF FIVE BIOREACTOR/RECIRCULATION LANDFILLS
Citation:
BENSON, C. H., M. A. BARLAZ, D. T. LANE, AND J. M. RAWE. PRACTICE REVIEW OF FIVE BIOREACTOR/RECIRCULATION LANDFILLS. WASTE MANAGEMENT. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, 27(1):13-29, (2007).
Impact/Purpose:
To provide a perspective of current practice and technical issues that differentiate bioreactor landfills from conventional landfills.
Description:
Six bioreactor landfills were analyzed to provide a perspective of current practice and technical issues that differentiate bioreactor landfills from conventional landfills. Five of the bioreactor landfills were anaerobic and one was aerated. In one case, nearly identical cells existed side-by-side operating in conventional and bioreactor modes. Bioreactor landfills were found to function in much the same manner as conventional landfills, with designs similar to established standards for waste containment facilities. Recirculation of leachate appears to have little effect on the performance of the containment system and data from leachate detection systems did not show that bioreactor landfills were more likely to release leachate than conventional landfills. Leachate generation rates, depths and temperatures, and liner temperatures were similar in bioreactor and conventional landfills. For four of the five landfills operated under anaerobic conditions, ambiguities in gas production data precludedd a definitive conclusion that bioreactor operations accelerated waste decomposition. However, at one anaerobic landfill, gas production was accelerated. Analysis of leachate quality data showed that bioreactors generally produce stronger leachate than conventional landfills during the first two to three years of recirculation. Thereafter, leachate from conventional and bioreactor landfills is similar, at least in terms of conventional indicator parameters (BOD, COD, pH). While the BOD and COD decreased, and the pH remained around neutral, ammonia concentrations remained elevated due to the absence of biological mechanisms for ammonia removal. Settlement data collected from two of the landfills indicate that settlements are larger and occur much faster in landfills operated as bioreactors.
