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PERFORMANCE OF NORTH AMERICAN BIOREACTOR LANDFILLS: II. CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Citation:
Barlaz, M. A., C. A. Bareither, A. Hossain, J. Saquing, I. Mezzari, C. H. Benson, T. M. TOLAYMAT, AND R. Yazdani. PERFORMANCE OF NORTH AMERICAN BIOREACTOR LANDFILLS: II. CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING. American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Reston, VA, 136(8):839-853, (2010).
Impact/Purpose:
To examine the performance of five North American bioreactor landfills.
Description:
The objective of this research was to examine the performance of five North American bioreactor landfills. This paper represents the second of a two part series and addresses biological and chemical aspects of bioreactor performance including gas production and management, and leachate chemistry. The data support accelerated methane generation at several landfills ( k = 0.08 - 0.21 l/yr) relative to the AP-42 default decay rate (k = 0.04 l/yr). While the data indicate that gas collection increases at bioreactor landfills, a general relationship between decay rate and moisture added or wet weight water content could not be identified. There was however, no indication that gas collection increases appreciably when the water content reaches 40%. Most of the leachates at the landfills in this study were commingled from cells operating as a bioreactor and conventionally. Nevertheless, trends in pH and BOD:COD in the bioreactor leachates were consistent with the impacts of enhanced biological activity. Ammonia concentrations also increased over time but remained below levels reported to be inhibitory. For both heavy metals and speciated organic chemicals, there was no indication that bioreactor landfill leachate is significantly different from leachate generated at conventional landfills.
