Grantee Research Project Results

2002 Progress Report: Facultative Landfill Bioreactors (FLB): A Pilot-Scale Study of Waste Stabilization, Landfill Gas Emissions, Leachate Treatment, and Landfill Geotechnical Properties

EPA Grant Number: R827933C029
Subproject: this is subproject number 029 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R825427
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: Urban Waste Management and Research Center (University New Orleans)
Center Director: McManis, Kenneth
Title: Facultative Landfill Bioreactors (FLB): A Pilot-Scale Study of Waste Stabilization, Landfill Gas Emissions, Leachate Treatment, and Landfill Geotechnical Properties
Investigators: La Motta, Enrique J. , McManis, Kenneth
Institution: University of New Orleans
EPA Project Officer: Aja, Hayley
Project Period: July 1, 2001 through June 30, 2004
Project Period Covered by this Report: July 1, 2001 through June 30, 2002
RFA: Urban Waste Management & Research Center (1998) RFA Text |  Recipients Lists
Research Category: Targeted Research

Objective:

The main objective of this subproject of the Urban Waste Management and Resource Center (UWMRC) is to evaluate the effect of external leachate pretreatment prior to recirculation on waste stabilization rates and leachate and gas production as compared to straight recirculation of untreated leachate.

Progress Summary:

The following is a summary of the accomplishments to date:

Environmental Project

• The facultative landfill with recirculation of pretreated leachate was able to stabilize the organic matter in the waste at a much higher rate than the lysimeter with straight recirculation and the conventional lysimeter without recirculation.
• Values as low as 51 mg/L for chemical oxygen demand (COD) and 11 mg/L for biological oxygen demand (BOD5) were obtained for the facultative lysimeter at the end of the period of study. COD and BOD5 values of 396 mg/L and 120 mg/L, respectively, were obtained for the lysimeter with raw leachate recirculation. Values of 436 mg/L and 371 mg/L were obtained for the conventional lysimeter for COD and BOD5, respectively.
• Reduction in ammonia concentrations was approximately 90 percent for the facultative lysimeter at the end of the period of study, whereas the reduction for the other two lysimeters was only approximately 20 percent.
• Conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas took place inside the facultative lysimeter because of denitrification, using the organic matter available inside the lysimeter.
• Iron concentrations peaked very early in the study (around days 46 to 60) and then decreased to low values throughout the length of the project. Aluminum concentrations typically were lower than 0.2 mg/L throughout the period of study in all lysimeters.
• The values of pH and total volatile acids suggest that all three lysimeters passed through the three first decomposition phases very fast, staying at the methanogenic phase (lysimeter with straight recirculation and conventional lysimeter) and quasipostmethanogenic phase (facultative lysimeter) after 50 days.
• After 90 days, it also was noticed that the facultative lysimeter leachate was visually clearer than the other two with significant transparency and without color.
• Methanogenesis was established in the lysimeter with straight recirculation and in the conventional lysimeter. Much greater fractions of methane and carbon dioxide were observed when compared to other gases in these two lysimeters than in the facultative lysimeter.
• The results demonstrate that the facultative lysimeter was able to operate in both conditions: denitrification (when treated leachate was added to the lysimeter) and methanogenic conditions (when treated leachate was not added to the lysimeter). The achievement of methanogenic conditions in the lysimeter during a certain period of time supports that the lysimeter had microbiological activity under anaerobic or semiaerobic conditions.

Geotechnical Project

• The use of classical soil mechanics formulation to describe the municipal solid waste (MSW) compressibility is not adequate, primarily because the settlement mechanisms between soils and MSW are different. In addition, even when the model is understood as an empirical adjusted model, it still presents several deficiencies.
• The application of load to the waste inside the lysimeters produced immediate relative settlements (or strains) of 15.2 percent, 10.3 percent, and 8.0 percent for the facultative lysimeter, the lysimeter with raw leachate recirculation, and the conventional lysimeter, respectively.
• Relative settlements of 12.5 percent, 14.8 percent, and 13.3 percent were observed for the facultative lysimeter, the lysimeter with raw leachate recirculation, and the conventional lysimeter, respectively.
• The immediate and the time-dependent settlements can be modeled according to a hyperbolic law.
• A rheological hyperbolic model was proposed to model and predict the settlements on landfills. The model can be understood by the representation of the immediate settlement by a spring and the time-dependent settlement by a dashpot and another spring, both linked in parallel.
• Adequate model parameters corresponding to the characteristics of the landfill are required.

Future Activities:

Most of the activities in the last phase of this study will be devoted to optimizing the treatment plant unit processes, especially the electrocoagulation unit and the solids separation unit.

Journal Articles:

No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 1 publications for this subproject

Supplemental Keywords:

municipal solid waste, landfill bioreactors, leachate treatment, lysimeters,, Scientific Discipline, Waste, Civil Engineering, Municipal, Environmental Chemistry, Environmental Engineering, municipal waste, leachate recirculation landfills, landfill design, evaluation of leaching, moisture content, municipal solid waste landfills, waste disposal, bioreactor, landfill operation, waste management, landfill moisture control

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

2003

Final

Main Center Abstract and Reports:

R825427    Urban Waste Management and Research Center (University New Orleans)

Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R825427C001 Comprehensive Evaluation of The Dual Trickling Filter Solids Contact Process
R825427C002 Issues Involving the Vertical Expansion of Landfills
R825427C003 Deep Foundations on Brownfields Sites
R825427C004 Ambient Particulate Concentration Model for Traffic Intersections
R825427C005 Effectiveness of Rehabilitation Approaches for I/I Reduction
R825427C006 Urban Solid Waste Management Videos
R825427C007 UWMRC Community Outreach Multimedia Exhibit
R825427C008 Including New Technology into the Investigation of Inappropriate Pollutant Entries into Storm Drainage Systems - A User's Guide
R825427C009 Investigation of Hydraulic Characteristics and Alternative Model Development of Subsurface Flow Constructed Wetlands
R825427C010 Beneficial Use Of Urban Runoff For Wetland Enhancement
R825427C011 Urban Storm and Waste Water Outfall Modeling
R827933C001 Development of a Model Sediment Control Ordinance for Louisiana
R827933C002 Inappropriate Discharge to Stormwater Drainage (Demonstration Project)
R827933C003 Alternate Liner Evaluation Model
R827933C004 LA DNR - DEQ - Regional Waste Management
R827933C005 Landfill Design Specifications
R827933C006 Geosynthetic Clay Liners as Alternative Barrier Systems
R827933C007 Used Tire Monofill
R827933C008 A Comparison of Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Bed (USAB) and the Anaerobic Biofilm Fluidized Bed Reactor (ABFBR) for the Treatment of Municipal Wastewater
R827933C009 Integrated Environmental Management Plan for Shipbuilding Facilities
R827933C010 Nicaragua
R827933C011 Louisiana Environmental Education and Resource Program
R827933C012 Costa Rica - Costa Rican Initiative
R827933C013 Evaluation of Cr(VI) Exposure Assessment in the Shipbuilding Industry
R827933C014 LaTAP, Louisiana Technical Assistance Program: Pollution Prevention for Small Businesses
R827933C015 Louisiana Environmental Leadership Pollution Prevention Program
R827933C016 Inexpensive Non-Toxic Pigment Substitute for Chromium in Primer for Aluminum Sibstrate
R827933C017 China - Innovative Waste Composting Plan for the City of Benxi, People's Rupublic of China
R827933C018 Institutional Control in Brownfields Redevelopment: A Methodology for Community Participation and Sustainability
R827933C019 Physico-Chemical Assessment for Treatment of Storm Water From Impervious Urban Watersheds Typical of the Gulf Coast
R827933C020 Influence of Cyclic Interfacial Redox Conditions on the Structure and Integrity of Clay Liners for Landfills Subject to Variable High Groundwater Conditions in the Gulf Coast Region
R827933C021 Characterizing Moisture Content Within Landfills
R827933C022 Bioreactor Landfill Moisture Management
R827933C023 Urban Water Issues: A Video Series
R827933C024 Water Quality Modeling in Urban Storm Water Systems
R827933C025 The Development of a Web Based Instruction (WBI) Program for the UWMRC User's Guide (Investigation of Inappropriate Pollutant Entries Into Storm Drainage Systems)
R827933C027 Legal Issues of SSO's: Private Property Sources and Non-NPDES Entities
R827933C028 Brownfields Issues: A Video Series
R827933C029 Facultative Landfill Bioreactors (FLB): A Pilot-Scale Study of Waste Stabilization, Landfill Gas Emissions, Leachate Treatment, and Landfill Geotechnical Properties
R827933C030 Advances in Municipal Wastewater Treatment
R827933C031 Design Criteria for Sanitary Sewer System Rehabilitation
R827933C032 Deep Foundations in Brownfield Areas: Continuing Investigation
R827933C033 Gradation-Based Transport, Kinetics, Coagulation, and Flocculation of Urban Watershed Rainfall-Runoff Particulate Matter
R827933C034 Leaching and Stabilization of Solid-Phase Residuals Separated by Storm Water BMPs Capturing Urban Runoff Impacted by Transportation Activities and Infrastructure
R827933C035 Fate of Pathogens in Storm Water Runoff
R87933C020 Influence of Cyclic Interfacial Redox Conditions on the Structure and Integrity of Clay Liners for Landfills Subject to Variable High Groundwater Conditions in the Gulf Coast Region