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BIOREACTOR LANDFILLS, THEORETICAL ADVANTAGES AND RESEARCH CHALLENGES
Citation:
TOLAYMAT, T. M. BIOREACTOR LANDFILLS, THEORETICAL ADVANTAGES AND RESEARCH CHALLENGES. Presented at EPA Region 5 Bioreactor Landfill Workshop, Chicago, IL, September 27, 2005.
Impact/Purpose:
to present information
Description:
Bioreactor landfills are municipal solid waste landfills that utilize bulk liquids in an effort to accelerate solid waste degradation. There are few potential benefits for operating a MSW landfill as a bioreactor. These include leachate treatment and management, increase in the solid waste stabilization rate, increase in landfill gas generation rate, which leads to an increase in settlement rate and air space. In the long-term, bioreactor landfills may pose a lower risk to human health and the environment compared to dry tomb landfills. With these advantages, bioreactor landfills have some potential disadvantages that include increase in leachate break outs, odors, the potential of standing water and fires especially in aerobic systems. Other concerns are side slope stability, perched liquids within the landfill, head on the liner, differential settlement, and watering out of gas collection lines. Operating an MSW landfill as a bioreactor has many advantages and disadvantages. As a result, landfills designed as bioreactors need to be operated as such.