TY - GEN
T1 - A laboratory landfill simulator for physical, geotechnical, chemical and microbial characterization of solid waste biodegradation processes
AU - Fei, X.
AU - Zekkos, D.
AU - Raskin, L.
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - Bioreactor landfills enhance biodegradation of municipal solid waste (MSW) via active liquid addition and/or leachate recirculation. This study presents a landfill simulator laboratory experimental setup that was used to study biodegradation of MSW and to collect data to characterize physical, geotechnical, chemical, and microbial changes in the MSW specimen. The simulator hada diameter of 0.3 m and a volume of 40 L and was filled with 30 kg of well-characterized MSW obtained from a landfill. Leachate was recirculated and MSW biodegradation was monitored for 250 days. The total volume of the specimen (Vt) reduced 13%, whereas the total unit weight increased steadily with time after an initial adjustment period. The long-term compression ratio (CLT) changed over time with a maximum value of 0.125. Biogas consisted of approximately 55% CH4 and 45% CO2. A total of 425L CH4 was generated and the peak CH4 generation rate (rCH4) was 10.3L/day. Maximum concentrations of soluble and insoluble COD (chemical oxygen demand, sCOD and insCOD) in the leachate were 4, 190 mg O2/L and 990 mg O2/L, respectively. The concentration of microorganisms in the leachate was estimated by measuring the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) concentration and the maximum observed value was 8, 610 ng DNA/ml. The DNA concentration in the leachate was indicative of rCH4 and the change rate of soluble COD (rsCOD). They were related to the cumulative volume of CH4 (σVCH4) and CLT. The experimental setup and the data collected may provide a valuable basis for future studies of coupled phenomena relevant to the degradation of MSW.
AB - Bioreactor landfills enhance biodegradation of municipal solid waste (MSW) via active liquid addition and/or leachate recirculation. This study presents a landfill simulator laboratory experimental setup that was used to study biodegradation of MSW and to collect data to characterize physical, geotechnical, chemical, and microbial changes in the MSW specimen. The simulator hada diameter of 0.3 m and a volume of 40 L and was filled with 30 kg of well-characterized MSW obtained from a landfill. Leachate was recirculated and MSW biodegradation was monitored for 250 days. The total volume of the specimen (Vt) reduced 13%, whereas the total unit weight increased steadily with time after an initial adjustment period. The long-term compression ratio (CLT) changed over time with a maximum value of 0.125. Biogas consisted of approximately 55% CH4 and 45% CO2. A total of 425L CH4 was generated and the peak CH4 generation rate (rCH4) was 10.3L/day. Maximum concentrations of soluble and insoluble COD (chemical oxygen demand, sCOD and insCOD) in the leachate were 4, 190 mg O2/L and 990 mg O2/L, respectively. The concentration of microorganisms in the leachate was estimated by measuring the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) concentration and the maximum observed value was 8, 610 ng DNA/ml. The DNA concentration in the leachate was indicative of rCH4 and the change rate of soluble COD (rsCOD). They were related to the cumulative volume of CH4 (σVCH4) and CLT. The experimental setup and the data collected may provide a valuable basis for future studies of coupled phenomena relevant to the degradation of MSW.
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U2 - 10.1201/b15004-37
DO - 10.1201/b15004-37
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:84880126549
SN - 9781138000605
T3 - Coupled Phenomena in Environmental Geotechnics: From Theoretical and Experimental Research to Practical Applications - Proceedings of the International Symposium, ISSMGE TC 215
SP - 321
EP - 327
BT - Coupled Phenomena in Environmental Geotechnics
PB - Taylor and Francis - Balkema
T2 - International Symposium on Coupled Phenomena in Environmental Geotechnics: From Theoretical and Experimental Research to Practical Applications
Y2 - 1 July 2013 through 3 July 2013
ER -
