Using landfill leachate to indicate the chemical and biochemical activities in elevated temperature landfills.

Landfill leachate properties contain important information and can be a unique indicator for the chemical and biochemical activities in landfills. In the recent decade, more landfills are experiencing elevated temperature, causing an imbalance in the decomposition of solid waste and affecting the properties of the landfill leachate. This study analyzes the properties of leachate from two landfills that were experiencing elevated temperature (ETLFs), samples were collected from both elevated temperature impacted and non-impacted areas in each landfill. The accumulation of volatile fatty acids (VFA) in leachates from elevated temperature impacted areas of both landfill sites revealed that methanogenesis was inhibited by the elevated temperature, which was further confirmed by the more acidic pH, higher H/C elemental ratio, and lower degree of aromaticity of the elevated temperature impacted leachates. Also, carbohydrates depletion indicated possible enhancement of hydrolysis and acidogenesis by elevated temperature, which was supported by compositional comparison of isolated acidic species by negative-ion electrospray ionization (ESI) Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICRMS) at 21 T derived from both elevated temperature impacted and non-impacted areas in the same landfill site. Furthermore, leachate organics fractionation showed that leachates not impacted by elevated temperature contain less hydrophilic fraction and more humic fraction than elevated temperature-impacted leachates for both ETLFs.

Microplastics in landfill leachate: Sources, detection, occurrence, and removal.

Due to the accumulation of an enormous amount of plastic waste from municipal and industrial sources in landfills, landfill leachate is becoming a significant reservoir of microplastics. The release of microplastics from landfill leachate into the environment can have undesirable effects on humans and biota. This study provides the state of the science regarding the source, detection, occurrence, and remediation of microplastics in landfill leachate based on a comprehensive review of the scientific literature, mostly in the recent decade. Solid waste and wastewater treatment residue are the primary sources of microplastics in landfill leachate. Microplastic concentration in raw and treated landfill leachate varied between 0-382 and 0-2.7 items L-1. Microplastics in raw landfill leachate are largely attributable to local plastic waste production and solid waste management practices. Polyethylene, polystyrene, and polypropylene are the most prevalent microplastic polymers in landfill leachate. Even though the colors of microplastics are primarily determined by their parent plastic waste, the predominance of light-colored microplastics in landfill leachate indicates long-term degradation. The identified morphologies of microplastics in leachate from all published sources contain fiber and fragments the most. Depending on the treatment method, leachate treatment processes can achieve microplastic removal rates between 3% and 100%. The review also provides unique perspectives on microplastics in landfill leachate in terms of remediation, final disposal, fate and transport among engineering systems, and source reduction, etc. The landfill-wastewater treatment plant loop and bioreactor landfills present unique difficulties and opportunities for managing microplastics induced by landfill leachate.

Environmental Impacts of Hurricane Harvey on the Neches-Brakes Bayou River System in Beaumont, Texas.

Hurricane Harvey caused unprecedented floods across large regions of Southeast Texas resulting in several infrastructural issues. One of the notable failures was of a drinking water source pump in Beaumont, Texas, that necessitated the emergency use of a temporary pump intake station in the Neches River system. This study examines the environmental consequences of Harvey-induced flooding in the Neches River system by focusing on sensitive locations, including a Superfund site (International Creosoting, IC) and adjacent to the temporary pump intake. Post-Harvey water samples showed greater than two orders of magnitude increase in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) about 3 weeks after Harvey (350-420 µg L-1 on September 22) at locations adjacent to IC and the temporary water pump intake, which by that time was no longer in use. The organic carbon normalized PAH measurements in the heavily contaminated water samples from both locations (~3% w/w) agreed well with surficial soil/sediment samples collected at the east bank adjacent to the IC site (0.7-5.2% w/w). Furthermore, molecular diagnostic ratios of select PAHs supported the contribution of PAHs from the IC site into the surface waters. PAH measurements were consistent with sediment resuspension by floodwaters that were initially diluted by large flows but became more significant as the flood subsided. Overall, our data showed that flooding can cause high levels of contamination weeks after the initial flooding event, with potential for cascading risks through mobilization of pollutants from source areas and impacts to critical water infrastructure systems.

Effect of temperature on opportunistic pathogen gene markers and microbial communities in long-term stored roof-harvested rainwater.

Roof-harvested rainwater (RHRW) has received increasing attention in recent years as an alternative water source for domestic use, yet its biological stability during storage is not fully understood. This study investigated the effects of temperature (4 °C, 20 °C and 30 °C) on the microbiological characteristics of RHRW over a storage period of 60 days by targeting different microbial groups including total bacteria and fecal indictor Escherichia coli, bacterial opportunistic pathogen genera and species (Legionella spp, Legionella pneumophila, Mycobacterium spp, Mycobacterium avium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa), and two amoebas (Acanthamoeba and Vermamoeba vermiformis). The rainwater chemistry demonstrated no obvious change during storage. The highest biomass was observed in RHRW stored at 30 °C, as measured by heterotrophic bacterial counts, adenosine triphosphate, and 16S rRNA gene numbers. Gene markers of E. coli, Legionella spp., P. aeruginosa, and V. vermiformis were detected in fresh RHRW and can persist during RHRW storage; whereas P. aeruginosa was the only species demonstrated significant regrowth at higher storage temperatures (P < 0.05). Acanthamoeba spp. was only detected in RHRW after 50 days of storage at three investigated temperatures, highlighting increased health risks in long-term stored RHRW. Bacterial community compositions were significantly different in RHRW stored at different temperatures, with increased variations among triplicate storage bottles noted at higher temperatures along with storage time. The results provide insights into RHRW storage practices in terms of mitigating microbial contamination risks.

A review of landfill leachate induced ultraviolet quenching substances: Sources, characteristics, and treatment.

Landfill leachate contains extremely diverse mixtures of pollutants and thus requires appropriate treatment before discharge. Co-treatment of landfill leachate with sewage in wastewater treatment plants is a common approach because of low cost and convenience. However, some recalcitrant organic compounds in leachate can escape biological treatment processes, lower the UV transmittance of waste streams due to their UV-quenching properties, and interfere with the associated disinfection efficacy. Thus, the leachate UV quenching substances (UVQS) must be removed or reduced to a level that UV disinfection is not strongly affected. UVQS consist of three major fractions, humic acids, fulvic acids and hydrophilics, each of which has distinct characteristics and behaviors during treatment. The purpose of this review is to provide a synthesis of the state of the science regarding UVQS and possible treatment approaches. In general, chemical, electrochemical, and physical treatments are more effective than biological treatments, but also costlier. Integration of multiple treatment methods to target the removal of different fractions of UVQS can aid in optimizing treatment. The importance of UVQS effects on wastewater treatment should be better recognized and understood with implemented regulations and improved research and treatment practice.

Evolution of nitrogen species in landfill leachates under various stabilization states.

In this study, nitrogen species in landfill leachates under various stabilization states were investigated with emphasis on organic nitrogen. Ammonium nitrogen was found to be approximately 1300mg/L in leachates from younger landfill units (less than 10years old), and approximately 500mg/L in leachates from older landfill units (up to 30years old). The concentration and aerobic biodegradability of organic nitrogen decreased with landfill age. A size distribution study showed that most organic nitrogen in landfill leachates is <1kDa. The Lowry protein concentration (mg/L-N) was analyzed and showed a strong correlation with the total organic nitrogen (TON, mg/L-N, R2=0.88 and 0.98 for untreated and treated samples, respectively). The slopes of the regression curves of untreated (protein=0.45TON) and treated (protein=0.31TON) leachates indicated that the protein is more biodegradable than the other organic nitrogen species in landfill leachates. XAD-8 resin was employed to isolate the hydrophilic fraction of leachate samples, and it was found that the hydrophilic fraction proportion in terms of organic nitrogen decreased with landfill age. Solid-state 15N nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was utilized to identify the nitrogen species. Proteinaceous materials were found to be readily biodegradable, while heterocyclic nitrogen species were found to be resistant to biodegradation.

Chemical oxidation for mitigation of UV-quenching substances (UVQS) from municipal landfill leachate: Fenton process versus ozonation.

UV-quenching substance (UVQS), as an emerging municipal solid waste (MSW)-derived leachate contaminant, has a potential to interfere with UV disinfection when leachate is disposed of at publicly owned treatment works (POTWs). The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare two chemical oxidation processes under different operational conditions, i.e. Fenton process and ozonation, for alleviation of UV254 absorbance of a biologically pre-treated landfill leachate. Results showed that leachate UV254 absorbance was reduced due to the UVQS decomposition by hydroxyl radicals (·OH) during Fenton treatment, or by ozone (O3) and ·OH during ozonation. Fenton process exhibited a better treatment performance than ozonation under their respective optimal conditions, because ·OH could effectively decompose both hydrophobic and hydrophilic dissolved organic matter (DOM), but O3 tended to selectively oxidize hydrophobic compounds alone. Different analytical techniques, including molecular weight (MW) fractionation, hydrophobic/hydrophilic isolation, UV spectra scanning, parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis, and fluorescence excitation-emission matrix spectrophotometry, were used to characterize UVQS. After either oxidation treatment, residual UVQS was more hydrophilic with a higher fraction of low MW molecules. It should be noted that the removed UV254 absorbance (ΔUV254) was directly proportional to the removed COD (ΔCOD) for the both treatments (Fenton process: ΔUV254 = 0.011ΔCOD; ozonation: ΔUV254 = 0.016ΔCOD). A greater ΔUV254/ΔCOD was observed for ozonation, suggesting that oxidant was more efficiently utilized during ozonation than in Fenton treatment for mitigation of the UV absorbance.

Variation in organic matter characteristics of landfill leachates in different stabilisation stages.

This study investigates the effect of landfill age on landfill leachate characteristics; two aspects are focused here. One is ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm (UV(254)) property, as the discharge of landfill leachates to publically owned treatment works can cause interference with UV(254) disinfection. The other is biorefractory organic nitrogen in leachates, as it can contribute to effluent nitrogen making it difficult to meet stringent effluent nitrogen regulations. To study variation in UV(254)-absorbing organic carbon and organic nitrogen, leachate samples ranging from cells with ages 2 to 30 y from a large landfill in Kentucky, were collected and fractionated on a basis of their molecular weight and chemical nature into humic acids, fulvic acids and a hydrophilic fraction. The effectiveness of long term landfilling and membrane treatment for organic matter and organic nitrogen removal was examined. Humic materials, which were the major UV(254)-absorbing substances, were mainly >1 kDa and they degraded significantly with landfill age. The hydrophilic organic fraction, which was the major contributor to organic nitrogen, was mainly <1 kDa and it became increasingly recalcitrant with landfill age. This study provides insight into the characteristics of the different leachate fractions with landfilling age that might aid the design of on-site leachate treatment techniques.

Application of Fenton's reagent as a polishing step for removal of UV quenching organic constituents in biologically treated landfill leachates.

When landfill leachate, with or without biological pretreatment, is discharged to publically owned treatment works (POTWs), it can interfere with the installed treatment facilities. Biological treatment is ineffective for the removal of some of the bio-refractory organic matter, including UV254 quenching substances. Fenton's reagent treatment for biologically treated landfill leachates is examined in this study as a polishing step to make landfill leachates acceptable to POTWs. The optimum conditions for the Fenton's reagent treatment are explored. The molecular weight and hydrophobic-hydrophilic nature based fractions of the Fenton's treated leachate samples are analyzed to provide insight into the leachate fractions targeted by the Fenton's reagent. The results indicate that Fenton's reagent can act as a good compliment to biological treatment as it can remove leachate fractions which are widely considered to be bio-refractory. It exhibited good UV254 absorbance removal by removing larger molecular weight humic substances and thus, can help solve the UV254 quenching problem due to leachates discharged to POTWs.

Characterization and treatment of organic constituents in landfill leachates that influence the UV disinfection in the publicly owned treatment works (POTWs).

Landfill leachates strongly quench UV light. When discharged to POTWs, leachates can interfere with UV disinfection. To investigate the UV quenching problem of landfill leachates, a variety of landfill leachates with a range of conditions were collected and characterized. The UV blocking component was found to be resistant to biological degradation so they pass through wastewater treatment plants and impact the subsequent UV disinfection system. Leachate samples were fractionated into humic acids (HAs), fulvic Acids (FAs) and hydrophilic (Hpi) fractions to investigate the source of UV absorbing materials. Results show that for all leachates examined, the specific UV254 absorbance (SUVA254) of the three fractions follows: HA>FA>Hpi. However, the overall UV254 absorbance of the Hpi fraction was important because there was more hydrophilic organic matter than humic or fulvic acids. The size distribution was also investigated to provide information about the potential for membrane treatment. It was found that the size distribution of the three fractions follows: HA>FA>Hpi. This indicates that membrane separation following biological treatment is a promising technology for removal of humic substances from landfill leachates. Leachate samples treated in this manner could meet the UV transmittance requirement of the POTWs.

Treatment of organic matter and methylated arsenic in landfill biogas condensate.

To explore the feasible treatment alternatives for organic contaminant, especially organic arsenic species in the landfill gas (LFG) condensate, a variety of treatment approaches were examined and evaluated in this study. Biological degradation, conventional and advanced oxidation, and physical absorption showed limited effectiveness to convert the methylated arsenic to inorganic arsenic. Reverse osmosis (RO) was found to be able to remove the organic arsenic and meet the discharge limits. Maximum removal efficiency and cost level were summarized for all treatment approaches tested, which can be a reference for the organic arsenic treatment method selection under different circumstances.

Evaluation of on-site biological treatment for landfill leachates and its impact: A size distribution study.

A cost effective and widely applied approach for landfill leachate disposal is to discharge it to a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The recalcitrant nature of leachate organics and the impact on the downstream WWTPs were comprehensively investigated in this study. Size fractionation by ultrafiltration (UF) and microfiltration (MF) was employed in conjunction with various analyses (TOC, COD, nitrogen species and UV(254) absorbance) on raw and biologically treated landfill leachates to provide insight into biological treatability. Overall, landfill leachate organics showed bio-refractory properties. Less than half of the organic matter, measured as total organic carbon (TOC), could be removed in the biological processes examined. Size distribution data showed that the <1 thousand Daltons (kDa) fraction is dominant in most untreated and treated landfill leachates, indicating difficulties for membrane treatment. Also, most removal occurred for the <1 kDa fraction in the biological processes, while the intermediate size fractions increased slightly. This may be caused by bio-flocculation and/or partial degradation of larger molecular weight fractions. Organic nitrogen was investigated in this study as one of the first explorations for landfill leachates. Organic nitrogen in landfill leachates was more bio-refractory than other organic matter. UV quenching by landfill leachates was also investigated since it interferes with the UV disinfection at WWTPs. The combination of activated carbon and activated sludge (PACT) showed some effectiveness for reducing UV quenching, indicating that carbon adsorption is a potential method for removal of UV quenching substances. Fourier transform Infrared (FT/IR) data showed that aromatic groups are responsible for the UV quenching phenomenon.