Industrial landfill leachate characterization and treatment utilizing anaerobic digestion with methane production

Thesis/Dissertation · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5202887

Corbo, P

Anaerobic digestion of organic compounds found in an industrial landfill leachate originating from a Superfund site was assessed using mixed methanogenic cultures. Leachate was found to contain a dissolved organic content (DOC) of about 16,000 mg/liter, of which 40% was in the form of acetic, propionic and butyric acids. The overall reduction of DOC and the fates of individual volatile fatty acids were studied during batch experiments of 5, 10, and 20% leachate dilutions. Other leachate components were characterized. Two methanogenic cultures were selected. A leachate digesting culture was selected directly with the leachate. A volatile fatty acid digesting culture was selected using acetic, propionic and butyric acids in the ratio found in the leachate. An overall DOC reduction of 64.3% was observed for the leachate digesting culture. A reduction of 69.1% was observed for the volatile fatty acid digesting culture. Specific DOC utilization rates were 0.154 and 0.211 day/sup -1/, for the leachate digesting and volatile fatty acid digesting cultures, respectively. Methane was produced at levels of 0.95-0.99 liters per gram DOC removed. Cell growth could not be observed during batch experiments. Acetate appeared to be the rate-limiting step in the DOC removal. Batch experiments with 20% leachate dilutions did not produce much methane, possibly due to overloading systems with volatile fatty acids. Other leachate components did not appear to effect anaerobic digestion.

• Research Organization: Rutgers--the State Univ., New Brunswick, NJ (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5202887
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
090122* -- Hydrocarbon Fuels-- Preparation from Wastes or Biomass-- (1976-1989)
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320305 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Industrial & Agricultural Processes-- Industrial Waste Management
ACETIC ACID
ALKANES
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
BATCH CULTURE
BIOCONVERSION
BUTYRIC ACID
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
DIGESTION
DISPERSIONS
HYDROCARBONS
LAWS
LEACHATES
MANAGEMENT
METHANE
MIXTURES
MONOCARBOXYLIC ACIDS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION LAWS
PROCESSING
PRODUCTION
PROPIONIC ACID
SANITARY LANDFILLS
SOLUTIONS
SUPERFUND
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
YIELDS