Oxidation of Aged Raw Landfill Leachate with O3 Only and O3/H2O2: Treatment Efficiency and Molecular Size Distribution Analysis

An aged raw landfill leachate was taken from the equalization storage tank at Clover Bar Landfill Leachate Treatment Plant, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The average quality parameters of this leachate were: COD=1,090mg/L, BOD₅=39mg/L, color=1,130 TCU, NH₃-N=455mgN/L, alkalinity=4,030mg/L as CaCO₃and pH=8.30. The major fraction of this leachate was large refractory organic compounds. Ozone (O₃) only and O₃ combined with hydrogen peroxide (O₃/H₂O₂) were applied to treat this leachate, aiming at enhancing COD and color reduction and increasing its biodegradability (i.e., the ratio of BOD₅/COD). All of the O₃ only and O₃/H₂O₂ oxidation experiments were performed in a gas washing bottle equipped with a fine bubble diffuser. The used ozone dose ranged from 1.2 to 12.5g O₃/L leachate for O₃ only treatment, and 1.8 to 13.8g O₃/L leachate for O₃/H₂O₂ treatment. H₂O₂ dose for O₃/H₂O₂ treatment was 0.63g H₂O₂/L leachate. COD, BOD₅, color, NH₃-N, nitrite+nitrate, and alkalinity were measured before and after treatment. Meanwhile the molecular size distribution of the leachate, before and after treatment, was analyzed by using a high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) with gel filtration column and UV detector at 254nm. The addition of H₂O₂ had an insignificant effect (at 5% significance level) on enhancing COD and color reduction. After oxidation, the maximum BOD₅ increase was about 110% for O₃/H₂O₂ treatment and about 141% for O₃ only treatment at a used ozone dose of 3.6g O₃/L leachate and 2.6g O₃/L leachate for O₃/H₂O₂ and O₃ only, respectively. As the used ozone dose increased, NH₃-N and alkalinity decreased considerably, and nitrite+nitrate increased accordingly. Treatment efficiency models, which describe the changes in COD, BOD₅/COD, NH₃-N, nitrite+nitrate, and alkalinity as functions of the used ozone dose, were developed. Statistically (at 5% significance level), the treatment efficiency models for both treatments are not different. According to the results of molecular size distribution analysis, no correlation was observed between the BOD₅ increase and oxidation by-products’ formation.