Removal of organic compounds from municipal landfill leachate in a membrane bioreactor Original Research Article

Landfill leachate is highly loaded, toxic and is bad for the sanitation of wastewater. The management of leachate can be carried out by applying treatment or pre-treatment, recirculation (spraying), evaporation to the solid phase and discharge into sewer systems or transfer to a wastewater treatment plant. Research is presented into the biodegradation of leachate collected from the municipal landfill in Gliwice, which was added to a medium that simulated municipal wastewater. The tests were carried out in two systems: a laboratory bioreactor with activated sludge and a membrane bioreactor. The biodegradation of organic compounds was assessed on the basis of reduction in the contaminants denoted by BOD, COD, TOC and changes in IC. The results revealed a considerable impact of the amount of added leachate (2.5, 5 and 10%) on the effectiveness of biodegradation. The application of membrane operations instead of the conventional secondary tank enhanced the treatment of wastewater that contained municipal landfill leachate.