vaca Recent Advances of Landfill Leachate Treatment Ding Fang, Jianchao Wang, Dongyu Cui, Xinwei Dong, Chu Tang, Lingyue Zhang and Dongbei Yue’ Abstract | Landfill leachate poses significant risks to the environment and human health if not managed properly due to its potential to con- taminate soil, ground, and surface waters. Consequently, effluent stand- ards for landfill leachate have been continuously reviewed to manage these risks, A combination of treatment techniques (e.g... physico-chem- ical and biological) are usually required to treat landfill leachate due to its complexity, variability, and potentially high concentrations of pol- lutants. This review considers the various types of techniques used to treat landfil leachate/leachate concentrate, including advanced oxida tion process (AOP), membrane bioreactor, denitrification, biofilm reac- tors, and electrocoagulation. The occurrence and treatment of emerging contaminants in landfill leachate, and opportunities for development ate also considered. The review covers the basic principles through to the latest developments in research, including the effectiveness of engineering applications, their economic and technical challenges, together with current gaps in the knowledge and the prospects for lea- hate treatment. A systematic review of the technical characteristics of the engineering applications, used in leachate membrane concentrate treatment, showed that low-energy direct heat transfer evaporation tech- nology had good prospects for future development. Refractory organic compounds, high concentrations of ammonia, high salinity, and concen- trated leachate were of high concem, Hence, extensive research has been conducted on the degradation of refractory organic compounds using various AOPs, and the denitrification of ammonia species by novel biological pathways (e.g., anaerobic ammonium oxidation, short-cut denitrification processes). Despite the significant number of promising laboratory scale applications, further research is needed to demonstrate their effectiveness on a commerciallarge scale. 4 Introduction The disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW) in landfills poses potentially significant risks and lenges to our society. Globally, sanitary land- filling has been widely adopted as an economical and practical method, and the final repository for waste. During the twentieth century, it was esti- ‘mated that 95% of the total collected MSW went into landfill sites. In China, 242.06 million tons |.India Inst, Se VOL 101:1685-724 October 2021 journahiscenet.in of municipal waste were collected in 2019, of Which 45% was disposed in sanitary landfills". However, despite their widespread use, landfill sites can pose a long term risks to the environ- ‘ment and human health, since they can continue to produce leachate for several hundred years after they have ceased operation” Landfill leachate is characterized by its vol- ume, composition, and heterogeneous nature. © Springer REVIEW * sone a Envronmant, Taig Univers, ‘jing 100084, Peoples Fepubte of China “yuadbsinght ecco ARTICLED. Fang et al. Maximum level maf) Parameter .G816889-2008 at 1/307-2013" ‘Suspended solid ($8) 30 10 Chemical oxjgen demand (COD.) 100 20 Biochemical oxygen demand (B0D;) 30 6 Nitrogen-ammonia (NH.-N) 25 155% Total nitrogen (TN) 40 15 Total phosphorus (TP) 3 03 atonal StandarctStandoa fr Foluton Conlon the andl eof Manipal Sod Wane Cacive on Jay 1, 2008 ® Begg local Standard—intearated Dschave tandatdof Water Pollan. fective ans) 1, 2014 © implanted Decercer I-arch 31 of ech sor In 2018, China produced in-80 million m? (219,000 m'/day) of landfill” leachate" Approximately 200 contaminants have already bbeen identified in landfill leachate™/"™. These leachate contaminants can be divided into four groups: dissolved organic matter, macro inor- ganic components; heavy metals and xenobi otic organic compounds**"!""_ As the landfill ages and microbial activity progresses, several. parameters, especially chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD,), and ammonia concentrations, change accordingly Effluent standards of landail leachate are con- tinuously revised to protect human health and the environment. Table ! shows the existing efflu- ent standards for leachate in China, ‘The complex composition and high con- centration of contaminants in landfill leachate typically dictate a combination of treatment tech- niques. Biological methods ae often used to treat leachate with high amounts of organic substances due to their simplicity, reliability, and cost-effec- tiveness”, However, the presence of (ROCs) and the accumulation of ammonia in medium term and older landEil leachate poses significant chal- lenges for biological treatments". Constructed wetlands (CWs) have also been used as a cost- effective and environmentally friendly technology to treat landfill leachate worldwide". Physico- chemical treatments such as advanced oxidation processes (AOP) and air stripping have been employed to improve the biodegradability of leachate oF to remove ammonia", Nanofitea- tion (NE) and reverse osmosis (RO) membrane technology were frequently adopted to attain a stable and continuous efiluent standard prior to the discharge of the treated leachate™. The con- centrated leachate generated during NF or RO D springer treatment has always been a challenge" since the high conductivity of the material can reduce the effectiveness of the RO process resulting in failure of filtration system. In addition to the different challenges of the various treatment techniques, the presence of emerging contaminants (ECs, eg., from medicines, personal care and clean- ing products in landfill leachate is of concern worldwide. This review considers the various tech- niques used for the treatment of landfill leachate from their basic principles through to the latest research developments, as well as their effective ress from an economic and technical perspective Gaps in the knowledge for leachate treatments are considered together with prospects and oppor- tunities for further research. The status of ECs is introduced and their hazards, detection meth- cos and treatment measures summarized. The patterns of change and potential risks from ECs are evaluated and future treatment processes considered. 2 Leachate Characteristics 21 Production Sources During the collection, treatment, and disposal of ‘municipal waste, leachate is generated by physical, biological, and chemical processes such as com- paction and fermentation. Leachate generation can occur at waste collection points, transfer sta- tions, incineration plants, and sanitary landfills. Apart from the water content of the landfilled waste, the amount of leachate generated at the landfill is also affected by infiltration from pre- cipitation, inflow from external surface water, and infiltration from groundwater'""""2, These pro- cesses are summarised as follows: the moisture content of the waste" which includes the water J.Indian Inst. Seis VOL 101:41685-724 October 2021 ournaliscenet.incontent carried by the waste and the adsorbed water from moisture in the air or from precipi tation during the transportation, treatment, and disposal processes, infiltration from_precipita- tion’ such as rainfall and snowfall, which isthe primary source of leachate production, inflow from surface water" including surface runoff and irrigation water, groundwater infiltration” which occurs when the leachate level in the land fil is lower than the outside groundwater level, and there is no horizontal seepage prevention system, The source of landfill leachate and related factors indicate that the primary sources of lea- chate in China are the water content of the waste itself and infiltration from precipitation, There- fore, the quantity and quality of leachate varies significantly with the seasons. In addition, as the amount of domestic waste has increased rapidly in recent years in China, the amount of landfill leachate generated has also increased. 2.2 Properties Landfill leachate can be further divided by age into young, medium (partially stabilized), mature, and post-closure material according to its teristics and the operational phase of the Jandiil site ‘The composition of landfill leachate is com- plex and organic matter, inorganic ions, and nutrients all contribute to its characteristics. Among these, ammonia nitrogen (NH,-N), vari fous salts, and organic pollutants such as short chain fatty acids and large molecule humic acid (HA) account for a relatively large proportion of the composition. Trace amounts of heavy met- als are also present and if mismanaged, they can enter the landfill (eg. via sludge), resulting in a higher concentration of heavy metals in the leachate. ‘Compared with other types of waste, pollutant concentrations in landfill Ieachate can be much higher. Under normal circumstances, the COD and BOD, concentration in the leachate regu- lating tank can vary from~2000 to 60,000 mest and~60 to 25,000 mgfl, respectively. As landfill ages and microbial activity progresses, COD and BOD, in the leachate can reach maximum con- centrations within 0.5-2.5 years following the ‘commencement of landfill operation. During this, period, BOD, is mostly soluble, and BOD COD can reach>0.5", After this, BOD; decreases rapidly t0<200 mg/l comprising mainly ROCs within a specific and constant range. The change in COD follows similar trend although the value decreases more slowly than BODS. As @ result, J-Indi Inst. Se OL 101:1685-724 October 2021 journahiscernetin Recent Advances of Landill Leachate Treatment BOD,COD can decrease over time, reflecting the reduced biodegradability of the leachate. ‘The quantity of leachate is seasonal, with greater amounts produced during the rainy sea- son. Similarly, the leachate quality varies from region to region and hence different landfill sites. Even within the same landfil, the composition of the leachate can change constantly with the change of season and passage of time. Although. many factors affect the quality of the leachate, it is mainly dependent on the type, quality, and quantity of the incoming waste. Therefore, lea- chate from different landfills may require differ- ent treatment methods. Leachate contains large amounts of organic matter. Young leachate mainly consi tile fatty acids (VEA) and alcohols'”* account ing for > 80% of the total COD. In contrast, the content of bio-ROCs, such as HAs, in medium and old leachate is relatively high (eg., 700- 1500 mg). Leachate also contains hydrocarbons and their derivatives, esters of organic acids, aldehydes and ketones, phenols, and amides, ee. However, the concentration of these contami- nants isin the relatively low mgil range". Since the landfill is the final repository for the munici- pal waste, ECs generated from the disposal of lifestyle products can also enter the landfill and. eventually accumulate in the leachate. This has attracted widespread attention and poses new challenges for the treatment and management of leachate“. Landfill leachate is typically characterised by high concentrations of ammonia. The amount ‘of ammonia increases as the landfill ages reach- ing peak concentrations of> 4000 mg/l, which can result ina large carbon-nitrogen ratio imbal- ance. Nitrogen in the leachate is mainly present as ammonia, accounting for about 70-80% of the total nitrogen (TN)"*. Biological activ- ity decreases when the ammonia concentration {especially free ammonia) is too high, resulting in lower treatment efficiency. The leachate may also contain various trace heavy metals such as Zn, Cd, Cr, Hg, Mn, Pb, Ni and As, depending on the composition of the waste. Due to the dietary habits of the Chinese pop- ulation, the salt content of landfill leachate is rla- tively high and can reach 7390 mg/l". Salinity can affect the removal of NHj-N, mainly inhib- iting denitrification in the anaerobic stage'"™"™, Therefore, high salinity leachate is often treated by RO to achieve salt removal prior to treatment using evaporation technology. At present, the ‘mainstream process typically uses combined bio- chemical and advanced membrane treatments”. D springer