Characterization and removal of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from landfill leachate rejected by nanofiltration

• Published in: Waste management (Elmsford) Vol. 29; no. 3; pp. 1035 - 1040
• Main Authors: Zhang, Long, Li, Aimin, Lu, Yufei, Yan, Lei, Zhong, Sheng, Deng, Conglin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adsorption; Applied sciences; Benzopyrans - chemistry; Benzopyrans - isolation & purification; Carbon - isolation & purification; Exact sciences and technology; General purification processes; General treatment and storage processes; Humic Substances; Metals, Heavy - chemistry; Metals, Heavy - isolation & purification; Molecular Weight; Nanotechnology; Organic Chemicals - chemistry; Organic Chemicals - isolation & purification; Other wastes and particular components of wastes; Pollution; Refuse Disposal - instrumentation; Refuse Disposal - methods; Solubility; Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; Titrimetry; Ultrafiltration - instrumentation; Ultrafiltration - methods; Wastes; Wastewaters; Water Pollutants, Chemical - chemistry; Water Pollutants, Chemical - isolation & purification; Water treatment and pollution; Elementary analysis; Waste dumping; Organic matter; Humification; Desorption; Waste water; Heavy metal; Dissolved organic carbon; Membrane separation; Nanofiltration; Ultraviolet radiation; Reproducibility; Flocculation; Aromatic compound; Hydrophilic compound; Leachate
• ISSN: 0956-053X; 1879-2456
• DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2008.08.020

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) from wastewater rejected by nanofiltration from a landfill leachate treatment plant was fractionated into humic acid (HA), fulvic acid (FA) and hydrophilic (HyI) fractions. It was found that humic substances (HA and FA) composed 75% of the total dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration of the DOM, with an average molecular weight of about 1000 Da. Elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, UV–visible spectroscopy and acid–base titration observations showed that the HA and FA of the DOM exhibited lower fractions of condensed aromatic functional groups but larger fractions of acidic groups compared with other aquatic DOMs. The properties of HA and FA were similar, but HA exhibited more complete humification, while the HyI fraction had more acidic groups. An aminated polymeric adsorbent NDA-8 was used to adsorb the DOM in the wastewater along with primary coagulation. Results of bench-scale experiments indicated that the treatment process could effectively remove the DOM and heavy metals while desorption liquid was 10 times more condensed than raw wastewater. Results of desorption and reproducibility tests consolidated the strong application potential of this treatment process as an advanced landfill leachate treatment technology.