Inhibitory effect of high-strength ammonia nitrogen on bio-treatment of landfill leachate using EGSB reactor under mesophilic and atmospheric conditions

• Published in: Bioresource technology Vol. 113; pp. 239 - 243
• Main Authors: Liu, Jianyong, Luo, Jinghuan, Zhou, Jizhi, Liu, Qiang, Qian, Guangren, Xu, Zhi Ping
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2012
• Subjects: air temperature; Ammonia; Ammonia - metabolism; Ammonia nitrogen; ammonium nitrogen; Atmosphere; Atmospheric temperature; Atmospherics; Biodegradation; Biodegradation, Environmental; Bioreactors; Composting; composts; digestion; EGSB reactor; Landfill leachate; landfill leachates; Landfills; metabolism; Methane; Nitrogen; Nitrogen - metabolism; Reactors; Refuse Disposal; Biodegradation; Landfill leachate; EGSB reactor; Ammonia nitrogen
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2011.11.114

The inhibitory effect of high-strength NH3-N on anaerobic biodegradation of landfill leachates in an EGSB bioreactor has been investigated. The research compared start-up performance of the reactor treating the landfill leachate with NH3-N in 242–1200mg/l to that treating the compost leachate with NH3-N in 38–410mg/l. The observations showed that the performance of the reactor treating the landfill leachate was only marginally worse than that treating the compost leachate at the mesophilic temperature when NH3-N concentration was under 1500mg/l. We also noted that NH3-N at the concentration of 1500–3000mg/l inhibited the biodegradation. The comparative biodegradation performance at the mesophilic and atmospheric temperature demonstrated that the maximal OLR of atmospheric digestion was only reduced to 44kgCOD/m3d. These findings indicate that landfill leachates with NH3-N less than 1500mg/l could be efficiently treated in the EGSB bioreactor even under the atmospheric condition with methane generated.