Effective anaerobic biodegradation of municipal solid waste fresh leachate using a novel pilot-scale reactor: Comparison under different seeding granular sludge

• Published in: Bioresource technology Vol. 165; pp. 152 - 157
• Main Authors: Luo, Jinghuan, Zhou, Jizhi, Qian, Guangren, Liu, Jianyong
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: anaerobic digesters; Anaerobiosis; Applied sciences; Biodegradation; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biofuels - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; Bioreactors - microbiology; Biotechnology; chemical oxygen demand; Chemical Phenomena; Cities; citric acid; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gas production (biological); Granular sludge; IIEC reactor; leachates; Manufacturing engineering; Methane; Methane - biosynthesis; Methane production; MSW leachate; municipal solid waste; Nucleation; Oxygen demand; Pilot Projects; Pollution; pulp and paper mills; Reactors; Sewage - microbiology; Sludge; Solid Waste - analysis; Solid wastes; Volatilization; Wastes; Water Pollutants, Chemical - isolation & purification; Biodegradation; MSW leachate; Methane production; Granular sludge; IIEC reactor; Methane; Urban waste; Seeding; Pilot plant scale; Anaerobe; Solid waste; Reactor; Leachate
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2014.03.141

•A novel IIEC reactor was developed with integration of EGSB and IC construction.•The pilot-scale (10–15m3/d) reactor could effectively treat MSW leachate.•The OLR was 23.0–40.5kgCOD/m3d, much higher than others’ results.•Granular sludge derived from leachate-like-wastewater performed better. A novel integrated internal and external circulation (IIEC) reactor was developed for anaerobic biodegradation of municipal solid waste (MSW) fresh leachate with chemical oxygen demand (COD) between 40,000 and 60,000mg/l. The pilot-scale IIEC reactor was inoculated with two kinds of granular sludge from paper mill (SPM) and from citric acid factory (SCF), respectively. The bio-treating capacity in contaminant removal and biogas production performed much superior to others’ results, principally attributed to appropriate configuration modification. Compared to SCF, much higher organic loading rate (40.5 vs 23.0kgCOD/m3d) and COD removal efficiency (>80% vs 60–75%) were achieved for the reactor with SPM. For methane production, 11.77 or ∼6m3STP/m3d of rate and 66–85% of content were observed with SPM or SCF, respectively. Due to better sludge concentrations and methanogenic activity, these findings indicate the anaerobic reactor could effectively bio-treat MSW leachate for methane generation, especially inoculated with granular sludge derived from leachate-like-wastewater.