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Sponsored Projects > UV - MBR for Reclamation of Landfill Leachate
About
The vast quantity of pharmaceuticals, personal-care products, flame retardants, and plasticizers stored in municipal landfills poses a significant challenge to leachate-water quality. Advanced leachate treatment, utilizing combinations of biological, chemical, and physical water treatments, can be designed to protect groundwater influenced by landfill-leachate, or provide reclaimed water for municipal or agricultural purposes.
Germicidal ultraviolet light is a promising physi-chemical alternative to chemical oxidation due to the small footprint of UV reactors, limited on-site caustic chemical storage and handling requirements, the lack of carcinogenic disinfection by-products (which can limit reuse applications for reclaimed waters), and removal efficiencies for pathogenic viruses, protozoa, and bacteria. In addition, UV reactors for waste water treatment can be used for enhanced chemical oxidation of oxygen-demanding organic constituents, via amendment of the influent stream with a compound such as hydrogen peroxide which photo-degrades to form free radicals. The versatility and multiple barriers in UV treatment make it an attractive option for landfill leachate treatment as well. However, the rich concentration of leachate constituents which scatter or absorb light must be addressed with pre-treatment.
A novel membrane bioreactor (MBR) system at USF, involving anaerobic biological process and ultrafiltration membranes, has been tested for removal of trace organic compounds and xenobiotic contaminants (17ß-estradiol, a prevalent female hormone) from landfill leachate. This project explores the application of state-of-the-art, germicidal-UV-light technology to assist MBR in removal of trace organic compounds.
This work is made possible by the support of:
The Bill Hinkley Center for Solid and Hazardous Waste Management
www.hinkleycenter.org
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