Extraction wells and biogas recovery modeling in sanitary landfills.

A general methodology is established that permits the characterization and evaluation of the optimum potential of biogas extraction at each vertical well in the sanitary landfill of Asturias, Spain. Twenty wells were chosen from a total of 225 for the study, and the maximum production flow of biogas, which is a result of the degradation of the municipal solid waste deposited within its area of influence, was determined for each well. It was found that this flow varied with time and is characteristic of each extraction well. The maximum extractable flow also was determined as a function of the composition of the biogas needed for its subsequent utilization. The biogas extraction yield in the wells under study varied between approximately 26 and 97%, with a mean recovery value of 82%. The low yields found in certain cases were generally caused by a sealing defect, which leads to excessive incorporation of air into the landfill gas through the surrounding soil or through the extraction shaft, and which make its subsequent utilization difficult.

Removal of non-biodegradable organic matter from landfill leachates by adsorption.

Leachates produced at the La Zoreda landfill in Asturias, Spain, were recirculated through a simulated landfill pilot plant. Prior to recirculation, three loads of different amounts of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) were added to the plant, forming in this way consecutive layers. When anaerobic digestion was almost completed, the leachates from the landfill were recirculated. After recirculation, a new load of MSW was added and two new recirculations were carried out. The organic load of the three landfill leachates recirculated through the anaerobic pilot plant decreased from initial values of 5108, 3782 and 2560 mg/l to values of between 1500 and 1600 mg/l. Despite achieving reductions in the organic load of the leachate, a residual organic load still remained that was composed of non-biodegradable organic constituents such as humic substances. Similar values of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) were obtained when the landfill leachate was treated by a pressurised anoxic-aerobic process followed by ultrafiltration. After recirculation through the pilot plant, physico-chemical treatment was carried out to reduce the COD of the leachate. The pH of the leachate was decreased to a value of 1.5 to precipitate the humic fraction, obtaining a reduction in COD of about 13.5%. The supernatant liquid was treated with activated carbon and different resins, XAD-8, XAD-4 and IR-120. Activated carbon presented the highest adsorption capacities, obtaining COD values for the treated leachate in the order of 200mg/l. Similar results were obtained when treating with activated carbon, the leachate from the biological treatment plant at the La Zoreda landfill; in this case without decreasing the pH.

Anaerobic thermophilic treatment of cattle manure in UASB reactors.

Cattle manure was characterised after filtration through a 1-mm sieve and subsequently treated in a 9-l volume Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactor made of transparent PVC at a thermophilic temperature (55 degrees C). Different Hydraulic Retention Times (HRT) (22.5, 16, 10.6, 8.9 and 7.3 days) were employed and organic matter, total solids and metals were determined, as was the production of biogas. After screening, the COD of the manure subjected to anaerobic thermophilic treatment varied between values of 33,382 and 45,513 mgO2 l(-1). The highest percentage of COD removal obtained was 79.7% for an HRT of 22.5 days and there was a fraction refractory to biodegradation of 11%, calculated using Chen & Hashimoto's model. Finally, the results obtained at a thermophilic temperature were compared with those obtained at a mesophilic temperature (obtained in a previous work). The reduction in COD was slightly greater under mesophilic conditions, though the main advantage of thermophilic anaerobic treatment is the faster inactivation of viruses and bacteria.

Catalytic hydrodechlorination of tetrachloroethylene over red mud.

Hydrodechlorination of tetrachloroethylene was investigated using red mud (RM, a by-product in the production of alumina by the Bayer process) as the catalyst. Use of RM as a hydrodechlorination catalyst is of interest from an industrial point of view because its cost is much lower than that of commercial catalysts. Hydrodechlorination reactions were carried out in a continuous fixed bed reactor. The influence of catalyst sulfiding, temperature (50-350 degrees C), pressure (2-10MPa), hydrogen flow rate and the presence of solvents (hexane, heptane, benzene and toluene) on the reaction was studied. Sulfided red mud is active as a hydrodechlorination catalyst, conversion of tetrachloroethylene increases as the pressure and temperature increase. The solvents did not influence the conversion, nor were side reactions involving the solvent observed. The kinetics of the reaction was studied at 350 degrees C and 10MPa, conditions for which mass transfer limitations were negligible. A good fit of a Langmuir-Hinselwood model to the experimental data was obtained.

Mathematical modelling of landfill gas migration in MSW sanitary landfills.

The laws that govern the displacement of landfill gas in a sanitary landfill are analysed. Subsequently, a 2-D finite difference flow model of a fluid in a steady state in a porous medium with infinite sources of landfill gas is proposed. The fact that landfill gas is continuously generated throughout the entire mass of the landfill differentiates this model from others extensively described in the literature and used in a variety of different applications, such as oil recovery, groundwater flow, etc. Preliminary results are then presented of the application of the model. Finally, the results obtained employing data from the literature and experimental assays carried out at the La Zoreda sanitary landfill (Asturias, Spain) are discussed and future lines of research are proposed.

The influence of hydraulic residence time on the treatment of cattle manure in UASB reactors.

Cattle manure from farms in the autonomous community of Asturias, Spain, was characterised and subsequently treated, after filtration through a 1 mm sieve, in upflow anaerobic sludge blanket laboratory reactors. The volume generated per cow and day varied between 50-55 litres (obtained through a survey of 400 farms), the manure being used on Asturian farms up until now as a fertiliser. After screening, the COD of the manure employed varied between 33,000 and 56,000 mgO2 l(-1). The highest percentage of COD removal obtained was 75.5% for a hydraulic residence time of 22.5 days. Gas production varied between values of 0.20-0.39 m3gas kg(-1) COD removed, with a methane content of up to 64%. There was a fraction refractory to biodegradation of 11%.

Ecotoxicological assessment of ashes and particulate matter from fluidized bed combustion of coal.

Toxicity of ash and particulate matter from the gases generated in coal fluidized bed combustion (FBC) has been determined by the Microtox assay according to the standard leachate procedure. Results are compared with the polycylic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) content of the particulate matter, which was determined by fluorescence spectroscopy. Although PAHs are considered highly toxic compounds, the low ecotoxicity values obtained could be explained by the low solubility of the compounds in water. The Microtox assay may underestimate the toxicity of water-insoluble compounds unless they are previously extracted with an organic solvent. Nevertheless, this type of assay can be very useful for measuring the potential toxicity of residues when exposed to water sources such as rain water and the risk of the components being dissolved and transported by runoff water.