Fenton treatment of sanitary landfill leachate: optimization of operational parameters, characterization of sludge and toxicology

This investigation aimed to refine the operational parameters of the Fenton process, to compare Fenton-treated and non-treated leachate with respect to physicochemical variables and toxicity towardsDaphnia magna, and to characterize the sludge. The optimal conditions for the Fenton treatment involved the use of a reagent containing 12 g Fe2+ L-1, H2O2/Fe(2+)molar ratio of 9 and pH 2.0, with oxidation, flocculation and sedimentation times of 30, 10 and 15 min, respectively. Under these conditions, the values of the majority of parameters, including chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand, dissolved organic carbon, true color (TC), carbohydrates, proteins, phosphorus, total solids, total volatile solids, dissolved volatile solids, Kjeldahl nitrogen, N-NH(3)and iron, were reduced significantly after treatment. However, sludge production rate remained somewhat high (98 kg m(-3)of treated leachate), although the specific resistance to filtration of the sludge was moderate (12 x 10(9) cm g(-1)). While the Fenton process achieved a satisfactory removal of COD (87%) and TC (91%), the treated leachate contained organic compounds that were resistant to oxidation and remained toxic towardsD. magna. Hence we conclude that the Fenton process alone is not appropriate for treatment of leachate, because it could negatively affect the ecosystem in receiving water bodies, but it could represent a viable alternative for the pretreatment of landfill leachate.