In situ anaerobic treatment of leachate in landfill bioreactors

Landfills often serve as ultimate receptors for residential, commercial and industrial wastes. Both hazardous and nonhazardous wastes may be codisposed, but with potential threats to public health and the environment if not properly managed. Therefore, an understanding of the fundamental attenuating mechanisms determining mobilization and potential transport and fate of codisposed waste constituents is needed to direct the selection of appropriate landfill operational and management strategies. By focusing on changes in leachate and gas characteristics during codisposed loadings of organic and inorganic hazardous wastes, the potential treatment capacity of bioreactor landfills with leachate containment and in situ recirculation could be demonstrated. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalf of the IAWQ. All rights reserved.