Application of the Fenton and Fenton-like processes in the landfill leachate tertiary treatment

Abstract

The urban solid waste disposal on landfills is currently a widespread alternative in many countries. After its disposal, the waste undergoes decomposition process, generating leachate as a by-product. This wastewater presents complex composition and contains humic and fulvic substances, which are difficult to degrade. The present study evaluated the performance of Fenton and Fenton-like processes for the tertiary treatment of landfill leachate. In this case, we evaluated the use of ferric ions for the Fenton-Like process. We aimed to investigate color and toxicity reduction, chemical and biochemical oxygen demand, as well as fecal coliforms, ammonia, iron, and phosphorus contents. Leachate color reductions were 98.17% and less than 70% for the Fenton and Fenton-like processes, respectively. The Fenton and Fenton-like processes reduced the toxicity of raw effluent. Observed toxicity of the Fenton process-wastewater was significantly lower. Whereas the Fenton-like process might be considered an alternative for tertiary treatment of landfill leachate, its performance is lower compared to the Fenton one.