Behaviour of Heavy Metals in Activated Sludge Biological Treatment of Landfill Leachate

Abstract

The behaviour of heavy metals was studied by carrying out a series of experiments with an activated sludge biological reactor (with pure oxygen), fed with different types of landfill leachate. The leachates used had been previously treated by the wet oxidation process and also by ammonia stripping. The experimentation aims were to evaluate both BOD and COD removal rates and the distribution of heavy metals concentrations between the liquid and solid phases. This latter data was used to confirm a mathematical model which predicts the distribution of heavy metals between the liquid and solid phases of a biological process.