Effectiveness in the Removal of Organic Compounds from Municipal Landfill Leachate in Integrated Membrane Systems: Coagulation – NF/RO

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe article presents the results of studies concerning the hydraulic permeability of integrated membrane systems during the treatment of municipal landfill leachate. The laboratory-scale experiments were conducted to determine the effectiveness of coagulation as a pretreatment option for treating stabilized landfill leachate and effectiveness of nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) processes. The municipal landfill leachates were analyzed for the concentration of the following: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nitrate nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, chemical oxygen demand (COD), total organic carbon (TOC), total carbon (TC), suspended soils (SS), turbidity, pH. The commercially available coagulant – aluminum sulfate Al2(SO4)3·18H2O (alum) was used as a coagulant. The NF process was carried out at the transmembrane pressure of 1.5 MPa. The membrane separation process was based on a thin film membrane (DK). The transmembrane pressure of the RO stood at 2 MPa and for this process one polyamide membrane (AG) was used. The level of leachate treatment was defined for raw and cleaned wastewater indicators. Both NF and RO membranes allowed obtaining the high level of pollutants removal. In the coagulation–NF system, the removal efficiency was equal to 77% for PAHs, 88% for COD, 72% for ammonium nitrogen, 80% for nitrate nitrogen, 67% for TOC, 80% for TC, 96% for SS and during the RO – 86% for PAHs, 98% for COD, 93% for ammonium nitrogen, 87% for nitrate nitrogen, 89% for TOC, 100% for TC, 98% for SS. The calculations based on the assumptions of the mathematical filtration model (relaxation) made it possible to predict the efficiency of commercial filtration membranes used for leachate treatment.