Enhancing waste decomposition and methane production in simulated landfill using combined anaerobic reactors

Abstract

The design of leachate recirculation to enhance municipal solid waste decomposition, methane production and microbial activities was taken into account in this study by using the combined anaerobic reactors of a simulated high organic content landfill reactor and a stabilized fixed film anaerobic reactor. The latter aimed to treat high strength leachate from the simulated landfill reactor before recirculation back to the former reactor. The results showed the possibility to apply this technique to high organic waste landfill where rapid and accumulative acids formed in the leachate were removed and treated by a fixed film anaerobic reactor. In addition, the treated leachate when circulated back to the simulated bioreactor landfill helps accelerate waste decomposition and methane production by providing buffer capacity as well as diluting organic content in the leachate to achieve the favourable conditions for acidogen and methanogen, respectively, to rapidly enter into the methanogenesis phase.