Electrochemical oxidation process was employed to regulate the ratio of chemical oxygen demand to total nitrogen (COD/TN ratio) of aged landfill leachate, aiming to meet the requirement of biological treatment. The results indicate that the ammonia nitrogen can be rapidly removed through electrogenerated chlorine radicals over a typical chlorine evolution RuO2-IrO2/Ti anode. The increased input current and decreased flow rate are beneficial to COD/TN ratio improvement, and COD/TN ratio can be increased to more than 16 at 1000 mA (input current) and 0.3 L/h (flow rate). According to the obtained experimental data, we present a strategy for COD/TN ratio increase: (i) determining the COD/TN ratio balance coefficient (B) of aged landfill leachate, and selecting the anode with COD/TN ratio adjustment coefficient (TN) >B, where TN represents the ability to regulate COD/TN ratio, and B represents the specific TN to keep the same COD/TN ratio; (ii) performing the wastewater treatment experiments at different control parameters during electrochemical process; (iii) calculating the k of control parameter sensitivity curves to achieve different tolerance abilities, and further preferentially regulating the reaction process to high average current efficiency (ACE) of ammonia nitrogen and low ACE of COD. This work validates that the electrochemical process can increase the COD/TN ratio together with enhancing the biodegradability of such refractory wastewater, and also provides an effective tool for regulation of the COD/TN ratio via complete ammonia oxidation.
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