Leachate Composition Research Articles

An assessment of landfill leachate influences on water quality in the Boi Piguá river basin (Paraná, Brazil) using the TXRF technique

In this study, strong evidence of anthropic pollution was identified in the waters of the Boi Pigua River near the municipal landfill of Cascavel-PR. The elemental composition of the river water from five collection sites, the groundwater from four sites and the municipal landfill leachate were monitored over 1 year, using the total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) technique. Ten elements (Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Ba) were identified in the water samples. The elemental concentration data set was reduced to specific variabilities and characteristic clusters by applying cluster and principal component analysis (PCA). The greatest variability in concentration was observed in the Mn and Ba data, which formed the first, main component. A further three principal components were needed to explain the variability in the Ni, Cu, and Fe concentrations. According to the cluster analysis, samples from all the river and water table collection sites shared similarities with the landfill leachate composition. Thus, it is possible to affirm that the quality of the Boi Pigua River water has undergone major changes and an immediate intervention of environmental agencies is required.

Benchmarking leachate co-treatment strategies in municipal wastewater treatment plants under dynamic conditions and energy prices

Combined leachate treatment at municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is applicable to a certain extent depending on the leachate composition, treatment plant configuration and its capacity. Co-treatment of leachate at WWTPs has several advantages, but due to increasingly stringent discharge standards applied in WWTPs, it has become more problematic. This study was undertaken to investigate the impact of leachate feeding strategies on effluent quality and the aeration energy costs of WWTPs. A modified version of Benchmark Simulation Model No.1 was used to develop, test and compare several leachate feeding and WWTP control strategies in the context of dynamic pollutant loads and energy prices. The results highlighted that combined leachate treatment led to a deterioration in the quality of discharged wastewater, as indicated by a 12–20% increase in effluent quality index. Additionally, it adversely affected aeration energy demand and cost of the plant by increasing them 1.7–2.3% and 0.8–2.5%, respectively. The impacts could be mitigated by adjusting leachate flow based on effluent ammonium concentrations and by using advanced process control, i.e. feedback ammonium control for dissolved oxygen regulation in aerobic reactors. The study demonstrates that modeling can be used as a valuable tool to assess the potential impacts of leachate co-treatment and develop better management strategies.

Trace element behaviour in acidic leachates (acetic, nitric and hydrochloric) from siliciclastic-carbonate rocks of the Upper Riphean Uk formation in the Southern Urals

Research subject. 14 samples of limestone and one sample of carbonate-siliciclastic rock from siliciclastic-carbonate deposits of the Upper Riphean Uk Formation (the Southern Urals) were studied.Methods. Mineral and chemical composition of the samples were determined; the main tool for detecting the concentrations of trace elements was the ICPMS method. X-ray diffraction analysis was carried out using a Shimadzu XRD-7000 diffractometer, the content of major (rock-forming) oxides in bulk samples was established by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry on the SRM-35 and Shimadzu XRF 1800 spectrometers. Microelement composition of bulk samples and acidic leachates obtained with using acetic (10%), nitric (36%) and hydrochloric (17%) acids was determined on a Perkin Elmer ELAN 9000 spectrometer.Results. The distribution of lithophile, rare-earth and a number of other elements (Sr, Ni, U) both in bulk samples and in acidic leachates was analyzed. The main carrier phases of these elements were revealed.Conclusions. 1. The use of any listed acids leads to the non-carbonate component entering the solution, including contamination of the “carbonate” leachates by lithophile elements. In particular, a transition Rb, Zr, Li, Th, Ti, Sc to leachates was noted. This process is most active in nitric and hydrochloric acids, less intensive in acetic acid. 2. Among the carriers of rare earth elements (REE) in the studied rocks are clays (1), accessory minerals (2), including phosphate-bearing grains, secondary carbonate phases represented by dolomite and, possibly (3), finely disseminated iron and manganese (oxy)hydroxides (4). It is assumed that the REE pattern in limestones is determined by the content of the epigenetic dolomite. The contribution of lanthanides bound in the sedimentary calcite crystal lattice in the total REE pattern is rather large only in relatively “pure” limestones. However, the use of acids with such concentrations did not allow to obtain a leachate, which the REE pattern with high probability corresponds to the distribution of REE in the Uk time seawater. But acetic acid is more effective for achieving this goal than the others. 3. In addition to Sr, sedimentary calcite also contains Ni and U.

Performance of electroflotation on the treatment of landfill leachate and combined with other methods: recent studies

Through the years, modern municipal solid waste (MSW) has mainly been dealt with via sanitary landfills. For a long period, this was the method of choice due to the simplicity and economical cost of landfilling. However, as more and more landfill leachates have been studied, there is no doubt that the management of landfill leachate (LFL) needs to be one of the priorities of any government to rapidly reduce further contamination to the environment that have recently been witnessed, especially on ground and surface marine life. Hence, in the last decade, more stringent rules and regulations have come up with the aim to reduce and combat the issue of environmental pollution. This paper is aimed at observing leachate composition, LFL treatments specifically, electroflotation, and combination with other methods. A summary of their advantages and drawbacks in LFL pollution reduction is provided. By understanding how these methods aid in reducing contamination levels of leachates and some factors that affect their efficiency, it is hoped that a newer and more effective, as well as economical, method will be studied and pursued to control LFL pollution once and for all.

Long-term groundwater protection efficiency of different types of sanitary landfills: Model description

A new risk assessment method intended for comparing long-term environmental performance of different types of sanitary landfills was customized. Processes occurring within the hydrogeological environment were excluded from modeling, because they can be addressed separately. Only parameters directly related to leachate composition at the bottom of the landfill and leachate losses into the subsoil after landfill closure which can be reliably determined by evaluating already available information from the scientific literature were considered as necessary inputs for quantitative modeling. Once the simulated outcomes for a primary output ‘’fugitive emissions of a reference pollutant into the subsoil’’ are acquired, more complex outputs can be derived, too. Commercially available risk assessment software which operates within an Excel environment was used to fulfill the task.•Uncertainty of data as well as heterogeneity and complexity of landfill systems was considered by attributing the selected input parameters with adequate probability density functions•Probability density functions attributed to the inputs differ considerably between the antagonistic landfill types•Risk assessments related outputs were defined as probabilities that an aquifer would be polluted due to landfill derived emissions into the subsoil

Performance of electroflotation on the treatment of landfill leachate and combined with other methods: recent studies

Through the years, modern municipal solid waste (MSW) has mainly been dealt with via sanitary landfills. For a long period, this was the method of choice due to the simplicity and economical cost of landfilling. However, as more and more landfill leachates have been studied, there is no doubt that the management of landfill leachate (LFL) needs to be one of the priorities of any government to rapidly reduce further contamination to the environment that have recently been witnessed, especially on ground and surface marine life. Hence, in the last decade, more stringent rules and regulations have come up with the aim to reduce and combat the issue of environmental pollution. This paper is aimed at observing leachate composition, LFL treatments specifically, electroflotation, and combination with other methods. A summary of their advantages and drawbacks in LFL pollution reduction is provided. By understanding how these methods aid in reducing contamination levels of leachates and some factors that affect their efficiency, it is hoped that a newer and more effective, as well as economical, method will be studied and pursued to control LFL pollution once and for all.

Effects of desiccation-induced cracking and leachate infiltration on the hydraulic conductivity of natural and olivine-treated marine clay

Clayey soils rich in smectite are commonly utilized for the construction of liner materials in engineered landfills owing to their low hydraulic conductivity. However, due to the high swelling potential of such clayey soils, their hydraulic conductivities are adversely influenced by desiccation cracking. In addition to cracks, the hydraulic conductivity of the clayey soils might also be affected by the complex composition of landfill leachate. The current study aims, therefore, to assess the effects of desiccation-induced cracks and leachate infiltration on the hydraulic conductivity of natural and 30% olivine-treated marine clay specimens. Clay specimens were prepared using three compactive energies and subjected to cycles of drying–wetting and hydraulic conductivity testing using tap water and field leachate as the permeants. Test results demonstrate significant improvements in the hydraulic conductivity of the olivine-treated clay samples after cycles of drying–wetting upon permeation with water and leachate. These improvements are attributed to the formation of magnesium–aluminate–hydrate and magnesium–silicate–hydrate gels as confirmed using microstructural analyses. The gels are responsible for minimizing the adverse impact of cracks on the hydraulic conductivity of the treated clay specimens. The findings indicate that olivine can be employed as a suitable additive in decreasing the hydraulic conductivity of soils prone to cracking.

Leachates From Landfill Sites In Thessaloniki, Greece: Effect Of Aging

Sanitary landfilling still is one of the most common management systems of solid urban wastes. The persistent environmental impact of landfills depends on leachate characteristics. The present study aimed at the characterisation of leachate from two landfill sites in the prefecture of Thessaloniki, Greece. Mavrorachi landfill stands in our study as a representative Greek active landfill site, that started operating in 2008. Tagarades landfill has stopped receiving waste from 2008 after 27 years of full operation. In this investigation, leachate samples were physico-chemically characterised so as to assess their pollution potential and their concentration in regard to the type and age of landfill. Elevated concentrations of inorganic and organic constituents were observed in the leachate composition. COD ranged from 2,490 mg/L to 19,700 mg/L, while the respective range for BOD was 390-14,850 mg/L during a 35-year period. The pH values of the leachate samples presented more moderate fluctuations between 7.3 and 8.5. In addition, the ammoniacal nitrogen content increased as landfill age increased, whereas heavy metals concentrations showed significant variations with a slight decreasing trend. The results presented in this paper proved that as time passed, the values of most parameters decreased as the biodegradable compounds are broken down while the refractory compounds resist to biodegradation. Thus, the age has a pronounced influence on the composition of leachate. This study also focused on quantifying the level of contamination that leachates can be potentially cause on a comparative basis by Leachate Pollution Index (LPI). LPI values showed that pollution load was declining but is still not negligible after 33 years.

Using EEM-PARAFAC to probe NF membrane fouling potential of stabilized landfill leachate pretreated by various options

Pretreatment processes substantially modify the organic composition of landfill leachate, which affect the fouling behavior in the post-treatment of membrane filtration. In this study, the changes in the chemical composition of stabilized landfill leachate upon various pretreatments, which encompassed coagulation/flocculation (C/F), ion exchange resins (MIEX), granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption, and their combinations, were tracked via excitation emission matrix - parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC), and the membrane fouling potentials were assessed in the subsequent processes of nanofiltration (NF). Fluorescence components, fulvic-like (C1), protein-like (C2), and humic-like (C3), were identified and validated using EEM-PARAFAC. MIEX and C/F pretreatments were not effective to remove C1 and C2, which were associated with relatively small sized and hydrophilic molecules. GAC adsorption did not show any preference with the removal towards different components. These differences in the chemical heterogeneity among the variously pretreated leachates led to the discrepancies in membrane fluxes at a similar leachate concentration. The result also signified the importance of probing the chemical composition of pretreated leachate for the optimization of the post membrane filtration. The sum of C2 and C3 in the pretreated leachate showed a good correlation with reversible membrane fouling resistance (r = 0.93; p < 0.05), while C1 was highly correlated with irreversible membrane resistance (r = 0.872; P < 0.05). These findings provided a new insight into the applicability of fluorescence spectroscopy for tracking the changes in the membrane fouling potential of stabilized landfill leachate after various pretreatments.

Dy, Er, and Yb isotope compositions of meteorites and their components: Constraints on presolar carriers of the rare earth elements

One way to study the original building blocks of the Solar System is to investigate primitive meteorites and their components. Specifically, isolating these meteorites' individual components via sequential acid leaching can reveal isotopically diverse material present in the early Solar System, which can provide new insights into the mixing and transport processes that eventually led to planet formation. Such isotopic differences in the components are likely to be found in heavy rare earth elements, such as dysprosium (Dy), erbium (Er), and ytterbium (Yb), because their isotopes have different nucleosynthetic production pathways and the elements have significant differences in volatility; however, these specific elements have yet to be thoroughly investigated in the field of cosmochemistry. As such, we present the first combined Dy, Er, and Yb isotope compositions of sequential acid leachates from the Murchison meteorite, along with multiple bulk meteorites from different taxonomic classes. This work also presents a new method to separate, purify, and accurately measure Dy isotopes. Here we show that resolved Dy, Er, and Yb isotope variations in most bulk meteorites are due to neutron capture processes. However, Dy and Er isotopic compositions of bulk Murchison and Murchison leachates stem from the additions or depletions of a nucleosynthetic component formed by the s-process, most likely mainstream silicon carbide (SiC) grains. In contrast, the Yb isotope compositions of bulk Murchison and Murchison leachates display either unresolved or relatively small isotope anomalies. The disparate isotopic behavior between Dy-Er and Yb likely reflects their differing volatilities, with Dy and Er condensing/incorporating into the mainstream SiC grains, whereas the less refractory Yb remains in the gas phase during SiC formation. This work suggests that Yb is hosted in a non-SiC presolar carrier phase and, furthermore, that mainstream SiC grains may be the primary source of isotopic variation in bulk meteorites.

USE OF GEOSYNTHETIC CLAY LINER AS A WATERPROOFING BARRIER IN SANITARY LANDFILLS

One of the main sources of soil and water (superficial and subterranean) contamination is the inadequate solid waste disposal. In this sense, sanitary landfills have great importance for environmental protection, and in these systems, the geosynthetics materials, such as the Geosynthetic Clay Liner (GCL), are widely employed. However, for landfills with leachate recirculation, the application of GCL is vetoed by many government agencies. In view of this, this study sought to provide an analysis of recent advances in application of GCL in landfill sites. For this reason, the main configurations of landfills and characteristics of its leachate were presented, as well as of the GCL by means of case studies applied to the context. The results indicated that the most important parameter to be evaluated in GCL performance is its hydraulic conductivity, which can be influenced directly by leachate composition (conventional and recirculated) as to the presence of cations and anions. Thus, it is concluded that the evaluation of these characteristics is essential to ensure the proper performance of GCL in landfills.

USE OF GEOSYNTHETIC CLAY LINER AS A WATERPROOFING BARRIER IN SANITARY LANDFILLS

One of the main sources of soil and water (superficial and subterranean) contamination is the inadequate solid waste disposal. In this sense, sanitary landfills have great importance for environmental protection, and in these systems, the geosynthetics materials, such as the Geosynthetic Clay Liner (GCL), are widely employed. However, for landfills with leachate recirculation, the application of GCL is vetoed by many government agencies. In view of this, this study sought to provide an analysis of recent advances in application of GCL in landfill sites. For this reason, the main configurations of landfills and characteristics of its leachate were presented, as well as of the GCL by means of case studies applied to the context. The results indicated that the most important parameter to be evaluated in GCL performance is its hydraulic conductivity, which can be influenced directly by leachate composition (conventional and recirculated) as to the presence of cations and anions. Thus, it is concluded that the evaluation of these characteristics is essential to ensure the proper performance of GCL in landfills.

Influence of the void fraction and vertical gas vents on the waste decomposition in semi-aerobic landfill: Lab-scale tests

The waste classification has not been carried out worldwide, especially in developing countries. The high content of water in the kitchen waste will definitely affect the amount of air flowing into waste layer from leachate collection pipe. In this experiment, three lab-scale landfill simulation reactors were established. Reactor A and B are semi-aerobic landfill modes, while reactor C has no vertical gas vent. The void fraction in the waste of reactor B was increased by adding gravel serve as part of the waste. The waste sample used in landfill reactor mainly included kitchen waste (58%). The waste decomposition conditions in the landfill were investigated using temperature sensors embedded in the waste, by determining the velocity and gas flow direction and by measuring the volume and composition of leachate produced. The results showed that the void fraction of waste in reactor A and C was 29.79% and 30.86% respectively, and that of waste in reactor B 34.96%. Compared with reactor A, reactor B had its temperature increase earlier. In addition, the temperature distribution in vertical gas vent of the reactor A and B is higher than in the leachate collection pipe. The gas flux of vertical gas vent increased with the temperature of gas vent. Reactor A and B had significantly lower concentration of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonia nitrogen (NH3+-N) than that of reactor C. It was concluded that landfill decomposition can be accelerated by increasing the void fraction in the waste and keeping a vertical gas vent open.

Leaching Behavior of Dissolved Organic Matter in Biochar with Different Extracting Agents

Biochar is widely used in environmental pollution remediation, soil improvement, and biotransformation of waste. However, the leachable substances within biochar may leach out during the application process, causing detrimental effects to the reaction system and the environment. Here, the simulated solutions (distilled water, buffer salt solution, methanol, and humic acid solution) at different stages of anaerobic digestion were used as the extracting agents, and high-resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to study the dissolved organic composition of biochar leachates. A total of 536 effective substances were detected in the biochar leachates, of which 100 substances were highly matched to the standard substance database. The molecular weights of these 100 substances, which included phenols, aromatic acids, aromatic aldehydes and ketones, aliphatic acids, and other substances, were in the range of 109-458 and averaged 290.2. The buffer salt solution, which is commonly used for anaerobic culturing, extracted three additional aliphatic acids and four additional aromatic substances from biochar than distilled water as used in traditional research methods; the leachate of methanol contained the most diverse compounds-71 in total-including a large number of phenols and organic acids. Some humic acid organic substances are adsorbed by biochar during the leaching by humic acid, including alcohols and aliphatic acids, but humic acid still promoted the leaching of phenolic substances, while the total number of substances that were detected was reduced by 41.7%.

A laboratory study of the leachate composition of selected metals in cemeteries (South Africa)

Considerable research has been conducted on the physical and chemical corrosion of metals under various environmental conditions, but less attention has been given to the impact of corrosion on the environment. One such potentially hazardous situation may occur in cemeteries where metals and coatings used in the manufacturing of coffins may corrode, seep into the soils, and could end up in nearby water sources. The aim of this project was to determine whether burial materials corrode and leach into groundwater under controlled laboratory conditions. This was achieved by burying samples of burial materials in containers with three different soil types, namely sand, silt and clay. The experimental containers were exposed to various conditions simulating typical South African temperatures, rainfall intensities and with different pH values. A total of 24 simulations and 3 controls were tested. The leachates of each sample were collected every 8 weeks over a period of 6 months and tested for aluminium, iron, copper and zinc. In this experiment, it becomes evident that coffin materials do corrode and become mobile; however, they react differently in different soil media and under diverse environmental conditions. In general, the most corrosive conditions are high temperatures and acidic rainfall. Zn is the most corroded and mobile metal, with Fe being the least. It is notable that Al, Fe and Cu continue to leach out of the soils even after a period of 6 months. This may pose a health and environmental problem and a programme of groundwater quality monitoring should be undertaken in the vicinity of cemeteries.

Application of hydrogeological and biological research for the lysimeter experiment performance under simulated municipal landfill condition

The size and chemical composition of leachates migrating into the aquifer are dependent on the parameters of the waste and the storage conditions. Lysimeter studies allow us to determine the size and chemical composition of leachates as well as the leachate water balance. Lysimeter studies were conducted on a 230-L municipal waste sample for 6 months. During the tests, the specific electrolyte conductivity, pH, Eh, and temperature, as well as the chemical composition, microbiological analysis, and profiling of physiological population level using EcoPlate™ microarrays were measured in collected leachate samples. During the entire experiment, the amounts of inflow and outflow from lysimeters were measured. To assess the existence of significant differences in the chemical component concentrations in leachates, use of Principal Component Analysis was taken into account. The maximum EC value from leachate from the lysimeter was 33 mS/cm. High concentrations of ammonium ion (up to approx. 1400 mg dm−3), chlorides (up to approx. 6800 mg dm−3), and iron (up to approx. 31 mg dm−3) were observed in the effluents. The number of enterococci in May reached 53,000 cells/100 ml. By contrast, the number of these microorganisms was about 15,000 and 16,000 CFU/100 ml in January and April, respectively. Community-level physiological profiling indicates that the activity and functional diversity of microorganisms were higher in the leachate samples obtained in winter compared to effluents collected from lysimeters in spring.

Leachate composition and environmental risks from waste wood dumps.

High concentrations of phenols can be found in leachate and stormwater of woodprocessing, storage and disposal sites. Although timber is a natural product, mishandlingof wood waste may harm the environment.As a common practice, wood residues were dumped in landfills in Estonia. As a nationalstrategy, it has been decided to close all of the dumping sites. In many cases, woodresidues have been used for capping of municipal dump sites. It has been suspected, thatenvironmentally hazardous phenolic compounds may be leaching out from such landfills.Pathways for generation of natural phenolic compounds, as well as the ecologic impact ofthem have not been studied in Estonia.In this paper, leachate composition from dumpsites of waste wood is studied and thehazards of phenols to the environment are discussed. In the wood waste, phenol can befound mainly in tannins, resin and lignin. Phenols in tannins are water-soluble, butphenols in resins are more soluble in organic solvents, such as ether, what is producedduring decomposition of lignin. Chipping and storage of wood in the water-richenvironment speeds up the leaching of phenols.The leachate from wood waste dumps is quickly purified by natural processes in the soil.It is assumed that in most cases the natural phenols do not migrate far from the dump siteor storage area. The problem may arise in case where such waste is stored near to thewater body or the leach-water is repeatedly re-circulated into the deposit of waste wood.

Assessing pretreated municipal solid waste degradation by BMP and fibre analysis

Landfill continues to be the major method of Municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal in the UK and many other countries despite considerable efforts to limit its use. The EU Landfill Directive requires, amongst other things, that waste is treated to reduce its biodegradability prior to disposal to landfill. This pre-treatment is often achieved through what is generically termed mechanical-biological treatment. Predicting the biodegradability or degradation potential of these pre-treated wastes is important for the long term management and aftercare of landfill sites. To address this, a series of biochemical methane potential (BMP) tests have been undertaken to characterize the anaerobic biodegradation potential of two mechanically biologically treated (MBT) waste samples in terms of biogas yield, solids composition (loss on ignition, total carbon, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin contents), and assessment of leachate characteristics during the biodegradation process. Experimental results from a long term study of MBT wastes treated to different standards are analyzed and compared. The relationship between biogas potential and solids composition was investigated, and carbon and nitrogen mass balances are discussed. The biogas potential was shown to correlate well with the ratio of cellulose plus hemicellulose to lignin, loss on ignition and total carbon content of the waste indicating a clear link between these parameters. The results indicate that solids composition of MBT wastes may provide a useful indication of the biodegradation potential. The mass balance indicates that a large proportion of carbon and nitrogen remain locked up in the waste material and is not released.

Assessing the legacy of red mud pollution in a shallow freshwater lake: long-term chemical recovery in the water column

ABSTRACTLittle is known about chemical and ecological recovery following red mud leachate pollution in fresh waters. This deficiency is confounded by a lack of knowledge on the chemical composition of red mud leachate and the changes in composition that occur as a result of interactions with sediments and freshwater organisms during transport through aquatic ecosystems. We used over 30 years of data from a shallow lake (Kinghorn Loch, Fife, Scotland) with a well-documented history of several decades of red mud leachate pollution to characterise the chemical loads (during a pollution period from 1981 to 1983), resultant impacts on surface water chemistry (comparison between 1983 and 2009), and recovery trajectories following leachate diversion (1983–2010) of constituents that pose a risk to the environment. Between 1981 and 1983, the input of leachate resulted in loads of total aluminium (Al), total arsenic (As), total vanadium (V), and phosphate (PO4-P) to the lake of 107, 2.3, 3.3, and 2.3 g m−2 (lake surface area) yr−1, respectively. During the same period, the lake acted as a sink of Al, As, V, and PO4-P, retaining 63.6, 0.6, 0.8, and 1.6 g m−2 yr−1, respectively. We used generalised additive modelling to assess the response trajectories and recovery end points of these constituents. Our results demonstrate the complexity of sediment–pollutant interactions during pollutant transport through the aquatic environment and provide insight into likely recovery trajectories in other aquatic ecosystems following red mud contamination. The PO4-P, total As, and total V surface water concentration recovery times, defined statistically as the point on the time series beyond which no further significant decrease in concentrations was observed, ranged from 18 to 26 years. Total Al concentrations continued to decrease significantly following the end of the monitoring period in 2010. In Kinghorn Loch, the legacy of red mud pollution continues to represent an environmental risk, demonstrating the importance of long-term monitoring and management strategies following similar pollution events.

Targeted removal of organic foulants in landfill leachate in forward osmosis system integrated with biochar/activated carbon treatment

Forward osmosis (FO) has been adopted to treat complex wastewater such as landfill leachate due to its high rejection of organics. In this study, the in-line adsorptive process using biochar (BC) or powdered activated carbon (PAC) was applied to a cross flow FO system to enhance the mitigation of the FO membrane fouling from landfill leachate. The changes in the leachate composition along the treatments were tracked by excitation emission matrix-parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC) to identify tryptophan-like (C1), fulvic-like (C2), and humic-like (C3) components. After a single operation of FO, the C1 was found to be the main constituent responsible for membrane fouling irrespective of varying operation conditions regarding draw solute concentrations and flow rates. Both sorbents (i.e., BC and PAC) exhibited the preferential removal behavior towards C1 > C2 > C3, which was well supported by their individual adsorption isotherm model parameters. The addition of in-line adsorption treatment to FO resulted in substantial improvements in the filtered volume (>57%) and the flux recovery (>80%) compared to the single FO operation. Without chemical cleaning of membrane, the flux was fully recovered at a dose of 10 g/L BC or 0.3 g/L of PAC. A significant and negative correlation was found between the flux recovery and the C1 of the feed leachate or the corresponding spectral peak intensity (p < 0.05) for the integrated FO system, suggesting the potential of using on-line fluorescence monitoring for the performance of the integrated system in terms of fouling mitigation. This study provided a new insight into the effectiveness of BC or PAC adsorption as the in-line integration with an FO system for the targeted removal of FO membrane foulants in landfill leachate.