Laogang Landfill Research Articles

Isolation, Characterization, and Genomic Analysis of Pseudomonas sp. Strain SMT-1, an Efficient Fluorene-Degrading Bacterium.

Comprehensive study of novel microbial organisms capable of degrading fluorene is crucial to develop essential strategies for further application on enhanced bioremediation technologies. Many fluorene-degrading bacteria have been studied; however, little information about the genome sequences of these organisms, which would facilitate investigation of the molecular mechanisms of fluorene degradation, is available. In this study, a bacterial strain designated SMT-1, which uses fluorene as its sole carbon source, was isolated from Laogang landfill in Shanghai, People’s Republic of China, and identified as a Pseudomonas sp., based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Maximum growth and degrading activity of strain SMT-1 were observed at 30°C, pH 7.0 and 200 r/min in mineral salt medium containing 0.4 mm fluorene. We obtained a draft genome sequence of strain SMT-1 to gain insight into the genetic mechanisms for the degradation of aromatic compounds. Sequences greater than 1 kb in length were obtained by Illumina sequencing; strain SMT-1 was found to contain 5542 predicted genes. This working draft genome comprises 68 contigs and DNA scaffolds and has a total size of 6 108 237 bp and a calculated G + C content of 61.59%. Amino acid metabolism clusters were enriched in SMT-1 genes annotation, with the highest abundant observed for the “ABC transporters” subcategories, followed by transcription, energy production and conversion, and inorganic ion transport and metabolism. The genomic information for SMT-1 provides a useful resource for elucidating the molecular mechanism of fluorene catabolism.

Methylmercury levels in cover soils from two landfills in Xi’an and Shanghai, China: Implications for mercury methylation potentials

Landfills are considered important sources of mercury for surrounding ecosystems. Methylmercury (MeHg) levels in waste layers have been studied extensively; however, the levels of MeHg in cover soils remain undefined. Here, total mercury (THg) and MeHg concentrations in surface cover soils and soil cores from two landfills in China and possible factors affecting Hg methylation were studied. The mean MeHg concentration in surface cover soils from both landfills was 0.048 ng g−1, suggesting that cover soil layers are not active sites of MeHg production. Soil MeHg concentrations in both landfills were affected little by closure time. In the Jiangcungou landfill, no correlations between MeHg concentration and the measured environmental factors (e.g., THg, soil pH, organic matter (OM), and S) were observed that indicated that these parameters might have indirect effects on MeHg concentration. However, in the Laogang landfill, significant correlations were found between MeHg concentration and the measured environmental factors. The results showed that MeHg concentration in the surface cover soil from area D of the Laogang landfill is regulated mainly by soil pH, OM, and S, and that its vertical distribution in areas C and D is regulated mainly by soil pH and soil OM, respectively. These findings fill a knowledge gap regarding MeHg levels in cover soils and they advance our understanding of Hg cycling in landfills, presenting positive implications for landfill management and risk assessment of MeHg.

The use of electrical resistivity tomography and borehole to characterize leachate distribution in Laogang landfill, China.

Leachate is a polluting liquid which may cause harmful effects on human health or the environment without a tightly control manner. The leachate management is an important part of the design and operation of bioreactor landfills. To detect the leachate distribution in Laogang Landfill, China, the measurement of electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) was carried out in three areas with different ages. ERT method proved to be an effective non-invasive geophysical method in bioreactor landfills, and the physical properties of waste samples obtained by boreholes were tested in a laboratory. The correlation between the resistivity and the moisture content was described by Archie's law. The result shows that the moisture content of fresh waste is inhomogeneous, while that of aged waste increases with depth. A pseudo 3D model of the moisture content was proposed to improve the understanding of leachate distribution and exhibit the accuracy of the ERT method.

A practical approach for calculating the settlement and storage capacity of landfills based on the space and time discretization of the landfilling process

The settlement of any position of the municipal solid waste (MSW) body during the landfilling process and after its closure has effects on the integrity of the internal structure and storage capacity of the landfill. This paper proposes a practical approach for calculating the settlement and storage capacity of landfills based on the space and time discretization of the landfilling process. The MSW body in the landfill was divided into independent column units, and the filling process of each column unit was determined by a simplified complete landfilling process. The settlement of a position in the landfill was calculated with the compression of each MSW layer in every column unit. Then, the simultaneous settlement of all the column units was integrated to obtain the settlement of the landfill and storage capacity of all the column units; this allowed to obtain the storage capacity of the landfill based on the layer-wise summation method. When the compression of each MSW layer was calculated, the effects of the fluctuation of the main leachate level and variation in the unit weight of the MSW on the overburdened effective stress were taken into consideration by introducing the main leachate level’s proportion and the unit weight and buried depth curve. This approach is especially significant for MSW with a high kitchen waste content and landfills in developing countries. The stress-biodegradation compression model was used to calculate the compression of each MSW layer. A software program, Settlement and Storage Capacity Calculation System for Landfills, was developed by integrating the space and time discretization of the landfilling process and the settlement and storage capacity algorithms. The landfilling process of the phase IV of Shanghai Laogang Landfill was simulated using this software. The maximum geometric volume of the landfill error between the calculated and measured values is only 2.02%, and the accumulated filling weight error between the calculated value and measured value is less than 5%. These results show that this approach is practical for satisfactorily and reliably calculating the settlement and storage capacity. In addition, the development of the elevation lines in the landfill sections created with the software demonstrates that the optimization of the design of the structures should be based on the settlement of the landfill. Since this practical approach can reasonably calculate the storage capacity of landfills and efficiently provide the development of the settlement of each landfilling stage, it can be used for the optimizations of landfilling schemes and structural designs.

Composition of bacterial and archaeal communities during landfill refuse decomposition processes

Little is known about the archaeal and the bacterial diversities in a landfill during different phases of decomposition. In this study, the archaeal and the bacterial diversities of Laogang landfill (Shanghai, China) at two different decomposition phases (i.e., initial methanogenic phase (IMP) and stable methanogenic phase (SMP)), were culture-independently examined using PCR-based 454 pyrosequencing. A total of 47,753 sequences of 16S rRNA genes were retrieved from 69,954 reads and analyzed to evaluate the diversities of the archaeal and bacterial communities. The most predominant types of archaea were hydrogenotrophic Methanomicrobiales, and of bacteria were Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes. As might be expected, their abundances varied at decomposition phases. Archaea Methanomicrobiales accounts for 97.6% of total archaeal population abundance in IMP and about 57.6% in SMP. The abundance of archaeal genus Halobacteriale was 0.1% in IMP and was 20.3% in the SMP. The abundance of Firmicutes was 21.3% in IMP and was 4.3% in SMP. The abundance of Bacteroidetes represented 11.5% of total bacterial in IMP and was dominant (49.4%) in SMP. Both the IMP and SMP had unique cellulolytic bacteria compositions. IMP consisted of members of Bacillus, Fibrobacter, and Eubacterium, while SMP harbored groups of Microbacterium. Both phases had Clostridium with different abundance, 4–5 folds higher in SMP.

Characterization of microalgae-bacteria consortium cultured in landfill leachate for carbon fixation and lipid production

The characteristics of cultivating high-density microalgae-bacteria consortium with landfill leachate was tested in this study. Landfill leachate was collected from Laogang landfill operated for over 10 years in Shanghai, China. The maximum biomass concentration of 1.58g L(-1) and chlorophyll a level of 22mg L(-1) were obtained in 10% leachate spike ratio. Meanwhile, up to 90% of the total nitrogen in landfill leachate was removed in culture with 10% leachate spike ratio with a total nitrogen concentration of 221.6mg L(-1). The fluorescence peak of humic-like organic matters red shifted to longer wavelengths by the end of culture, indicating that microalgae-bacteria consortium was effective for treating landfill leachate contaminants. Furthermore, with the leachate spike ratio of 10%, the maximum lipid productivity and carbon fixation were 24.1 and 65.8mg L(-1)d(-1), respectively. Results of this research provide valuable information for optimizing microalgae culture in landfill leachate.

Emission characteristics and air–surface exchange of gaseous mercury at the largest active landfill in Asia

The emission characteristics and air-surface exchange of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) at Laogang landfill in Shanghai, China, the largest active landfill in Asia, has been investigated during two intensive field campaigns in 2011 and 2012. The mercury (Hg) content in municipal solid waste (MSW) varied widely from 0.19 to 1.68 mg kg−1. Over the closed cell in the landfill, the mean ambient air GEM concentration was virtually indistinguishable from the hemispherical background level (1.5–2.0 ng m−3) while the concentration downwind of ongoing landfill operation (e.g. dumping, burying and compacting of MSW) was clearly elevated. GEM emission through landfill gas (LFG) was identified as a significant source. GEM concentrations in LFGs collected from venting pipes installed in different landfill cells varied widely from 3.0 to 1127.8 ng m−3. The GEM concentrations were found negatively correlated to the age of LFG cells, suggesting GEM released through LFG declined readily with time. The GEM emission from this source alone was estimated to be 1.23–1.73 mg h−1. GEM emission from cover soil surfaces was considerably lower and at a scale comparable to that of background soil surfaces. This is in contrast to earlier reports showing enhanced GEM emissions from landfill surfaces in Southern China, probably due to the difference in soil Hg content and gas permeability characteristics of soils at different sites. Vertical concentration profiles of GEM in the interstitial gas of buried MSW were sampled, perhaps for the first time, which exhibited a wide spatial variability (4.9–713.1 ng m−3) in the 3-year-old landfill cell investigated. GEM emission from landfill operation was estimated to be 290–525 mg h−1 using a box model. This suggests that GEM degassing from Laogang landfill is quantitatively largely dominated by emissions from daily landfilling operations with a much smaller contribution from LFG venting and insignificant (bi-directional fluxes near zero) contribution from surfaces capped with a soil layer. This study reveals divergent GEM emission patterns among landfill cells of different ages, and provides essential emission estimates for formulating Hg emission reduction strategies for a large landfill.

Residents’ concerns and attitudes toward a municipal solid waste landfill: integrating a questionnaire survey and GIS techniques

The ever-growing industry of municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal appeals to the growing need for disposal facilities, and MSW treatment facilities are increasingly an environmental and public health concern. Residents living near MSW management facilities are confronted with various risk perceptions, especially odour. In this study, in an effort to assist responsible decision-makers in better planning and managing such a project, a structured questionnaire was designed and distributed to assess the nearby residents' concerns and attitudes surrounding the Laogang Landfill in Shanghai. Geographic information system techniques and relevance analysis were employed to conduct the spatial analysis of physical perceptions, especially odour annoyance. The findings of the research indicate that a significant percentage of the responding sample was aware of the negative impacts of landfills on the environment and public health, and residents in close proximity preferred to live farther from the landfill. The results from the spatial analysis demonstrated a definite degree of correlation between odour annoyance and distance to the facility and proved that the benefits of the socially disadvantaged have been neglected. The research findings also direct attention to the important role of public participation, information disclosure, transparency in management, and mutual communication to avoid conflicts and build social trust.

Soil Heavy Metal Pollution Assessment Near the Largest Landfill of China

To assess the extent and potential hazards of heavy metal pollution at Shanghai Laogang Landfill, the largest landfill in China, surface soil samples were collected near the landfill and concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, and Cr were determined. The results revealed that the concentrations of heavy metals, except Pb, were higher in the surface soil near the landfill than in the background soil. Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis suggested that the enrichment of Cu in soil was probably related to agricultural activities and Cd and Pb to landfill leachates, whereas Zn and Cr concentrations were probably controlled by soil matrix characteristics. The pollution indices (PIs) of the metals were: Cd > Cu > Cr > Zn > Pb. Among the five measured metals, Cd showed the largest toxic response and might cause higher ecological hazards than other metals. The integrated potential eco-risk index (RI) of the five metals ranged from 26.0 to 104.9, suggesting a low-level eco-risk potential. This study indicated the accumulations of Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, and Cr did not reach high pollution levels, and therefore posed a low eco-risk potential in surface soil near the landfill.

Methanotrophic community structure of aged refuse and its capability for methane bio-oxidation

Abstract Aged refuse from waste landfills closed for eight years was examined and found to contain rich methanotrophs capable of biooxidation for methane. Specially, community structure and methane oxidation capability of methanotrophs in the aged refuse were studied. The amount of methanotrophs ranged 61.97 × 10 3−632.91 × 10 3 cells/g (in dry basis) in aged refuse from Shanghai Laogang Landfill. Type I and II methanotrophs were found in the aged refuse in the presence of sterilized sewage sludge and only Type I methanotrophs were detected in the presence of nitrate minimal salt medium (NMS). The clone sequences of the pmoA gene obtained from the aged refuse were similar to the pmoA gene of Methylobacter, Methylocaldum, and Methylocystis, and two clones were distinct with known genera of Type I methanotrophs according to phylogenetic analysis. Aged refuse enriched with NMS was used for methane biological oxidation and over 93% conversions were obtained.

Sulfate-reducing bacteria in leachate-polluted aquifers along the shore of the East China Sea

The diversity of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in the aquifer underlying the Laogang Landfill along the shore of the East China Sea was investigated. The DNA extracted from 15 groundwater samples was subjected to PCR amplification of the dissimilatory sulfite reductase (dsr) gene. Full-length dsrAB amplicons (approximately 1.9 kb) were then used to construct 4 clone libraries, while the dsrB amplicons (approximately 350 bp) were used for denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis. The clones in the 4 libraries covered all cultured SRB lineages, as well as a deeply branching clade not affiliated with any cultured SRB. In addition, nearly 80% of the 388 clones in the 4 libraries were similar to sequences of the Deltaproteobacteria, Desulfobacteriaceae, Desulfovibrionales, Syntrophaceae, and Desulfobulbaceae. Furthermore, a wide variety of marine SRB was detected, which indicated that seawater has infiltrated the aquifer. Indeed, the DGGE profiles revealed obvious variations in SRB diversity among the 15 samples, which clustered in accordance with the sulfate concentration of the samples ([SO4(2-)]). Moreover, the sulfate concentrations and SRB diversity along the leachate plume did not show regular variation, which suggests the impact of both groundwater flow and seawater intrusion.

Hydrophobic organic chemicals (HOCs) removal from biologically treated landfill leachate by powder-activated carbon (PAC), granular-activated carbon (GAC) and biomimetic fat cell (BFC)

Biological pretreatment efficiently remove organic matter from landfill leachate, but further removal of refractory hydrophobic organic chemicals (HOCs) is hard even with advanced treatment. In this work, three-stage-aged refuse bioreactor (ARB) efficiently removed chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of fresh leachate produced in Shanghai laogang landfill, from 8603 to 451 mg L −1 and 1368 to 30 mg L −1, respectively. In downstream treatment, 3 g L −1 powder-activated carbon (PAC), granular-activated carbon (GAC) and biomimetic fat cell (BFC) removed 89.2, 73.4 and 81.1% HOCs, but only 24.6, 19.1 and 8.9% COD, respectively. Through the specific HOCs accumulation characteristics of BFC, about 11.2% HOCs with low molecular weight (<1000 Da) in the biologically treated leachate were concluded. Since HOCs are competitively trapped by dissolved organic matters (DOM), the ultimate removal of HOCs from leachate is unreachable by activated carbon or BFC. It was also found that the biologically treated leachate effluent exhibited a wide molecular weight distribution (34–514,646 Da). These constitutes are derived from both autochthonous and allochthonous matters as well as biological activities.

Distribution and ecological effect of mercury in Laogang landfill, Shanghai, China

Laogang landfill near Shanghai is the largest landfill in China, and receives about 10000 t of daily garbage per day. Samples of topsoil and plants were analyzed to evaluate mercury pollution from the landfill. For topsoil samples, there were significant correlations among total mercury (Hg T), combinative mercury (Hg c) and gaseous mercury (Hg G), and content of total organic carbon (TOC), but, no significantly relationship was found between Hg content and filling time. Hg content changes in vertical profiles with time showed that the average Hg T of profiles 1992, 1996, and 2000 was similar, but their average Hg G was quite different. Hg T was significantly correlated with Hg c in profile 1992 and 2000, and Hg T was significantly correlated with Hg G in profile 1996. Hg G/Hg T ratio in profile samples decreased in the order of (Hg G/Hg T) 1992>(Hg G/Hg T) 1996≫(Hg G/Hg T) 2000. A simple outline of Hg release in landfill could be drawn: with increasing of filling time, degradation undergoes different biodegradation, accordingly, gaseous mercury goes through small, more, and small proportion to total mercury. Distribution of Hg in plants was inhomogeneous, following the order of leaf>root>stem. The highest value of leaf may be associated with higher atmospheric Hg from landfill. Ligneous plants (e.g. Phyllostachys glanca, Prunus salicina and Ligustrum lucidum) are capable of enriching more Hg than herbaceous plants.

Seepage analysis of landfill foundations in Shanghai Laogang Landfill Phase IV

A complex seepage flow field with unknown free surface was formed in the Shanghai Laogang Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Landfill by the perimeter cut-off wall around the landfill site and the Prefabricated Vertical Drains (PVD) in the foundation of landfill. First, the equivalent vertical permeability was presented based on the drainage mechanism of PVD and the related calculation method was studied to macroscopically reflect the impact of PVD on the seepage flow status of the landfill foundation. With the influence of the cut-off wall and the PVD on the infiltration of groundwater, the total inflow was classified into two parts: the lateral inflow through the cut-off wall outside the landfill, and the upward infiltration through the PVD from the foundation of the landfill. Seepage analysis was conducted using the finite element method according to the actual scenario of Laogang Landfill, and the lateral infiltration and the upward infiltration were calculated, respectively. The results show that the total inflow into the landfill area was mostly supplied by the upward infiltration through the PVD and the perimeter cut-off wall was significantly effective to depressurize the seepage pressure and to reduce the flow rate.