Hybrid packed bed bioreactor using combined biodegradation and ozonation to enhance nitrogen and micropollutants removal from landfill leachate

Bioresour Technol. 2024 Nov:412:131413. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2024.131413. Epub 2024 Sep 1.

Abstract

Landfill leachate contains ammonium and micropollutants. Ammonium can be biologically removed but bio-recalcitrant micropollutants removal requires post-treatment like ozonation. This study developed an expanded clay aggregates packed biofilm column (EBC) and demonstrated its feasibility of coupling biodegradation and ozonation (CBAO) to simultaneously remove nitrogen and bio-recalcitrant micropollutants. The first 60 days only had biodegradation process to start the bioreactor. 51 % nitrogen was biologically removed but the removal of micropollutant carbamazepine (CBZ) was only 30 %. From 61 d to 150 d, both biodegradation and ozonation were performed in the EBC. After 48 h-biodegradation, ozone gas was introduced and bubbling through EBC for 30 min to further remove residual micropollutants. At 0.4 gO3/gCOD, CBZ were completely removed. The average nitrogen removal efficiency (85 %) was increased by 34 % because the increased abundance of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria in EBC. This study confirmed the promising potential of the CBAO process for treating landfill leachte.

Keywords: Ammonium; Bio-recalcitrant micropollutants; Expanded clay aggregates; Ozone; Packed biofilm reactor.

MeSH terms

  • Biodegradation, Environmental*
  • Biofilms
  • Bioreactors*
  • Carbamazepine / isolation & purification
  • Nitrogen*
  • Ozone* / chemistry
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical*
  • Water Purification / methods

Substances

  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • Nitrogen
  • Ozone
  • Carbamazepine