Project Description: Long-term treatment and disposal of landfill leachate is a major concern of landfill operators and managers. One method of managing leachate is to treat the landfill as a bioreactor. Bioreactor landfills are controlled systems in which moisture control and/or air injection are used to create a solid waste environment capable of actively degrading the readily biodegradable organic fraction of the waste. Although there are many advantages associated with bioreactor landfill technology, challenges remain, including the persistence of ammonia-nitrogen in the leachate. Additionally, although the biodegradability of leachate organic compounds declines with time, complex organic compounds, such as humic substances and xenobiotic compounds, remain in solution. It is likely that these compounds will determine when the landfill is biologically stable and when post-closure monitoring may end. This research project proposes to examine in laboratory experiments the capacity of the landfill to provide complete in-situ treatment of landfill leachates so that they may be released to the environment without adverse impact.
Project Status: The project is now in the first year of activities. The project is scheduled to conclude in 2006.
Investigators
Debra Reinhart, University of Central Florida
Graduate Research Assistants
Nicole Berge, University of Central Florida
Eyad Batarseh, University of Central Florida
Project Sponsored by
The Florida Center for Solid and Hazardous Waste Management |
Project Links:
TAG Meeting 1: January 13, 2005 (Conducted at the University of Miami)
TAG Meeting 2: June 22, 2005 (Conducted at the University of Miami)
TAG Meeting 3: January 6, 2006
Annual Report |