Sustainable Management of Landfill Leachate by Irrigation

Leachate from domestic landfills is a significant environmentalhazard. In the urban environment, irrigation of recreational turf and parkland with nitrogen-rich landfill leachate providesboth low-cost treatment that minimises pollution of surroundingwaters and a valuable water resource. Of particular interest isthe capacity of the turf-soil system to ameliorate the ammonium-rich leachate. To address this issue, a two-year field trial was completed at the Newington Landfill irrigating with saline,ammonium-rich leachate. The field trial suggested that in situ bioremediation is sustainable provided that management strategies such as dilution of leachate to reduce solution electrical conductivity to 3.6 dS m^-1 are adopted. Furthermore, pollution due to leaching of nitrogen can be minimised by managing the soil to enhance in situ denitrification of applied nitrogen. The management regimes adopted during the Newington field trial enabled nitrogen application rates in excess of 1400 kg NH₄ ⁺ha^-1 yr^-1. However, the capacity of the system to ameliorate the leachate appears limited by soil salinity and sodicity rather than the control of nitrogen leaching by denitrification,suggesting that rates of up to 3500 kg NH₄ ⁺ha^-1 yr^-1 may be viable if the salinity hazard can be effectively managed.     

人工湿地系统在垃圾渗滤液处理中的应用

人工湿地是一种很有前途的废水处理方法,具有对污染物的去除能力强、基建和运行费用低、维护管理方便、耐冲击负荷能力强等优点。对人工湿地系统在垃圾渗滤液处理中的表现进行了分析,结果表明,其对有机物、氮磷和金属元素均具有较高的去除率,利用人工湿地处理垃圾渗滤液的方法具有广阔的应用前景。     

Fluorescence Tracing of Diffuse Landfill Leachate Contamination in Rivers

Landfill leachates are composed of a complex mixture of degradation products which include a wide range of potentially fluorescent organic molecules and compounds. Here we investigate the use of fluorescence excitation–emission matrix (EEM) analysis in detecting diffuse landfill leachate contamination in rivers. Landfill leachates from three unlined landfill sites adjacent to our study river are characterised by intense fluorescence at excitation wavelength 220–230 nm, and emission wavelength 340–370 nm, which derives from fluorescent components of the xenobiotic organic matter fraction. Seven surface water sample sites on an adjacent polluted river system were analysed for fluorescence and water quality properties. The 220–230 nm excitation wavelength, 340–370 nm emission wavelength fluorescent centre was also detected in this river system at the sample locations downstream of the landfills, but not at upstream control sites, demonstrating its use as a tracer of landfill leachate contamination. Negative correlations are observed between this fluorescence centre and dissolved oxygen in the river water samples, demonstrating the water quality implications of leachate contamination at this study site. The fluorescence intensity at the 220–230 nm excitation wavelength, 340–370 nm emission wavelength fluorescent centre in landfill leachates is such that it remains detectable at dilutions of 10²–10³, and the fluorescence EEM technique is rapid and cost-effective for use by river managers and water quality regulators.     

Effects of Leachate Irrigation on Landfill Vegetation and Subsequent Methane Emissions

Short-rotation tree forests are irrigated with landfill leachate to reduce both leachate volume and nutrient content. It is of interest both for leachate treatment and energy recovery to optimise the productivity of such plantations. This study's aim was to investigate the effects of irrigation on soil quality, tree growth and on emissions of landfill gas (LFG) produced in the wastes. Soils irrigated with leachate had a higher average nutrient and organic matter contents, and a lower dry solids content. Larger trees occur on plots irrigated with leachate, presumably due to the positive effect of water and nutrient supply. The willows used in this experiment seemed to be tolerant of high carbon dioxide concentrations, as no statistically effect arising from LFG emissions could be linked to tree growth. Methane oxidation levels between 50 and 950 mol m^-2 yr^-1 were observed. The positive correlation between soil methane oxidation capacity and tree presence is an interesting perspective on reduction of methane emissions by landfill's top cover vegetation type. Optimising methane oxidation using vegetation as a ‘cover crop’ could reduce the amount of methane discharged into the atmosphere.     

Photocatalytic Degradation of Azo Dye Reactive Orange 16 by TiO2

Water, Air, & Soil Pollution - Several recent reports document increasing concentrations of chloride in surface waters of northeastern and midwestern North America. These patterns, together...     

Long-term Monitoring and Prediction for Leachate Concentrations in Shanghai Refuse Landfill

The two soil profiles of Al-Ahmadi and Burgan oil fields are alkaline aridsoils with similar pH values and bicarbonate contents. Differences betweenthe carbonate (CaCO₃), exchangeable cation and sulphate contents of the twosoil profiles are attributed to the diversified sources of the soils. Carbonateincrements in topsoils of both profiles were probably derived from the newsand dunes formed after the Gulf War and migrated to the vicinity of thestudy area. Elevated concentrations of calcium, magnesium and potassiumcations in topsoils were most probably supplied from the cation-rich formationwater associated with the oil spilled in the two fields.The values of pH, electrical conductivity and sodium adsorption ratio forthe two soil profiles classify them as saline soils. The high and similarproportions of sodium and chloride ions adsorped in the topsoils and the highsalinity of both profiles indicate the accumulation of salts due to the floodingof soils by formation water and sea water used in controlling well fires. Thedownward oil/water movement and salt accumulation are restricted to theupper (25–95 cm) layer in the Burgan soil profile, whereas oil/water gangliaand associated salts spread over greater depths (150–270 cm) in Al-Ahmadiprofile due to variations in the sorting, structure and hydraulic conductivity ofthe two soils. The sharp decrease in salt concentration below the Gatch(caliche) layer suggests that this layer acts as a moisture barrier impeding anyfurther downward movement for oil/water and associated salts.Gypsum is the prime source of sulphate concentrations in the lower layersof the two soils. The flooding of oil fields by oil lakes containing sour crudeand the dry deposition of SO₂ gas emitted as soot from the burnt oil couldprovide source to the sulphate concentrations in the topsoils of both profiles.     

Phytotoxic Effect of Landfill Leachate with Different Pollution Indexes on Common Bean

The degradation of methyl orange (MO) in aqueous solution by microwave irradiation in the presence of granular-active carbon (GAC) was investigated. It was found that a synergistic rather than an additive effect of microwave irradiation and GAC contributes to the high-degradation efficiency. The ultraviolet and visible spectrum (UV–vis), infrared spectroscopy (IR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements were conducted to trace the MO degradation process. It was demonstrated that the decrease in performance of GAC after repetitive use is largely attributed to the adsorption of some intermediate products on the surface of GAC. The regeneration of the spent GAC under microwave radiation was also investigated. The results show that the activity of spent GAC can be effectively recovered by microwave radiation and 74.1 % of its initial activity remains after six reaction cycles.     

Photocatalytic Degradation of Reactive Black 5 by Fish Scale-Loaded TiO2 Composites

Titania and TiO₂/fish scale composites at different mass ratios (90:10, 70:30, and 50:50) were prepared by sol?Cgel method for application as photocatalysts in this study. Fish scale, synthesized TiO₂, and TiO₂/fish scale composites were characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and nitrogen sorption. Their photocatalytic activities were evaluated through the degradation of Reactive Black 5 (RB 5) under solar light irradiation. The effects of irradiation time, catalyst loading, and mass ratios of TiO₂/fish scale composites on the photocatalytic degradation of RB 5 were investigated. The results revealed that the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂/fish scale composites showed compatible and enhanced degradation compared to the synthesized titania.     

Photocatalytic Degradation of Textile Dye and Wastewater

In this study, the photocatalytic degradation of commercial azo dye (Remazol Red 133) in the presence of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) suspensions as photocatalyst was investigated. The effect of various operational parameters, such as pH of dye solution and catalyst concentration on the photocatalytic degradation process, was examined. The mineralization of dye was also evaluated by measuring the chemical oxygen demand of the dye solutions. The extent of photocatalytic degradation was found to increase with increasing TiO₂ concentration. For the Remazol Red dye solutions, a 120-min treatment resulted in 97.9% decolorization and 87.6% degradation at catalyst loading of 3 g/L. Experiments using real textile wastewater were also carried out. Textile wastewater degradation was enhanced at acidic conditions. The decolorization and degradation efficiencies for textile wastewater were 97.8% and 84.9% at pH 3.0, catalyst loading of 3 g/L, and treatment time of 120 min.     

Photocatalytic Degradation of Emerging Contaminants: Artificial Sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners are food additives widely used, mainly in reduced sugar or sugar-free foods and beverages. Acesulfame potassium (ACE-K) and sodium saccharin (SAC) are among the most widely consumed sweeteners worldwide. These compounds when ingested are not metabolized by the body, being excreted unchanged. They arrive at treatment plants, where they are partially degraded and consequently released directly into water bodies. For this reason, artificial sweeteners have been detected in the most diverse aquatic environments, being recognized as emerging contaminants. In this work, aqueous solutions of ACE-K and SAC, submitted to heterogeneous photocatalysis (TiO₂/UV-A) for 60 min, showed degradations of more than 99% and maximum mineralization of 57% for ACE-K and 49% for SAC. The effects of certain variables were evaluated, with pH having a greater influence on the degradation of acesulfame and the mass of semiconductor on that of saccharin. The degradation of ACE-K and SAC followed a pseudo-first-order kinetic model according to the Langmuir–Hinshelwood model. Assays using Artemia salina as the test organism demonstrated the low toxicity of the photocatalyzed solutions of ACE-K and SAC. The contribution of different reactive species to the photocatalysis was investigated using specific radical inhibitors; the results indicate that singlet oxygen (¹O₂) has a fundamental role in the photocatalytic degradation of ACE-K and SAC.

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Ag掺杂APS改性的TiO_2颗粒的制备及其光催化降解作用

为提高Ag/TiO2纳米颗粒的光催化降解作用,采用聚合凝胶工艺路线,以钛酸四丁酯为前驱体,硝酸银为银源,通过向反应体系引入鳌合剂醋酸、表面改性剂γ-氨丙基三乙氧基硅烷（APS）以及还原剂甲醛等添加剂,制备出TiO2粉体及Ag/TiO2纳米复合粉体。利用FT-IR、XRD、TG-DTA、TEM和UV-Vis-NIR等手段对样品进行表征。结果表明,经γ-氨丙基三乙氧基硅烷改性的TiO2颗粒掺Ag后分散性得到改善,粒径约1 nm的Ag颗粒较均匀地分布在10～15 nm TiO2颗粒上;可见光的利用和锐钛矿热稳定性都得到提高;Ag/TiO2纳米颗粒在光照下对甲基橙具有良好的光催化降解效果。     

Visible Light Induced Photocatalytic Degradation of Methyl Orange by Polythiophene/TiO2 Composite Particles

The adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO) aqueous solution under visible light illumination by polythiophene/titanium dioxide (PTh/TiO₂) composite particles were studied. The experimental observations from UV–vis spectrophotometer indicate that MO molecules were degraded in a different degree during the visible light-induced photocatalysis reaction. We propose a new degradation mechanism of MO during the photocatalytic reaction, based on blue shift of UV–vis absorption spectra of MO solution and other researches. The data from total organic carbon analyzer definitely prove that MO can be mineralized to CO₂ and H₂O, and some intermediate products are generated during the photocatalysis degradation of MO.     

Photocatalytic Degradation of Phytotoxic Substances in Waste Nutrient Solution by Various Immobilized Levels of Nano-TiO2

Biosolids are nutrient-rich waste products often used as soil amendments. To evaluate the impact of repeated application of biosolids on heavy metal accumulation and lability, composite soils (at 0–15- and 15–30-cm depths) were collected from 0-, 2-, 5-, and 25-year biosolid-applied Genesee silt loam (fine loamy, mixed, nonacid, mesic Typic Udifluvent). While the biosolid application did not influence the pH, the electrical conductivity and heavy metal concentration varied significantly. Among the heavy metals, the concentration of total and residual cadmium (Cd) was the highest (3 and 2.8 times), and copper (Cu) was the lowest (1.3 to 1.2 times) in the 25-year biosolid-applied field than in the control. The exchangeable chromium (Cr) concentration was the highest (6 times), and Cu was the lowest (1.9 times) in the 25-year biosolid-applied field as compared with the control. The lability of Cr, lead (Pb), cobalt (Co), zinc (Zn), Cu, nickel (Ni), and arsenic (As) significantly increased by 20, 11, 9, 9, 8, 6, and 4 %, respectively, in the 25-year biosolid-applied field compared to the control field. The extractable Pb, As, Zn, and Cu concentrations were significantly higher at 0–15 cm than at 15–30 cm depth. The labilities of Pb, Cu, and Ni were significantly varied between depths. Biosolids × depth significantly influenced the total As and residual As, Cu, and Pb concentrations. All the heavy metals except total and residual As significantly correlated with the total organic carbon. Results suggest that the accumulation and lability of heavy metals are related to complexation of heavy metals with organic carbon in response to years of biosolid application.     

Effects of Silver on the Photocatalytic Degradation of Gaseous Isopropanol

Water, Air, & Soil Pollution - The decomposition of gaseous isopropanol (IPA) by UV/TiO2 process in an annular photoreactor was studied under various conditions such as UV light intensity and...     

Photocatalytic Degradation of Chlorophenol Compounds using Poly Aromatic Star Copolymer

This study investigated the encapsulation and photocatalysis of chlorophenol compounds in water using porphyrin-(polystyrene-b-2-dimethylaminoethyl acrylate) star polymer. The chloride ions generated during photocatalytic process were identified and quantified. 2,4,6-Trichlorophenol, pentachlorophenol, and 2,4-dichlorophenol were satisfactorily decomposed in the photoreactor using porphyrin-(polystyrene-b-2-dimethylaminoethyl acrylate) star polymer, with removal efficiencies of 2,454, 498, and 760 mg/g of porphyrin-(polystyrene-b-2-dimethylaminoethyl acrylate) star polymer. The half-life times reached around 30 min, with the exception of that for 2,4-dichlorophenol. The star polymer-impregnated porphyrin is a promising photocatalyst for the removal of chlorophenols.     

The Effect of Landfill Leachate Irrigation on Soil Gas Composition: Methane Oxidation and Nitrous Oxide Formation

By employing empirical probability distribution function and power spectrum analysis together with detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA), we show that acid deposition events are analogous to avalanches of granular piles displaying self-organized criticality (SOC). Under a wide variety of circumstances, frequency distributions of hydrogen ion concentration (HIC) and weekly hydrogen deposition (WHD) of precipitation are consistent with double power-law in two different regimes separated by a crossover HIC or a crossover WHD. WHD series can be depicted as 1/f ^β noise (β = 0.3–1.3) with long-range correlations (LRC). And we argue that the critical state of atmospheric acid deposition refers to the normal acidity of water in atmosphere, or the environmental capacity. Therefore, acid deposition evolution is consistent with the three criteria of complex SOC systems. We thus suggest that SOC may be a possible mechanism underlying acid deposition evolution.     

Performance and Bacterial Community Diversity of a Full-Scale Biofilter Treating Leachate Odor in a Sanitary Landfill Site

Odors, such as the malodorous and toxic hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), are released during leachate collection, storage, and treatment. A full-scale biofilter was applied to treat H₂S emitted from a leachate equalization basin in a sanitary landfill site. The inlet concentration of H₂S was 26.3?C213.0?mg?m^?3. In steady state, total removal efficiency was over 90?% in summer and over 80?% in winter. The maximum elimination capacity achieved 9.1?g?m^?3?h^?1 at a loading rate of 10.5?g?m^?3?h^?1. The biofilter was effective at reducing H₂S. Factors on the level of H₂S inlet concentration and performance of the biofilter were investigated. The H₂S inlet load and removal efficiency relied on ambient and biofilter temperature, respectively. The water containing rate and relative humidity presented seasonal variation, according to which the interval period of irrigation could be optimized. The main product of H₂S degradation was sulfate, and sulfur also could be observed from the biofilter. Spatial and temporal shifts in bacterial community composition in the biofilter were determined by polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis followed by DNA sequence analysis. The present study revealed a correlation between biofilter performance and bacterial community structure, especially in a real application case.     

Photocatalytic Degradation of Herbicide Quinmerac in Various Types of Natural Water

The efficiency of the photocatalytic degradation of the herbicide quinmerac in aqueous TiO₂ suspensions was examined as a function of the type of light source, TiO₂ loading, pH, temperature, electron acceptors, and hydroxyl radical (^?OH) scavenger. The optimum loading of catalyst was found to be 0.25?mg?mL^?1 under UV light at pH?7.2, with the apparent activation energy of the reaction being 13.7?kJ?mol^?1. In the first stage of the reaction, the photocatalytic degradation of quinmerac (50???M) followed approximately a pseudo-first order kinetics. The most efficient electron acceptor appeared to be H₂O₂ along with molecular oxygen. By studying the effect of ethanol as an ^?OH scavenger, it was shown that the heterogeneous catalysis takes place mainly via ^?OH. The results also showed that the disappearance of quinmerac led to the formation of a number of organic intermediates and ionic byproducts, whereas its complete mineralization occurred in about 120?min. The reaction intermediates (7-chloro-3-methylquinoline-5,8-dione, three isomeric phenols hydroxy-7-chloro-3-methylquinoline-8-carboxylic acids, and 7-chloro-3-(hydroxymethyl)quinoline-8-carboxylic acid) were identified and the kinetics of their appearance/disappearance was followed by LC?CESI?CMS/MS. Tentative photodegradation pathways were proposed and discussed. The study also encompassed the effect of quality of natural water on the rate of removal of quinmerac.     

Photocatalytic Degradation of Phenol by Thermal Titanium Dioxide Thin Layer Electrodes

Electrochemical processes in industrial effluents have been studied as a means to obtain higher efficiency in wastewater treatment. Heterogeneous photocatalysis appears as a low-cost alternative through the use of lower wattage lamps and thermal TiO₂ films. Photocatalysis became a clean process for water treatment due to hydroxyl radicals generated on semiconductor surface. Such radicals are able to degrade several organic compounds. This study used different electrodes and analytical methods for degradation of phenol molecules to reduce treatment costs, improve efficiency, and identify compounds formed during the decomposition of phenolic molecules. Thermal growth of TiO₂ film was observed on the titanium electrode in rutile form. Application of an electrical potential on the Ti/TiO₂ working electrode increases efficiency in reducing concentration of phenol after photocatalytic treatment. Still, high energy radiation (UVC) showed best degradation rates in photolytic process. Different compounds formed during the degradation of phenol were also identified in the UVC?CPE treatment.