Tratamento combinado de lixiviado de aterro sanitário e esgoto doméstico por processo anaeróbio em reator UASB

Abstract

The combined treatment of landfill leachate (LAS) and sanitary sewage (ES) is a promising solution, since with the dilution of the leachate the reduction of high concentrations of ammoniacal nitrogen and organic matter occurs. However, it is necessary to determine the proportions of LAS: ES suitable for this type of treatment. The present research aims to study the combined treatment by anaerobic process through an anaerobic sludge blanket and UASB reactor, using wastewater and landfill leachate as substrates. The first stage of the research was carried out in order to characterize the substrates and to determine the increase of organic loads and nutrients, as well as changes in physical and chemical parameters (pH, alkalinity and VFA) with the addition of 3 and 6% of leachate to wastewater. The second stage of the research involves pilot scale tests using the continuous UASB reactor with 830 L, operating with a HRT of 12 h, and ambient temperature which was monitored by a thermometer in the reactor. UASB reactor was inoculated with anaerobic sludge from the UASB reactor at full scale from UNISINOS, this sludge presented a concentration of 515 mg ST/L, 265.4 mg VS/L and 250.2 mg FS/L. UASB reactor initially operated only with wastewater for a period of 127 days (Phase 1), then operated for 49 days with the addition of 3% leachate (Phase 2) and the last phase for a period of 28 days with addition of 6% leachate (Stage 3). It was verified that there was a balance in pH, alkalinity and VFA in Phase 1, whereas in Phases 2 and 3 these parameters suffered an increase in the affluent, and a decrease in the alkalinity effluent due to the necessity to neutralize the VFA. A mean affluent alkalinity affluent and effluent concentration of 114.7 and 129.3 mgCaCO3/L (Phase 1), 373.0 and 345.0 mgCaCO3/L (Phase 2) and 665.8 and 581.3 mgCaCO3/L (Phase 3), in that order. The initial pH effluent operating with wastewater alone was 6.9, reaching 8.8 in Phase 3 in the mixture with 6% of leachate. It was observed that the ammonia nitrogen directly affected the anaerobic process, since the increase of the alkalinity of the affluent from the addition of the leachate to the process, this increase was attributed to the formation of ammonia hydroxide from the ammonia nitrogen present in the leachate. The concentration of ammonia nitrogen corresponded to more than 80% of the total nitrogen of the leachate/wastewater mixture, and remained at these levels throughout the experimental period. The concentrations of ammonia nitrogen affluent and effluent were respectively 31.4 and 42.7 mg/L (Phase 1), 60.8 and 60.8 mg/L (Phase 2) and 91.9 and 89.4 mg/L (Phase 3). Removal of COD in Phase 1 ranged from 27.1 - 63.6%, from 33.7 - 54.7% in Phase 2 and from 22.9 - 32.3% in Phase 3. In the conditions under study, a high removal efficiency of organic matter was not verified in the reactor operating with the leachate/wastewater mixture. Methane levels between 63.2 and 74% were quantitatively observed.