TREATMENT OF A LANDFILL LEACHATE CONTAINING REFRACTORY ORGANICS AND AMMONIUM NITROGEN BY THE MICROORGANISM-ATTACHED ACTIVATED CARBON FLUIDIZED-BED PROCESS

The microorganism-attached activated carbon fluidized bed (MAACFB) process was applied to treat a landfill leachate containing refractory organics and a high concentration of ammonium nitrogen. The MAACFB process removed about 60 % and 70 % of refractory organics and nitrogen, respectively, from the landfill leachate simultaneously and steadily over a more than 700 days of operation period. A mass balance on organics around the MAACFB process revealed that more than 90 % of the removed organics may be biodegraded. It was suggested that the MAACFB process is highly effective in biodegrading the refractory organics in landfill leachate.