Utilização de reatores aeróbios como pós-tratamento de lixiviado antigo tratado por lagoas de estabilização

Abstract

The system of stabilization ponds, which is often present in landfills, is usually not efficient to meet environmental standards for disposal of treated leachate on surface waters. This study evaluated the use of submerged aerated reactor (SAR) and sequencing batch reactor (SBR) as post-treatment options for old leachate pre-treated in waste stabilization ponds. The leachate collection took place at the outflow of the last stabilization pond of the treatment system (two anaerobic em series, followed by a facultative pond) located in West Metropolitan Landfill (ASMOC), Caucaia municipality, metropolitan region of Fortaleza, Ceará state. A physical-chemical characterization of the leachate effluent was performed to verify the compliance to reach disposal standards. The SAR was operated in five phases, being divided between synthetic wastewater and leachate, the latter tested with and without dilution. We evaluated the effect of adding an external carbon source, ethanol, for the phase in which the reactor was fed with leachate without dilution. SBR was made of acrylic, in a cylindrical shape with a working volume of 5.0 L and the total time cycle of 24 hours was initially studied. The total time cycles of 12 and 48 hours were also evaluated in the SBR performance, as well as the effect of adding ethanol as carbon source. The reactors were installed at the Laboratory of Sanitation (Labosan) of the Department of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering (DEHA), Federal University of Ceará (UFC). They were operated in the mesophilic range, with temperature near 27 ° C. Regarding the treated leachate, the physical-chemical characterization confirmed its recalcitrance and complexity, indicating that only the stabilization ponds did not fully meet the standards of disposal. The presence of recalcitrant and toxic compounds in the leachate influent to the SAR during the investigation period decreased COD removal, showing an inhibitory effect on the microorganisms present in the inoculum. However, in another research phase, both the SAR and SBR were stable and efficient on COD and ammonia removals, even when undiluted leachate was used. The addition of ethanol as external carbon source was beneficial to meet the microbial metabolic needs, increasing both the overall efficiency of SAR and SBR in terms of organic matter removal (COD) and operational stability. The SAR and SBR were also quite efficient in the nitrification process. The study with SBR with cycle times of 12, 24 and 48 h showed no considerable difference amongst the constituent removals, so that 12 h was considered as optimal time cycle in order to minimize the costs with reactor volume and aeration time. As a general conclusion of the experiment we can say that the aerobic biological treatment, using either submerged aerated reactor (SAR) or sequencing batch reactors (SBR), can be considered a good alternative for post-treatment of old leachate pre-treated in stabilization ponds, but still requires operational adjustments and associations with physical-chemical or advanced oxidation processes for accomplish all discharge standards.