Treatment of municipal solid wastes leachate using electrocoagulation

Background and aims: Considering the grate polluting potential of landfill leachate and in order to prevent environmental pollution, the present study set out with the aim of assessing the efficiency of electrocoagulation process for organics, nitrogen, phosphorous and turbidity removal from landfill leachate.
Materials and In the present descriptive-analytical experimental study, the sample of leachate was supplied from Aq-Qala Landfill and compost center in Gorgan. Landfill leachate treatment was consequently performed by an electrochemical reactor. The paper studies the factors affecting the efficiency of reactor, such as electrolysis time (20, 40, and 60 min), pH of solution (3, 7 and 9), and the electric potential difference (20, 40 and 60 V). All studied parameters were determined according to standard methods. Because of the nature of the project, there were not ethical issues in this study.
The highest removal of turbidity, COD, nitrate, and phosphorus in raw leachate were 59.14, 44.33, 40.81and 48.86, respectively, achieved at 60 V, neutral pH (6.5-6.9) and operating time of 60 min. The corresponding removal percentages for treatment plant effluent electrocoagulation were 88.9, 80.5, 59.16 and 62.35, respectively.
The results show that electrocoagulation process can be applied to leachate pre treatment in order to remove organic matter, turbidity, nutrients, and organics loading reduction and consequently to enhance the bio- degradability of leachate. Thus, the process can be considered as an effective alternative in the pre-treatment of wastewater in order to prevent environmental pollution and protection of water resources.