The Open Waste Management Journal
2010, 3 : 155-166Published online 2010 December 14. DOI: 10.2174/1875934301003010155
Publisher ID: TOWMJ-3-155
Influence of Recycling Different Leachate Volumes on Refuse Anaerobic Degradation
ABSTRACT
The aim of this work was to determine the appropriate moisture regime, attained by leachate recycling, to achieve the highest municipal solid waste (MSW) biodegradation rate. To this end, leachate characteristics, methane production rate and changes in degraded refuse were studied. Twenty laboratory-scale bioreactors were loaded with MSW from the landfill of Pátzcuaro (Mexico), four were used as controls and sixteen were operated under leachate recycling to achieve moisture content regimes (%MC) of 50, 60, 70 and 80%, bioreactors operated for 264 days. Hydrolysis, acidogenic and methanogenic phases were determined and studied. ANOVA and Tukey’s HDS tests revealed significant differences in leachate concentration characteristics when using different recycling volumes. Maximum methane production rate was found in the 70% MC regime, whereas the highest volume was found to produce a wash out effect in the refuse matrix. Also, the highest total volatile solids removal was found in the solid phase of the 70% MC regime.