Title: Assessment of leachates from a Cuban municipal solid waste landfill: characterisation and treatment

Authors: Lidia Asela Fernández García; María del Carmen Espinosa Lloréns; Eliet Véliz Lorenzo; Mayra Olga Bataller Venta; Matilde López Torres; Yalexmi Ramos Rodriguez; Irán Fernández Torres; Alexis Pellón Aerrechea; Yung-Tse Hung

Addresses: National Centre for Scientific Research, P.O. Box 6412, Havana City, Cuba ' National Centre for Scientific Research, P.O. Box 6412, Havana City, Cuba ' National Centre for Scientific Research, P.O. Box 6412, Havana City, Cuba ' National Centre for Scientific Research, P.O. Box 6412, Havana City, Cuba ' National Centre for Scientific Research, P.O. Box 6412, Havana City, Cuba ' National Centre for Scientific Research, P.O. Box 6412, Havana City, Cuba ' National Centre for Scientific Research, P.O. Box 6412, Havana City, Cuba ' National Centre for Scientific Research, P.O. Box 6412, Havana City, Cuba ' Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Abstract: Calle 100 landfill receives 75% of the solid waste of Havana. In this work, the physical-chemical and microbiological evaluation and the treatment of its leachates was carried out. The study of the elimination of pollutants was carried out at laboratory scale. The characterisation showed an important content in organic substances of high molecular weight, fulvic and humic acids that have a toxic character. The use of anaerobic filter at low organic charge (3 kg/m³.day) allows fulfilling the Cuban discharge guideline, but at high organic charge the filter is unable to eliminate the organic pollution. In the case of the use of ozone, there was an increase of the biodegradability because BOD5/COD ratio increases from 0.30 up to 0.45; ozonation also allows a material solubilisation process. The best results were obtained when advanced primary treatment followed by ozonation and anaerobic filter was used. This treatment scheme allows a reduction of 60% in turbidity, colour, optical density at 254 nm and chemical oxygen demand and a decrease higher than 99.99% for coliforms. The economic estimate shows a cost of 1.4 USD/m³.

Keywords: landfill leachates; ozone; anaerobic filter; advanced primary treatment; APT; Cuba; municipal solid waste; turbidity; colour; optical density; chemical oxygen demand; COD; coliforms; solid waste management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEWM.2014.059938

International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 2014 Vol.13 No.3, pp.291 - 316

Received: 08 Sep 2012
Accepted: 27 May 2013
Published online: 13 May 2014 *

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