Experimental plant for the physical-chemical treatment of groundwater polluted by Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) leachate, with ammonia recovery

Estação experimental para o tratamento físico-químico de águas subterrâneas poluídas por chorume de um aterro de resíduos sólidos urbanos, com recuperação de amônia

Abstracts

The paper documents the results of the experimental treatment of groundwater (flow rate: 300 m³ h-1) polluted by the leachate of an old MSW landfill (7 million tonnes) in northern Italy. The process consists of a coagulation-flocculation pre-treatment at pH > 11, and subsequent ammonia stripping, after heating the water to 35-38 ºC by means of the biogas produced by the landfill. The stripped ammonia was recovered by absorption with sulfuric acid, producing a 30% solution of ammonium sulfate, which was reused as a base fertilizer. In addition, the paper reports important operational aspects related to the scaling of the stripping tower's packing and its effect on pH and temperature profiles inside the towers caused by the closed loop, which recirculates the stripping air coming from the ammonia absorption towers with sulfuric acid. The average removal efficiency of ammonia reached 95.4% with an inlet mean concentration of 199.0 mg L-1.

ammonia-stripping; landfill leachate; aquifer reclamation

O estudo relata os resultados de um tratamento experimental de águas subterrâneas (vazão: 300 m³ h-1) poluídas pelo chorume de um antigo aterro onde foram acondicionadas cerca de 7 ∙ 10(6) toneladas de resíduos sólidos urbanos no norte da Itália. O processo de tratamento é constituído numa primeira etapa de coagulação-floculação a pH > 11, e subsequente remoção da amônia em torres de arraste após o aquecimento das águas residuais a 35-38 ºC por meio do biogás do aterro. A amônia foi recuperada por absorção com o ácido sulfúrico, com a produção de uma solução a 30% de sulfato de amônia reutilizado como fertilizante de base. Neste artigo, são evidenciados importantes aspectos operacionais relacionados com a formação de incrustação nos materias de enchimento das torres de arraste e os efeitos sobre o pH e perfis de temperatura no interior das torres de arraste causados pelo circuito fechado de recirculação do ar vindo das torres de absorção de amônia com ácido sulfúrico. A eficiência média de remoção da amônia foi de 95,4%, com uma concentração média de entrada de 199,0 mg L-1.

extração de amoníaco; aterro sanitário; remediação de aquíferos

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Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  22 Jan 2014
• Date of issue
  Dec 2013

History

• Received
  29 Nov 2013
• Accepted
  13 Dec 2013