Degradation of PCDD, PCDF, PAH, PCB and chlorinated phenols during the destruction-treatment of landfill seepage water in laboratory model reactor (UV, Ozone, and UV/Ozone)

Seepage water of toxic waste landfills is polluted with high concentrations of toxic organic compounds. The concentrations in the seepage water we applied for chlorinated phenols are between 2 μg/1 and 1 mg/l, for PCB between 800 pg/l and 250 ng/l, for PAH between 200 ng/l and 12 μg/l and for PCDD and PCDF between 20 pg/l and 1 ng/l. Usual purification methods produce highly contaminated residues, which have to be treated by pyrolysis or are deposited again at a landfill. A better way is to destruct these contaminants by UV/ozone treatment. The treatment of seepage water by UV-irradiation, ozone and UV/ozone is compared. Results show no significant effect during all treatments for PCB and PCDD/PCDF. The chlorinated phenols and PAH were mostly destroyed by UV/ozone treatment more than 90 %. The pH value has no influence on the UV/ozone treatment of seepage water.