Electrodegradation of landfill leachate in a flow electrochemical reactor

Sanitary landfills are the major method used today for the disposal and management of municipal solid waste. Decomposition of waste and rainfall generate leachate at the bottom of landfills, causing groundwater contamination. In this study, leachate from a municipal landfill site was treated by electrochemical oxidation in a pilot scale flow reactor, using oxide-coated titanium anode. The experiments were conducted under a constant flow rate of 2000 l h−1 and the effect of current density on chemical oxygen demand, total organic carbon, color and ammonium removal was investigated. At a current density of 116.0 mA cm−2 and 180 min of processing, the removal rates achieved were 73% for COD, 57% for TOC, 86% for color and 49% for ammonium. The process proved effective in degrading leachate, despite this effluent’s usual refractoriness to treatment.