Electrolysis of soluble organic matter in leachate from landfills

Laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the effectiveness of electro-chemical methods for treating leachates from municipal garbage landfills. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal range from 30 to 50% were obtained with a batch electro-chemical reactor using two different electrode pairs, Fe---Cu or Al---Cu. Both electrolysis and electro-coagulation were observed for the removal of the organic matter in the leachates, with the former mechanism being the dominant in this investigation. The organic matters were found to be electrolyzed at an applied voltage as low as 2.0 V. IR spectra analyses of treated leachates confirmed that intense oxidation took place throughout the electro-chemical experiments.