Author(s)

E. Sekman, G. Varank, A. Demir, S. Top & M. S. Bilgili

Abstract

Leachates from municipal solid waste (MSW) contain a large number of compounds many of which are not hazardous to health and nature as they represent degradation products ranging from small volatile acids to refractory fulvic and humic-like compounds and some of which are hazardous compounds including aromatic compounds, halogenated compounds, phenolic compounds, pesticides, heavy metals, and ammonium. Phenolic compounds released into the environment are of high concern because of their potential toxicity. These compounds found in the leachate include phenol, cresols and substituted and chlorinated phenols that have been designated as priority pollutants by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Phenolic compounds degrade under anaerobic conditions in landfill sites. In this study, the degradation of phenolic compounds in leachate has been investigated by using leachate recirculated anaerobic reactors representing bioreactor landfills. Wastes representing Istanbul municipal solid wastes were disposed in the reactors. Phenolic compounds of leachate are analyzed by using Gas Chromatograph. Before injection of leachate to the Chromatograph, contaminants in the leachate are extracted by using solid phase micro extraction (SPME) method. A first-order kinetic model was adopted to represent the microbial degradation of phenolic compounds under anaerobic conditions. Keywords: modelling, leachate, phenolic compounds, degradation. 1 Introduction Wastewater flow through municipal solid wastes disposed at landfill sites and removal of soluble compounds by the non-uniform and intermittent percolation of water through the refuse mass result in the production of leachate. Leachate

Keywords

modelling, leachate, phenolic compounds, degradation