Roberto Valencia Vázquez: "Enhanced stabilisation of municipal solid waste in bioreactor landfills"

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3 Jul 2008 15:30
Unit: Wageningen University
Location: Promotie bij UNESCO-IHE, Delft
Organisation: Wageningen University
Promotor: prof.dr. H.J. Gijzen (Environmental Biotechnology)
Co Promotor: Dr. H. J. Lubberding (UNESCO-IHE)

 The objective of this research was to achieve the “Final Storage Quality” (FSQ) status of municipal solid waste (MSW) placed in landfills. FSQ status means that the potential of residues to produce pollution has been reduced to nearly zero in the short and long term perspective; which is comparable to the characteristics of inert waste laid in the Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) of the European Landfill Directive. In order to achieve FSQ status of MSW several enhancement techniques were applied such as waste shredding and modification, addition of buffers, forced air intrusion and leachate recirculation. After two experimental phases, it was possible to achieve biological stabilisation of waste, but not FSQ. Nevertheless, the residues were close to comply with such stringent criterion (WAC of the Landfill Directive). Moreover modification of waste hydraulic properties by adding coarse materials enhanced the waste stabilisation process by halving the periods required to achieve biological stability. A novel discovery in this research was the presence and activity –shown for the first time- of Anammox bacteria in bioreactor landfills. Anammox bacteria could have a major role in the removal of nitrogen compounds from solid waste, which is the major technical challenge for landfills operators because nitrogen has been identified as the main parameter that would jeopardise the achievement of FSQ status in landfills. This thesis not only present feasible technical solutions for the application of enhancement techniques aiming to achieve FSQ, but reduces our present gaps-in-knowledge regarding the physical, chemical and biological processes occurring in a bioreactor landfill.
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