Simulating of Clogging Process in the Leachate Collection System in the Municipal Solid Waste Landfill using Column Experiments

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Environmental Technologies, Environmental Sciences Research Institute (ESRI), Shahid Beheshti University (SBU), Tehran 1983969411, Iran

2 University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON. Canada

Abstract

Clogging of the drainage layer is the main reason for the inefficiency and failure of the leachate collection system in municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. One of the most important challenges in the design and operation of landfills is to identify the factors affecting the drainage layer clogging and the extent of their influence especially in the real scale. In this study, five experimental columns were designed to investigate the effective factors on the clogging of the drainage system in the MSW landfills, making it possible to measure the effect of different parameters on the drainage layer clogging through simulating the real conditions. The designed columns are capable to apply the boundary conditions of the MSW landfill including temperature, pressure, and leachate recirculation as well as measuring the permeability of drainage layer. High strength real leachate recirculated in the experimental columns to monitor the degree of drainage layer clogging through the regular measurement of permeability in the different columns. The results showed hydraulic conductivity of the drainage layer decreased between 20 to 50 percent in different samples over time. Although the particle size of drainage materials directly influences the reduction of hydraulic conductivity, the common concentration of calcium carbonate in the materials of the drainage layer does not considerably affect this issue. Formation of biofilm in the drainage layer was observed through scanning electron microscope (SEM) and visual inspection in all columns indicating the proper performance of clogging process simulator which is designed and developed in this research.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Pollution
Volume 9, Issue 3
July 2023
Pages 1281-1294

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