Enzymatic treatment of sanitary landfill leachate

The objective of this investigation was to study the effectiveness of apply ing enzymes (bio augmentation) for enhancement of biological treatability o f leachates generated in a typical municipal solid waste sanitary landfill. The basic purpose of enzyme use is to enforce the biodecomposition of orga nic constituents, as well as to reduce nitrogen content. A laboratory-scale sequencing batch (bio)reactor (SBR) was used for the examination of enzyma tic application. The effect of different operation strategies on the effici ency of this biological treatment process was studied to optimize performan ce, especially for the removal of nitrogen compounds and of biodegradable o rganic matter. It was found that the enzymatic process was able to remove o rganic matter effectively (expressed as BOD5 and COD) and nitrogen content, color and turbidity. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.