Mini-Review on Aged Refuse Bioreactors for Landfill Leachate Management

Landfill leachate contains a wide range of macro and micro-pollutants of varying concentrations. Hence, its treatment remains a major socio-environmental problem in the municipal solid waste (MSW) management chain. It is essential to manage the landfill leachate to protect water resources and public health. Aged refuse bioreactors (ARB) can be a cost-effective solution to treat MSW leachate, as they use low-cost materials and adsorptive/ biological mechanisms to degrade and remove contaminants from landfill wastewater. The bioreactors are typically constructed from concrete or plastic and contain a mixture of aged MSW, used as support media for microorganisms, which degrades the pollutants. The authors reviewed recent studies on ARB for landfill leachate treatment in this chapter. Overall, organic matter removal is above 80%, and ammonia nitrogen can be 100% eliminated after ARB treatment. ARB-treated effluent could be directed to a constructed wetland (CW). The CW is effective at further reducing contaminants through biological and physical processes. In this sense, treatment layouts are proposed, and the scope for future studies is recommended.