Quarterly Progress Report

One of the challenges to be confronted during landfill operations is to handle the landfill leachate with high ammonium content. Current biological ammonium removal processes either are complicated and hard to manage, or require major investments. Low cost and low maintenance onsite systems for the treatment of landfill leachate with high ammonium content are in urgent need, especially for landfills located in low population areas where landfills are smaller and often at a distance from sewage systems and lack trained personnel. The objective of this study is to compare onsite biological and physicochemical systems for the treatment of landfill leachate with high ammonium content. Laboratory scale anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Anammox) and magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) precipitation systems are set up for this research. Organic and ammonium removal efficiency as well as treatment cost for landfill leachate collected from landfills in Northwest Florida is compared for the Anammox and MAP precipitation processes.