Stabilized leachates: sequential coagulation-flocculation + chemical oxidation process.

The combined sedimentation-chemical oxidation treatment of medium-stabilized landfill leachates has been investigated. The sequence of stages implemented was: (a) coagulation-flocculation by pH decrease (pH 2) to acidic conditions (COD removal approximately 25% related to COD0 approximately 7500 ppm); (b) coagulation-flocculation by Fe(III) addition (0.01 M) at pH 3.5 (COD removal approximately 40% related to COD of supernatant after step (a); (c) Fenton (Fe(III) = 0.01 M; H2O2 = 1.0 M) oxidation (COD removal approximately 80% related to COD of supernatant after step (a); and (d) coagulation-flocculation of Fenton's effluent at pH 3.5 (COD removal approximately 90% related to COD of supernatant after step (a). The use of Kynch theory allows for the design of clarifiers based on the amount of solids fed. For a general example of 1000 m3 day(-1) of a feeding stream, clarifier area values of 286,111 and 231 m2 were calculated for compacting indices of 3.7, 2.67 and 2.83 corresponding to the first, second and third consecutive sedimentation processes, respectively, (steps (a), (b) and (d)).