Moisture Addition Requirements for Bioreactor Landfills
Publication: Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste
Volume 17, Issue 4
Abstract
The conversion of a traditional sanitary landfill to a bioreactor landfill typically involves the addition of moisture to the landfill to create an environment that promotes anaerobic waste stabilization. The objective of this technical note is to summarize conventional practices for selecting required moisture volumes and rates for full-scale bioreactor operations. Designers commonly select a target waste moisture content equivalent to field capacity, which corresponds to moisture addition ranging from 0.4 to of landfill leachate per megagram of waste. The rate at which liquids are added depends on several site-specific factors including available liquid supply, impact on leachate collection system performance, the methods available for liquids addition, and performance concerns such as slope stability and leachate seepage. Existing sites (retrofit bioreactors) are generally limited by landfill design, while new sites (as-built bioreactors) can potentially allow for much greater liquid-addition rates. Required volumes calculated using the conventional approach are large and often difficult to achieve in practice with current technology. Additional recommendations are provided for the designer including accounting for spatial and temporal changes in field capacity and a phased liquid-addition rate that incorporates monitoring of the liquid-addition system.
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Acknowledgments
This work was a product of funding to the University of Florida by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Hinkley Center for Solid and Hazardous Waste Management (through the Florida Bioreactor Demonstration Project) and a project conducted by Innovative Waste Consulting Services for the USEPA’s Office of Research and Development.
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Published In
Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste
Volume 17 • Issue 4 • October 2013
Pages: 360 - 364
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 27, 2012
Accepted: Jan 10, 2013
Published online: Jan 12, 2013
Discussion open until: Jun 12, 2013
Published in print: Oct 1, 2013
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