LAUSR

This study investigated the feasibility of using an adsorption–fine-ultrafiltration system for removing organics from stabilized landfill leachate. For adsorption, Norit SX2 powdered activated carbon was used; the fine-ultrafiltration system was equipped with a ceramic membrane. Due to low organics removal efficiency in fine-ultrafiltration alone (series 1) (46.5% of chemical oxygen demand, 22.1% of dissolved organic carbon), two doses of activated carbon were used for adsorption before fine-ultrafiltration: 0.2 g/L (series 2) and 1 g/L (series 3). Although organics removal efficiency at both doses of Norit SX2 differed (12.9 and 34.5% of chemical oxygen demand, 12.2 and 54.7% of dissolved organic carbon, at 0.2 and 1 g/L, respectively), permeate quality did not differ substantially. Although the use of Norit SX2 improved permeate quality in comparison with fine-ultrafiltration alone (220 mg/L in series 2 and 209 mg/L in series 3 vs. 842 mg/L in series 1), its particles blocked the membrane and lowered the permeate flux even at the lower dose. In the series with adsorption, permeate flux was about 10 times lower than during fine-ultrafiltration alone. This indicates that, in fine-ultrafiltration preceded by adsorption on activated carbon, it is reasonable to use the lower dose of Norit SX2 because the efficiency of treatment is similar to that at the higher dose, but the reduction in permeate flux is somewhat less. These results indicate that the possibility of using adsorption–fine-ultrafiltration in the practice of leachate treatment is limited because of blocking membrane pores with particles of activated carbon.