Landfill leachate treatment with a full-scale membrane bioreactor: impact of leachate characteristics on filamentous bacteria

Bulking and foaming are extreme filamentous bacterial growths that present serious challenges for the biological leachate treatment process. The current study evaluates the performance of long-term full-scale membrane bioreactor (MBR) treating landfill leachate, specifically focusing on filamentous bacteria overgrowth in the bioreactors. The influence of the variation in leachate structure and operational conditions on floc morphology and filamentous bacteria overgrowth were analyzed for 11 months of operation of the full-scale MBR system. The average chemical oxygen demand (COD) and NH4-N removal efficiencies of the system were 87.8 & PLUSMN; 4% and 99.5 & PLUSMN; 0.7%. However, incomplete denitrification was observed when the F/M ratio was low. The high C/N ratio was observed to enhance the frequency of small flocs. Furthermore, a poor to medium diversity of the microbial community was observed. Haliscomenobacter hydrossis, Microthrix parvicella, and Type 021N were found as the most numerous filamentous organisms. Paramecium spp., Euplotes spp., and Aspidisca spp. were found in small quantities. The limited concentration of PO4-P in the leachate compared to high COD and NH4-N concentrations most probably caused phosphate deprivation and increased abundance of identified filamentous microorganisms. This work is the first study in Turkiye that investigates the bulking and foaming problem in full-scale MBR that treats landfill leachate. Hence, it may provide some pioneering perspectives into landfill leachate remediation by monitoring the hybrid biological system.

Automated summary

This study evaluates the performance of a long-term full-scale membrane bioreactor (MBR) in treating landfill leachate and analyzes the influence of leachate structure and operational conditions on filamentous bacteria overgrowth. The system showed high removal efficiencies for chemical oxygen demand (COD) and NH4-N, but incomplete denitrification occurred at low F/M ratios. The high C/N ratio increased the frequency of small flocs, and a poor to medium microbial community diversity was observed. The identified filamentous organisms included Haliscomenobacter hydrossis, Microthrix parvicella, and Type 021N. This study provides pioneering perspectives into landfill leachate remediation.