A leachate is any liquid that, in the course of passing through matter, extracts soluble or suspended solids, or any other component of the material through which it has passed. Leachate is a widely used term in the environmental sciences where it has the specific meaning of a liquid that has dissolved or entrained environmentally harmful substances that may then enter the environment. It is most commonly used in the context of land-filling of putrescible or industrial waste.
Purpose
- Landfill leachate treatment is a challenge due to the high and variable concentrations of dissolved solids, organics, heavy metals and xenobiotic organics.
- To permit evaluators and landfill designers with a tool to rapidly evaluate and compare the performance of alternatives landfills designs.
- The primary criterion for design of the Leachate Treatment Plant Manufacturer is that all leachate be collected and removed from the landfill at a rate sufficient to prevent an unacceptable hydraulic head occurring at any point over the lining system.
Technology
A range of technologies are available for the treatment of landfill leachate, proven in many diverse cases. The following section introduces selected technologies that have predominantly been employed for landfill leachate treatment. The highlighted technologies are deployed both as stand-alone solutions and as part of a process combination. The composition of the landfill leachate plays a decisive role in selecting the appropriate technology.