Fluctuation of dissolved heavy metal concentrations in the leachate from anaerobic digestion of municipal solid waste in commercial scale landfill bioreactors: the effect of pH and associated mechanisms

Heavy metals present in landfill leachate have infrequently been related to complete anaerobic degradation municipal solid waste (MSW) due to discrete ages of deposited MSW layers and leachate channelling in landfills. In this study, anaerobic digestion of MSW was performed in two enclosed 1000 tonne bioreactors using a unique flood and drain process. Leachates were characterised in terms of pH, soluble chemical oxygen demand, volatile fatty acids (VFAs), ammonium nitrogen and heavy metals over the entire course. All parameters, including the pH, fluctuated during acidogenesis, acetogenesis and methanogenesis, which strongly impacted on the dynamics of dissolved heavy metal concentrations. The simulation of dissolution and precipitation processes indicated that metal sulphide precipitation was not a factor as metal concentrations exceeded solubility limits. The correlation of pH and dissolved heavy metal concentrations indicated that other, or combinatorial, mechanisms were involved at the homogenisation conditions within the bioreactors. Besides the dissolution and precipitation process, the main processes most likely involved in metal distributions were adsorption (Zn, Cu, Ni, Pb and Cd), complexation (Cr) or combinations of both process (As and Co)