Removal of PAHs from leachate using a combination of chemical precipitation and Fenton and ozone oxidation

Abstract

Abstract In this study, six emerging pollutants, belonging to the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) group, found in landfill leachate were investigated for their removal by sequential treatment processes including chemical precipitation (CP), Fenton oxidation (FO) and ozone oxidation (OO). Each treatment process was run under different conditions using an experimental design program. Optimization of both CP and FO processes was designed based on the measured values of the residual chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the samples analyzed. The analysis of variance test was applied to the obtained results for determination of statistical significance of the model. Removal efficiencies of micropollutants were determined in the optimal conditions both for CP and FO processes. Samples obtained after these processes were treated with different pH and ozonation times for observing the performances of ozonation on micropollutant removal under different operating conditions. In this study, the removal of acenaphthylene, acenaphthene, fluorene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene and pyrene micropollutants was investigated. The values obtained for PAHs in leachate were determined to be above 10 ppb. In the CP process, the removal efficiencies for PAHs were ranged between 6% and 40% except for pyrene. Removal efficiencies of all micropollutants with FO were over 70% except for fluorene (55%). The removal efficiencies of the investigated micropollutants were 80–100% as a result of consecutive treatment processes including CP, FO and OO respectively.