Electro-coagulation treatment of raw and autoclaved landfill leachate with aluminum electrodes: case study of Djebel Chakir (Tunisia)

Landfilling is a common practice worldwide for solid waste management. The leachate generated at landfill sites contains various organic and inorganic pollutants while it should be treated properly. In this study, the electrocoagulation (EC) process was recognized for its simplicity and effectiveness which was used for the treatment of leachate from the Djebel Chakir landfill site in northern Tunisia. In addition, we investigated the effect of microorganisms (e.g., bacteria, fungi, spore) on sludge production by the application of autoclaving treatment on raw leachate. The application of low current density (15 mA/cm²) within 2 h of treatment and using Al-Al electrodes revealed significant improvement of performance when autoclaving was applied. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) and nitrogen removal increased from 39 to 64% and from 13 to 30%, respectively. The sludge volume was reduced from 40 to 10%, and thus, its handling and disposal costs would be significantly decreased. The energy consumption rate was stable after 40 min of treatment at about 0.8 kWh/kg COD removed. Our study shows that removal of microorganisms by autoclaving prior to the EC process is promising for landfill leachate treatment. However, since autoclaving is far from being practical and cost-effective at full-scale plant, research on coupling EC with an alternative disinfecting process might be of great interest.