This research explores the use of UV absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy for rapid monitoring of organic compounds in leachates and performs a systematic comparison of the biodegradation associated evolution of different organic compounds of leachates collected from two UK MSW landfills L1 and L2. Spectroscopic techniques are used to characterize the aromatic compounds and to study the evolution of humic, fulvic and protein like compounds which is compared with the well established organic strength estimation techniques dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). The biodegradation of different leachates as estimated from the reduction of different organic compounds using spectroscopy show an excellent agreement with the biodegradability assessed by the conventional methods DOC and COD indicating that characterization of landfill leachates using spectroscopic methods are reliable. It is also found that leachates collected from treatment plant and phase 4 of landfill L1 (L1 (LTP) and L1 (P4) respectively) and phase 2 of landfill L2 (L2 (P2)) are less biodegradable and contain aromatic ring of more condensed form than those for leachates collected from treatment plant of landfill L2 (L2 (LTP) and L2 (FE)) which indicate a relatively rigorous treatment requirement for L1 (LTP), L1 (P4) and L2 (P2) leachates to meet the effluent standard.
This study investigates the use of UV absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy to assess the early development of recalcitrant organic compounds in leachates formed during the anaerobic biodegradation of municipal solid waste. Biochemical methane potential tests were carried out on fresh waste (FW) and composted waste (CW) over a period of 150 days and leachates produced from the degradation of two wastes were analysed for humic-like (H-L) and fulvic-like (F-L) structures by UV spectroscopy and fluorescence excitation-emission-matrix analyses. During anaerobic biodegradation, the synthesis and utilization of H-L and F-L structures in the leachates over time was indicative of the generation of the recalcitrant organic compounds. The results obtained from UV absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy suggested that CW leachates resulted in a higher concentration and more condensed form of recalcitrant H-L and F-L molecules than FW leachates. These findings demonstrate how fluorescence and UV absorption spectroscopy can be used as an indicator for monitoring the evolution of recalcitrant organic compounds (H-L and F-L substances) in leachates formed at different stages of waste biodegradation.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.