Fenton Oxidation Combined with Iron–Carbon Micro-Electrolysis for Treating Leachate Generated from Thermally Treated Sludge

Abstract

In this study, Iron–Carbon Micro-Electrolysis (ICME), Fenton oxidation, and their combination were investigated to treat the leachate obtained from a wastewater treatment plant located in southern China. The results show that the Fenton-ICME process was the most efficient one. After the leachate was treated with the Fenton-ICME process, the COD concentration was reduced from the initial 35,772 mg/L to 13,522 mg/L, and the removal efficiency was up to 62.2%. In addition, the biological oxygen demand (BOD) to COD ratio increased by 40% at optimal conditions. This suggests that the biodegradability of the leachate has been increased, facilitating the biodegradation of the leachate after it is mixed with the raw wastewater. By studying the characteristic variation of the leachate treated with the Fenton-ICME process, it was found that the combined process mainly removes organic compounds such as aromatic compounds, ketones, and aldehydes. The separated sludge does not have a crystalline structure, and the iron in it mainly exists in the form of trivalent iron. It reveals that the Fenton-ICME process has great potential to be used as a pretreatment of leachate.