Determination of the effectiveness of the electrocoagulation process in the treatment of leachate from the controlled landfill site in Francisco de Orellana canton

Abstract

The inadequate management of leachate produced in landfill sites, sanitary dumps, or its incomplete treatment generates significant environmental and public health impacts. These conditions are expected in developing countries and are a major concern, especially in sensitive areas like the Amazon. This study investigated the efficiency of electrocoagulation for removing BOD5, COD, TSS, turbidity, and color using a laboratory-scale reactor. Samples of raw leachate from the controlled landfill site in Francisco de Orellana canton, located in the Ecuadorian Amazon, were used. First, the initial conditions of the leachate were determined through a physicochemical characterization, where a reduced presence of heavy metals and high biodegradability were identified, suggesting that it is old leachate. In turn, a reactor with 5 electrodes was installed, where aluminum was used as a cathode and iron as an anode. Finally, electrocoagulation was employed with various operational combinations, where a run using 2.5 V and 20 minutes showed the highest removal efficiency on average, with reductions of 85.23% of BOD5, 98.20% of COD, 11.30% of TSS, 96.52% of turbidity, and 90.73% of color. Keywords: Electrocoagulation; Leachate; Leachate treatment.