Diseño de un sistema de tratamiento para lixiviados recolectados en el Relleno Sanitario del cantón Lago Agrio, provincia de Sucumbíos.

Abstract

The objective of the following investigation was to design a treatment system for the landfill leachate of Lago Agrio canton, Sucumbíos province. Aiming to this, the investigation was carried out in two stages: first, sample collection, second, the experimental tests carried out in Water Quality Laboratory of the Science Faculty in ESPOCH. In the initial characterization of leachates, the following parameters out of the normal range were found: BOD₅ (Biological Oxygen Demand-five days), COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand), total solids, total suspended solids, copper, total phosphorous, chlorides, ammoniacal nitrogen, total nitrogen and fecal coliforms. The result obtained after calculating the biodegradability index was 0,4; which means that the leachate to be treated has a biodegradable nature. For this reason, a combined treatment system is applied, which consists of: rectangular landfill, sieving, aeration, coagulation and sedimentation, biological degradation and sludge thickening. Several treatability tests and a jar test were carried out to determine the optimum coagulant dosage and the optimal coagulant pH, obtaining the following results: 0,1 ppm OCD and 6 of pH. For biological degradation, efficient microorganisms with a 5 % molasses concentration were used, as well as, 5 % of EM.1 in dormant state and 90% of water of its activation. A relation of 1 to 1000 of this combination was used, so for each 1000 ml of leachate to be treated, 1 ml of EM.1 activated was added to the aerobic bioreactor. In order to get the right equipment’s dimensions, it was necessary to stablish the leachate production peak, which was 2,22 L/s of flowrate design. By using this proposed treatment system design, an efficiency removal percentage of 87% was obtained, which means that the treatment is reliable for its construction.