Effects of leachate salinity on the aerobic and anaerobic mineralization of the municipal solid wastes organic fraction

Little is known about the effects of the progressive increase of salinity due to the widespreading practice of leachate recirculation bade into landfills, upon the biodegradative aerobic and anaerobic processes. Batch tests were thus run in the lab, where Municipal Solid Wastes Organic Fraction samples were digested aerobically (by means of the Sturm test) as well as anaerobically (serum bottles ASTM batch test), using inorganic synthetic leachate at different salt concentrations. Anaerobic mineralization yields were negatively influenced by leachate, the negative effects were far stronger when higher salinity leachate was used. On the contrary, leachate seems to evert a smaller negative effect on aerobic mineralization yields. Buffer addition to anaerobic digestion tests was shown to definitely ameliorate the biodegradative process.