N2O and NH3 emissions from a bioreactor landfill operated under limited aerobic degradation conditions

The combination of leachate recirculation and aeration to landfill may be an efficient way for in-situ nitrogen removal. However, nitrogenous substances contained in the landfill layer are concomitantly transformed into N2O and NH3, leading to increased emissions into the atmosphere. In the present study, the emissions of N2O and NH3 were measured under conditions of fresh or partially stabilized refuse with or without leachate recirculation or intermittent aeration. The results showed that the largest N2O emission (12.4 mg-N/L of the column) was observed in the aerated column loaded with partially stabilized refuse and recycled with the leachate of low C/N ratio; while less than 0.33 mg-N/L of the column was produced in the other columns. N2O production was positively correlated with the prolonged aerobic time and negatively related with the C/N ratio in the recycled leachate. NH3 volatilization increased with enhanced gas flow and concentration of free ammonia in the leachate, and the highest cumulative volatilization quantity was 1.7 mg-N/L of the column.