This research investigated the nitrogen removal capability of two biological nitrification systems, with pre- and post-denitrification, when treating a landfill leachate characterized by high ammonia concentrations and low levels of biodegradable organics. The recycle ratios of the systems were set so that, at an average influent flow of 10 L/d, the actual hydraulic retention time of the first anoxic reactor was about 1.5 h for one system and 1.7 h for the other system. The systems also operated at a first aerobic reactor actual hydraulic retention time of 3 and 3.4 h, respectively. Methanol was used as a supplementary organic carbon source for denitrification. High leachate ammonia concentrations were simulated by artificially increasing influent ammonia to about 2200 mg N/L. This paper presents an overview of initial startup and acclimation, as well as some of the direct and indirect effects of methanol addition on process performance. The reported data were collected during two runs at incrementally increasing influent ammonia concentrations. During the first run to reach 2200 mg N/L, methanol loading rates were increased concomitantly with ammonia loading rates, to match expected aerobic NOx production, using a CH3OH:NOx of about 20:1. This resulted in methanol carry-over into the first aerobic zone, enhanced aerobic heterotrophic growth, and further inhibition of the nitrifying population, already inhibited by recycling through the elevated "free" ammonia levels of the first anoxic zone. When these systems were allowed to adapt up to 14 days, rather than 7 days, initially, to each incremental ammonia increase, and with methanol loading rates subsequently changed to yield CH3OH:NOx of only 5:1, the influent ammonia concentration was increased to approximately 2200 mg N/L within 88 days from the start of the second run, without any inhibitory problems. The timing and levels of ammonia and methanol loading rate increases, with respect to each other and to the corresponding previous loading rate increase, played an important role in system stability and the onset of nitrification failure.Key words: biological treatment, high ammonia leachate treatment, denitrification, methanol, nitrification.
