Simulation of Lab-scale Leachate Treatment Bioreactor with Application of Logistic Growth Equation for Determining Design and Operational Parameters
A laboratory scale Leachate Treatment Bioreactor (LTB) was needed to determine the optimum design and operational parameters because of poor performance of a full scale unit. In order to increase the lifespan of LTB, coconut comb and rubber tyres were included in the partially decomposed Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) as biofilter material inside the reactor. A composite liner of clay and waste polythene was used to mineralize excess inorganic compounds. The parameter reductions were from 26,000 mg/L to 6,832 mg/L of Total Solids (TS), 6,230 mg/L to 2,930 mg/L of Total Disolved Solids (TDS), 12,000 mg/L to 1182.6 mg/L of Volatile Solids (VS), 14,000 mg/L to 4,410 mg/L of Total Fixed Solids (TFS) and 29,700 mg/L to 3,000 mg/L of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD). The kinetic analysis using the logistic growth equation showed cyclic events and the application of separating the growth and decay of microbes based on the Total Fixed Solids (TFS) gave a mineralization rate of 1.83 x 102 kg /m3 of leachate/m height of LTB /day for up scaling.