Performance of North American Bioreactor Landfills. I: Leachate Hydrology and Waste Settlement

Abstract

An assessment of state-of-the-practice at five full-scale North American landfills operating as bioreactors is presented in this two-paper set. This paper focuses on effectiveness of liners and leachate collection systems, leachate generation rates, leachate recirculation practices and rates, effectiveness in moistening the waste, and settlement of the waste over time. Except in one case, the liner and leachate collection systems at the bioreactor landfills were similar to those used for landfills operated conventionally. Leachate generation rates increased approximately linearly with recirculation rate, but in all cases, the leachate generation rate was