Application of Fenton’s reagent as a polishing step for removal of UV quenching organic constituents in biologically treated landfill leachates

• Fractionation of Fenton’s reagent polished biologically treated landfill leachates.
• Optimum pH for Fenton’s treatment of landfill leachates from 3.0 to 5.0.
• Fenton’s treatment effective for removal of organic matter >1 kDa.
• Fenton’s treatment removes humic substances which are responsible for UV quenching.

When landfill leachate, with or without biological pretreatment, is discharged to publically owned treatment works (POTWs), it can interfere with the installed treatment facilities. Biological treatment is ineffective for the removal of some of the bio-refractory organic matter, including UV254 quenching substances. Fenton’s reagent treatment for biologically treated landfill leachates is examined in this study as a polishing step to make landfill leachates acceptable to POTWs. The optimum conditions for the Fenton’s reagent treatment are explored. The molecular weight and hydrophobic–hydrophilic nature based fractions of the Fenton’s treated leachate samples are analyzed to provide insight into the leachate fractions targeted by the Fenton’s reagent. The results indicate that Fenton’s reagent can act as a good compliment to biological treatment as it can remove leachate fractions which are widely considered to be bio-refractory. It exhibited good UV254 absorbance removal by removing larger molecular weight humic substances and thus, can help solve the UV254 quenching problem due to leachates discharged to POTWs.