Characterization of fresh leachate from a refuse transfer station under different seasons

Fresh leachates in different seasons from a refuse transfer station in Shanghai were characterized and seasonal impact on physicochemical characteristics of the leachates was investigated. The leachate properties, including concentration of organic substances, nitrogen distribution, electric conductivity (EC), oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), etc. had been monitored in summer and winter. The results showed that pH, COD, TOC, TN and EC of the leachate in winter were much higher than those in summer. While other parameters, such as inorganic nitrogen, ORP, metals, TSS and VSS, showed no considerable distinction between the two seasons. Three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy was also conducted to characterize dissolved organic materials (DOM) of the leachate. The observation revealed that seasonal variations had direct effects on the fundamental characteristics of raw leachate, which provided useful potential reference for fresh leachate bio-treatment.