Leachates from landfill sites contain many substances that, depending upon the types of waste present in the landfill, may be toxic to life and harm the ecology of streams or watercourses if not treated. Typically, leachates contain high levels of ammoniacal nitrogen (NH4-N), frequently above 1000 mg/l. In order to safely discharge to environment, the NH4-N level must be reduced to below 5mg/l. Ammoniacal nitrogen is not removed by aerobic biological processes but simply oxidised to nitrate (NH4-N -> NO3) in a process called nitrification.
DIAMOX treatment breaks down ammoniacal nitrogen.
A variety of other toxic and polluting organic substances are often present in leachate. These are broken down by the dual processes of direct anodic oxidation and indirect oxidation in solution. Complete mineralisation of the organic carbon can be achieved in most cases (i.e. TOC=0). Inorganic species present in many leachates, such as sulphides, and are commonly the cause of bad smell, are simply and rapidly oxidised to sulphate, removing the smell in one simple step.
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