Advanced oxidation of refractory organics in leachate--potential methods and evaluation of biodegradability of the remaining substrate.

An assessment of potential methods suitable for degradation and/or reduction of refractory organics was performed on landfill leachate from SYSAV AB, Malmö, Sweden. Pretreatment of the leachate was performed in a sequence batch reactor designed for nitrification in activated sludge. Oxidation of the leachate was then O3, O3/pH adjustment (pH 9 and 10), H2O2, O3/H2O2 and performic acid in lab-scale reactors.