Self-cleaning liner for halogenated hydrocarbon control in landfill leachate

Abstract

Sorptive landfill liners can prevent the migration of the leachate pollutants. However, their sorption ability will decrease over time. A method should be developed to maintain the sorption ability of landfill liners. In this study, we combined cetyltrimethylammonium bromide-bentonite (CTMAB-bentonite) and zero-valent iron (ZVI) to develop a self-cleaning liner that can retain its sorption ability for a long period. Batch experiments and calculation simulations were employed to analyse the sorption ability of this liner material and the ecological risk of halogenated hydrocarbons. The results showed that CTMAB-bentonite could sorb halogenated hydrocarbons well, with saturated sorption capacities (Q m) of 10.2, 14.5, 6.69, 18.5, 29.4, and 49.7 mg·g-1 for dichloroethane (DCA), trichloroethane (TCA), dichloroethene (DCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethylene (PCE), and 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-DCP), respectively. Using the mixture of 0.5 g iron and 0.5 g CTMAB-bentonite could dramatically increase the removal efficiency of DCE, TCE, and PCE. The reaction with ZVI did not change the structure of CTMAB-bentonite and its sorption ability remained consistent. Calculation results suggested that the self-cleaning landfill liner would dramatically decrease the hazard index (HI) of the eluate. However, the humic acid and salt in leachate would cause a reduction in the removal of halogenated hydrocarbons.