Mathematical model of aerobic stabilization of old landfills

A short-term aerobic stabilization of digested waste in the final methane phase was studied. The effect of aeration rate on the reduction of leachate parameters and on the rate of CO₂ production and O₂ assimilation was investigated. Experimental simulation of aerobic landfill stabilization was carried out using lysimeters. When testing the effect of aeration rate on the reduction of leachate indices (BOD₅, COD, N-NH₄⁺), it was reported that the most significant reduction was obtained at the highest rate of aeration and the smallest reduction of leachate indices was attained not at the lowest but at medium aeration rates. Both the rate of CO₂ production and the O₂ assimilation reached their highest values in the lysimeters aerated at a high rate of aeration. The proposed mathematical model which consists of a system of five differential equations describing CO₂ production, O₂ assimilation and the changes of organic carbon content in the leachate correspond well with the experimental data.