Fulvic acids generated in municipal waste landfills in Promnik

Department of Environmental Engineering, Institute of Water Supply and Environmental Protection, Cracow University of Technology, ul. Warszawska 24, 31-155, Cracow, Poland

^* Corresponding author: t.orlinski1990@gmail.com

Abstract

Landfill leachates are resistant to biodegradation, contain substances harmful to the environment, which is why they are troublesome in the water and sewage management. The study tested the leachate from the municipal waste landfill in Promnik, whose age of waste disposal is 33 years. The research consisted of extracting from average leachates (with a volume of 800 m³) fulvic acids resistant to biodegradation. The extraction of acids was carried out using a hydrophobic and hydrophilic ionite in a hydrogen form. The extracted fulvic acids (FAs) was subjected to qualitative analysis on the content of micro-pollutants and the content of elementary elements forming the structure of the FAs molecule, their infrared and UV-VIS spectra were examined. Then, a full analysis of the obtained values was carried out in order to determine the properties of the obtained extractant and demonstrate the convergence of its features with humus substances that are common in the environment, which are an important element of soils, affect their quality and participate in the transport of plant nutrients. It was demonstrated that the concentration of FAs in the effluent is 905.6 mg/l.