Nitrogen undergoes multiple biogeochemical transformations during waste degradation, which depend on speciation, prevailing geochemical boundary conditions, and waste surface properties. This study developed a waste biodegradation model with high flexibility in accommodating reaction pathways to assess different process dynamics. The model was applied to landfill simulator reactors operating anaerobically. Model results show that dilution with adsorption matches the experimental dissolved NH4+ concentration (C/N=25) at the early experimental stages. Also, NH4+ binding decreases
due to competition with Ca2+, and the model better captures the dissolved NH4+ behavior when CaSO4 is present in solution. Mass removal due to sampling and posterior dilution are the main mechanisms to reduce NH4+ concentration in the leachate. The model highlights the role of nitrogen sorption as the main
mechanism for nitrogen accumulation in the solid phase of municipal solid waste. ... Read more