Hamburg, Germany
Kickuth BioReactor
Havighorster Moor Landfill, Hamburg, Germany
Year Built: 1984
Type of Waste: Effluent from a toxic landfill site which included cyanide, arsenic, heavy metals, aromatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated aromatics and other substances.
Comments: To treat this site the Kickuth team investigated Four types of wetland systems. In the end it was decided to construct a new drainage system to collect the leachate and feed it into a Kickuth BioReactor on an adjacent area of land. After treatment, the purified water could be safely discharged into a local watercourse.
The advantages and benefits of this system include:
- Superior Purification due to the large microbial population, high inorganic binding capacity, heavy metal removal capability, stability of the treatment process and a long residence time (4.8 days in this case)
- Low overall cost both during construction and operation. In addition, there is little hands-on maintenance requirements.
- Environmental Benefits such as visual appearance, no odor problem and retention and enhancement of natural recreation areas
- Ability to monitor influent and effluent qualities.
- Ability to handle wide fluctuations in flow rates
