Effects of Bio-char Application on Mobilization of Organic Matter at

Talang Gulo Landfill - Jambi

Ira Galih Prabasari

and Damris Muhammad

Engineering Faculty, Universitas Jambi, Jl. Tri Brata Street, Pondok Meja Sebapo, Ma. Jambi, Indonesia

Science and Technology Faculty, Universitas Jambi, Jl. Raya Jambi –Ma. Buiian KM 15, Ma. Jambi. Indonesia

Keywords: Organic Matter, Extraction, Landfill, Bio-char.

Abstract: Talang Gulo landfill in Jambi city will no longer be able to accommodate the solid waste because it has

reached the maximum capacity. Mobilization of organic matter through the leaching process can cause

pollution of water sources and the soil around the landfill. Knowing the potential of organic matter

mobilization from the landfill is the first step to anticipating the possibility of pollution in surrounding area.

The aim of this study are to identification the potential of organic matter mobilization from the landfill using

three-step sequential extraction protocol and to determine the effect of bio-char position application to reduce

organic matter mobilization. Batch experiment method used to identify the potential of organic matter

mobilization, and the fixed bed column used to identify the effect of bio-char position in the soil. The extract

from both experiments was analyzed by UV-VIS spectrophotometry. The results show that the mobilization

of organic matter occurs more in acidic conditions. The mobilization of organic matter in acid condition and

neutral condition is 45% and 6%, respectively and bio-char position with layer system was more effective to

reduce the mobilization of organic matter in the landfill’s soil.

1 INTRODUCTION

Population growth in the urban area is always

followed by the increasing of population activities in

various sector such as trade, housing and so on

(Fatmawinir, 2015). High economic activity have

encourage population migration from several region

to Jambi City. This has an impact on increasing the

production of community solid waste. This solid

waste must be managed properly and appropriately so

not be a factor that disturb the aesthetic and

environmental health aspects.

To overcome the increasing of waste production

in Jambi City, the Regional Government provided the

transportation that routinely collected and transported

solid waste to the processing site located in the Talang

Gulo area, a few kilometers from the center of Jambi

city. With the increasing of waste production in recent

years, it is estimated that the Talang Gulo landfill will

no longer be able to accommodate solid waste

because it has reached the maximum capacity.

Although the problem of solid waste from the

community can be found a new alternative landfill

location, but the potential for environmental pollution

around the landfill such as organic and inorganic

materials is still high. Waste in the landfill that has

not been stable has the potential to produce leachate

which can pollute the environment.

Waste processing by using open dumping system

is a simple and cheap method so that method is widely

used in handling solid waste, but with the increasing

of solid waste, the open dumping method is no longer

recommended. Landfill with an open dumping system

has the potential to pollute the surrounding

environment such as water source pollution due to the

potential of organic matter and heavy metal from the

waste processing mobilized to the surrounding

environment. Organic matter from waste processing

can be degraded due to microorganism activity and

enter to the groundwater flow. Groundwater pollution

occurs by entering the organic matter into

underground water bearing formations after being

filtered by solid layer (Esakku, 2003) and causing

contamination of shallow wells which are used as

sources of drinking water for the surrounding

community. In the open dumping system, the

potential for groundwater pollution by leachate is

greater because there is no base layer and soil cover

which causes more leachate enters to the

groundwater. Leachate usually contains organic

160

Prabasari, I. and Muhammad, D.

Effects of Bio-char Application on Mobilization of Organic Matter at Talang Gulo Landﬁll - Jambi.

DOI: 10.5220/0008548301600167

In Proceedings of the International Conference on Natural Resources and Technology (ICONART 2019), pages 160-167

ISBN: 978-989-758-404-6

compounds (hydrocarbons and humic acid) and

inorganic compounds (sodium, potassium,

magnesium, phosphate, sulfate and heavy metals)

(Fatmawinir, 2015). Leachate content depends on the

type of waste, in general landfills contain 60% of

organic matter from household organic waste (Arif,

2014). More than 200 organic components are found

in leachate and around 35 components can pollute the

environment and cause public health problems

(Shahul, 2013). Leachate that enters to the water body

is affected by natural conditions around the landfill

such as rainfall, run-off and evapotranspiration. This

process is also affected by soil conditions in the

landfill such as moisture condition and soil pores.

In general, leachate has a very low BOD5 / COD

ratio (<0.4). This low ratio value shows that the

organic material found in leachate is difficult to

degrade biologically (Erna, 2016). This organic

material will cause pollution problems if it enters to

the groundwater or surface water. One of the major

pollution problems caused by the municipal solid

waste landfill leachate can be defined as a liquid that

is generated when water or another liquid comes in

contact with solid waste (Naveen, 2014).

Organic matter is a material that comes from the

remains of plants, animal, and humans that have been

decomposed. Organic matter that cause pollution in

groundwater are non-humus organic materials such as

, SO

, H

S, etc.

Talang Gulo processing waste is a landfill located

in Jambi City at Jalan Kebersihan RT 04, Kelurahan

Kenali Asam Bawah, Kecamatan Kota Baru, Jambi.

This landfill is 15 km from the city center, 1 km from

the nearest settlement and 12 km from the river.

Talang Gulo processing waste was established in

1996 and began operating in 1997. The area of this

landfill is 10 hectares and the reserves is 21.3 hectares

with a slope topography is 20%. This landfill uses an

open dumping system, the average incoming waste

reaches 1000 - 1400 m3/day of waste (Data Talang

Gulo, 2015). The Talang Gulo landfill which is only

± 1 km from the population housing and a slope of

20% has the potential to cause pollution through

groundwater. In the 2016 local environmental report,

there has been a leachate contamination of

groundwater around the landfill area. The possibility

of groundwater pollution in the open dumping system

will be greater because there was no treatment for the

solid waste in the landfill.

To overcome this pollution, it is necessary to do

study on the mobilization of organic material from

this landfill as a potential source of pollutants for

public groundwater sources.

Figure 1: Location of Talang Gulo landfill.

To reduce the entry of leachate from landfill into

ground water, the application of bio-char in landfill

can be done. Bio-char is a material that contains lots

of carbon and an organic material that has a stable

nature and can be used as an adsorption because of its

pore structure. Bio-char is made from the lignite coal

pyrolysis process. Various benefits possessed by bio-

char are as a result of the pyrolysis process of

transforming biomass to charred material (bio-char)

under oxygen-limited environment. During pyrolysis

process the volume of pores and specific surface area

increases but ratios of H/C and O/C decrease

producing material of high aromatic and less polarity

(Oliveira, 2018). The extents to which these

properties developed are row material and pyrolysis

conditions dependent (Cantrell, 2012). High cation

exchange capacity (CEC) of bio-char has been related

to the presence of negatively-charge functional

groups and an increase in pyrolysis temperature

decreases the CEC (Buss, 2015). This negatively-

charged surface not only adsorbs cations and

increases CEC but also is able to adsorb other organic

and inorganic compounds (Luchini, 2014).

2 RESEARCH METHOD

This study was conducted on May to August 2018.

The samples were collected in Talang Gulo landfill.

Solid samples were ocollected randomly from 5

sampling points at Talang Gulo landfill with 0.5 – 1

m depth and mixed composite.

2.1 Soil Samples Incubation

Solid samples (± 600 grams) are dried then put in

1000 ml glass bottles and added 75% of water from

the water retaining capacity. Samples were incubated

for 5 months and fraction of ± 10-gram solid samples

were taken at weeks 0, 2, 6, 12 and 20. The water

Effects of Bio-char Application on Mobilization of Organic Matter at Talang Gulo Landﬁll - Jambi

161

content was maintained during incubation by adding

water to the bottle by weighing.

2.2 Multilevel Organic Extraction

Solid samples from the bottle were extracted with

multilevel extraction using water and HCl 1M.

Weighed 5 grams of sample and put into a 50 ml

centrifuge tube then added with 25 ml of water (1: 5)

then agitated for 1 hour. After the agitation process

the sample was centrifuged at a speed of 700 rpm for

30 minutes and filtered through a 0.45 µm filter

membrane. The solids remaining in the tube were

added to 1 M HCL as much as 25 ml and agitated for

1 hour then filtered. The remaining solids are

analysed using elemental analysers to determine the

carbon residues left in solids. The concentration of

organic matter in the water extract and HCl extract

was analysed by UV-VIS spectrophotometry with

KMnO

as an oxidizer to determine the organic

matter in included in water flow. The absorbance is

measured at a maximum wavelength of 565 nm.

2.3 Bio-Char Application

2.3.1 Bio-char Preparation

Bio-char was made from lignite coal. Approximately

1000 g lignite were burned in a sealed metal

containers in a pyrolysis reactor at temperature 400-

500

C for 4 hours. Two small holes at the top of the

metal containers were to release pressure and gas and

limit oxygen entrance. The samples were then cooled

and sieved to 2 mm.

2.3.2 Soil Sample Preparation

Soil samples put into an acrylic Fixed Bed Column

with 50 cm length, the inside diameter of the column

is 4.8 cm with the outside diameter is 5 cm. Column’s

wall thickness is 1 mm. At the bottom of the Fixed

Bed Column is added by a PVC pipe that has been

bolted on the top. Then, the hole is connected to a 4

x 1 mm transparent hose. There are gravel in the

bottom of column with 5 cm height, in the top of

gravel is inserted glass wall with 5 cm thickness, then

put 235 grams soil sample and 223.25 grams or as

high as 10 cm. Then re-inserted 5 cm glass wall and

5 cm gravel in the top of soil sample. Put bio-char and

soil sample with various position in the Fixed Bed

column and it ready for use.

Distilled water with pH 4.7 flowed to the fixed

bed using a transparent tube from the bottom of the

column using the pump. Liquid coming out from the

column taken every ratio of Liquid per Solid (L/S)

ratio of soil to 1, 2, 5, 8 and 10. The extract was

analysed by UV-VIS spectrophotometry with

KMnO

as an oxidizer to determine the organic

matter in included in water flow. The absorbance is

measured at a maximum wavelength of 565 nm.

Figure 2: Fixed bed column.

3 RESULT AND DISCUSSION

3.1 Experimental Process

Soil samples from 5 sampling points were mixed and

dried and then put into a glass bottle and added 75%

water from the water retaining capacity. The samples

incubated according to the time specified. The

incubated samples shown in Figure 2 below.

Figure 3: Incubation samples.

After incubation with the time specified, 5 grams

of sample (dry equivalent) was put into a 50 ml

centrifuge tube and then added with 25 ml of water

(1: 5) then agitated for 1 hour and centrifuged at a

speed of 700 rpm for 30 minutes and filtered through

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162

a 0.45 µm filter membrane. The solids remaining in

the tube were added to 1 M HCL as much as 25 ml

and agitated for 1 hour then filtered. The remaining

solid is determined by its carbon content using an

elemental analyser to determine the carbon residues

left in the solid. This multilevel extraction is

analogous to the organic matter which dissolves in

leachate and enters to the groundwater flow in neutral

and acidic conditions.

3.2 Analysis Result

The extracts from each incubation time and at each

level of extraction were analysed base on the KMnO

calibration curve below.

Figure 4: Calibration curve.

The organic matter in residue was a difference

between organic matter before extraction and organic

matter in the extract. The analysis result of the extract

shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Organic matter analysis result in the extract.

Incubation

time

(week)

Extract from the

First extraction

(µg/g)

Extract from

the Second

extraction

(µg/g)

3.3

13.5

1.7

11.5

1.2

10.3

2.0

10.2

Table 1 shown that the incubation period will

affect the stability of organic matter, the longer of the

incubation period, makes the organic matter more

stable (Naveen, 2014). The organic matter left in

residue calculated based on Table 1.

The organic carbon left in residue at each

incubation period shown in Figure 5. The figure

shown that at 0 week incubation period, the water

flow in the first level of extraction causes 8% organic

matter involved to the water stream and it means that

92% organic matter still left in the residue. In the

second extraction level, the extraction carried out in

the acidic condition and 40% of organic matter from

the first extraction involved to the water stream. The

organic matter involved to the water stream in the first

extraction is less than the second extraction.

Figure 5: Organic carbon left in residue.

At the 2 week incubation period, the figure

shown that at the first level of the extraction 5%

organic matter involved in the water stream and 95%

organic matter still left in the residue. In the second

level of extraction, organic matter in the extract is

11.5 µg/g or 37% organic matter from the first

extraction involved to the water stream and 63% left

in the residue. It shown that the organic matter

involved to the water stream in the first extraction is

less than the second extraction.

At the 4 week incubation period, there was 12

µg/g organic matter content in the extract in the first

level of extraction, it means that 4% organic matter

involved in to the stream water and 96% organic

matter still left in residue. In the second extraction,

36% organic matter from the first extraction level

involved to the water stream and only 64% left in the

residue.

At the 8 weeks incubation period, the figure

shown that 25.5 µg/g organic matter left in the residue

of the first level extraction, it means that 7% organic

matter involved to the water stream. In the second

extraction, 40% organic matter from the first

extraction involved to the water stream.

All trend-line shown that the highest organic

content involved to the water stream occur in acidic

condition. It means that in the acidic conditions such

as acid rain, the organic matter in the landfill or

leachate will be more involved in the flow of water

and enter to the groundwater stream. The pH of the

soil generally ranges from 6-8 due to the presence of

organic matter and mineral metals. If it is drained

y = 639.55x + 0.0665

R² = 0.9657

0,2

0,4

0,6

0,8

0 0,0005 0,001 0,0015

KMnO4

(M)

Absorbans

0 1 2

Organic matter (µg/gr)

Extraction level

0 week

2 weeks

4 weeks

8 weeks

Effects of Bio-char Application on Mobilization of Organic Matter at Talang Gulo Landﬁll - Jambi

163

with the acid, some of the basic organic material and

mineral metals will react with acidic conditions and

involved to the acidic water flow. The average

organic matter enter to the water stream in first

extraction is 6% and in the acidic condition at the

second extraction is 45%. The organic matter left in

the residue in the first and second level of extraction

are 94% and 55%, respectively.

The figure shown that the organic content

involved in the water stream in the first level of

extraction getting lower with the longer of incubation

period, it means the longer of the incubation period,

makes the organic matter more stable.

3.3 Bio-char Application

Bio-char application is carried out to immobilization

organic matter in the leachate from landfill into the

groundwater by adsorbing into the bio-char pores.

The figure below shown the bio-char morphology.

The Specific Surface Area (SSA) determined by

using Methylene Blue. The result of SSA value is 9.2

/g. The Cation Exchange is 0.2297 meq/100 g

biochar. As a comparison, the SSA of pine biochar is

10.4 m

/g and the cation exchange is 2.40 ± 0.21

cmol/kg (Luchini, 2014). The morphology of biochar

surface area as given in Figure 1 is obviously seen that

biochar from low-rank coal lignite exhibited pore-like

surface.

Figure 6: Bio-char surface area morphology.

This application was carried out in 3 options, first

with a homogeneous mixture between the landfill’s

soil and the bio-char, the second option was bio-char

placed in one layer above the landfill soil, then the

third was through a layer system, where landfill is not

mixed with bio-char but the bio-char application is

carried out by covering landfill alternately.

Homogeneous bio-char position is a method of

mixing bio-char with soil which is used to maximize

the interaction between soil particles and bio-char.

This method can also help minimize the loss of bio-

char by wind and water erosion, through burial and

soil macro-aggregate formation. The benefits of this

method depend on the characteristics of the bio-char

and the soil used. In the second option, bio-char

placed or sprinkled on the surface of the soil sample

in the Fixed Bed column with soil sample and bio-

char weight ratio was 10:1. In the bio-char layered

position, the soil was divided into three parts, then

bio-char inserted between the three layers. The

position of the layer from the top to the ground of the

column was soil sample - bio-char - soil sample - bio-

char - soil sample. Figure 6 shown the option of bio-

char application.

Figure 7: Bio-char application in landfill soil, (a)

homogenous mixture, (b) one layer on the above of landfill

soil, and (c) a layer system, bio-char and landfill soil

covering alternately.

This study using Fixed Bed Column and varying

the amount of distilled water flow through the column

with acid condition. The water passing through the

bio-char layer in 5 variations, namely the L / S ratio

(liquid per solid ratio) 1, 2, 5, 8, and 10. The results

was obtained as shown in the following figure.

Figure 8: Effect of bio-char position to organic matter in the

extract at L/S = 1.

1,5

2,5

3,5

0% homogen on top

soil

layer

system

Organic Matter in the extract

(µg/g soil)

Bio-char position

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164

Figure 7 shown the effect of bio-char position to

the organic matter if the acid water flowed once into

the column and it shown that the lowest organic

matter in the extract is at layer system position, it

means that in this position the organic matter

absorbed by bio-char was highest than other position.

Figure 9: Effect of bio-char position to organic matter in the

extract at L/S = 2.

In in Figure 8, the acid water was flow through

the column twice. This figure shown that the lowest

organic matter in the extract was at homogenous

position. It means that homogenous position was

suitable for acid water flow through the column twice

and the highest organic matter in the extract was at

bio-char on top of the soil sample, the organic matter

in the extract in this position was higher than soil

sample without bio-char, this shown that bio-char did

not absorb the organic matter in the soil, but the

organic matter in bio-char followed through the water

flow.

Figure 10: Effect of bio-char position to organic matter in

the extract at L/S = 5.

Figure 9 shown that soil sample was filled with

acid water five times. The figure shown that the

lowest organic matter in the extract was at layer

system position.

Figure 11: Effect of bio-char position to organic matter in

the extract at L/S = 8.

In figure 10 soil sample was flowed by acid water

8 times. In this figure, the lowest organic matter in the

extract was at layer system, not too different with

homogeneous systems, organic matter in the extract

at layer system and homogeneous system are 2.909

µg/g soil and 2947 µg/g soil, respectively.

Figure 12: Effect of bio-char position to organic matter in

the extract at L/S = 10.

Figure 11 shown the organic matter in the extract

where the acid water flow through soil sample ten

times. The lowest organic matter in the extract was at

homogenous position.

From the above figures, Figure 7 till 11 shown

the same trend line, the organic matter in the extract

at homogenous and layer system position was lower

than other position, it means that the bio-char

absorption process in these position was more

effective.

The variation of liquid per solid ratio or the cycle

of acid water flowed through soil samples shown that

1,5

2,5

3,5

0% homogen on top

soil

layer

system

Organic Matter in the extract

(µg/g soil)

Bio-char position

1,5

2,5

3,5

0% homogen on top

soil

layer

system

Organic Matter in the

extract (µg/g soil)

Bio-char position

1,5

2,5

3,5

0% homogen on top

soil

layer

system

Organic Matter in the extract

(µg/g soil)

Bio-char position

1,5

2,5

3,5

Organic Matter in the extract

(µg/g soil)

Bio-char position

Effects of Bio-char Application on Mobilization of Organic Matter at Talang Gulo Landﬁll - Jambi

165

the bio-char absorption process has a limit. At soil

sample without bio-char, the highest organic matter

in the extract was at L/S = 5 or acid water flow

through the soil sample five times with the amount of

acid water was 180 ml per cycle. At the homogenous

position, the average of organic matter in the extract

was 2.973 µg/g soil with the highest bio-char

absorption was at five times acid water flow through

the soil sample. The absorption reduced after that (at

L/S = 8 and 10). At the second position, the average

of organic matter in the extract was 3.355 µg/g soil

with the highest bio-char absorption was at eight

times acid water flow through the soil sample. At

layer system position, the average of organic matter

in the extract was 2.930 µg/g soil with the highest

bio-char absorption was at five times acid water flow

through the soil sample. As homogenous position, the

absorption of bio-char reduced after that (at L/S = 8

and 10).

Generally, the lowest organic matter in the

extract was 2.930 µg/g soil at layer system but not so

different with the homogenous system. In the relation

with the cycle of acid water flow through the soil

sample, the lowest of organic matter in the extract

was at L/S ratio 5 and increased after that. The

correlation of organic matter in the extract, bio-char

position and L/S ratio shown in figure below.

Figure 13: Effect of bio-char position to organic matter in

the extract, (a) without bio-char, (b) homogenous mixture,

landfill soil covering alternately

The figure shown that the lowest organic matter

in the extract was at layer system with five time’s acid

water flow through the soil sample. The reduction of

the organic matter in the extract from soil without bio-

char to this point was 78.2%. In the layer system, bio-

char adsorbed the organic matter without changing

the soil structure and with several layers of bio-char

the adsorption process occurs repeatedly, while in the

homogenous mixture, the soil become loose and

easily traversed by water. In one layer bio-char on top

the soil, the adsorption process only occurs once, the

placement of bio-char layers at the top of the soil is

also not effective for the immobilization of the

organic matter. So, the optimum condition of bio-char

absorption was at layer position and only five time’s

acid water flow through the soil sample.

4 CONCLUSIONS

Acidic conditions affect the mobilization of organic

matter. In this study, 45% organic matter involved in

to water stream in the acidic condition and 6% in the

neutral condition. It means that in the acidic

conditions such as acid rain, the organic matter in the

landfill or leachate will be more involved in the flow

of water and enter to the groundwater stream. The

incubation period will affect the stability of organic

matter, the longer of the incubation period, makes the

organic matter more stable.

The application of bio-char can be a solution to

immobilization the organic matter in the soil. This

study was conducted in acid condition and the

position of bio-char with layer system was more

effective than others position. This system can reduce

78.2% organic matter in the extract compared with

landfill soil without bio-char.

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