Sustainable Treatment of Landfill Leachate Using Sugar Lime Sludge for Irrigation and Nitrogen Recovery

Water scarcity is a global crisis and of particular concern in arid regions like Morocco. One creative solution is mining unusual water sources, such as landfill leachate. The presence of nitrogen in the sediment was studied as part of the use of sugar lime sludge in treating landfill leachate for irrigation purposes. A volume of 40 L of landfill leachate was treated with three different concentrations of sugar lime sludge (25%, 35%, and 50%). After homogenization and agitation of the mixture for 24 to 36 h, it was permitted to settle through the concrete decantate and supernatant. Nitrogen was efficiently decanted into the sediment during the composting process with green waste, enhancing the quality of the finished compost. The supernatants underwent physicochemical and microbiological analyses to ascertain their suitability for irrigation. The findings showed that the number of fecal streptococci was decreased by 99.13% at a 25% concentration of sugar lime sludge. The percentage of organic matter in the sediment rose from 10% to 40%, suggesting that the leachate had partially depolluted. The pH and electrical conductivity of the supernatants were within irrigation guidelines. The safety of diluted supernatants for plant germination was verified by phytotoxicity experiments conducted on maize seeds. The compost made from the decantate and green waste showed acceptable physical and chemical properties. Statistical analysis was conducted using JAMOVI software version 2.6.26. One-way ANOVA was used to assess the significance of treatment effects on microbiological and physicochemical parameters. The results confirmed statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) between the sludge concentrations, supporting the effectiveness of the treatment process. This study demonstrates how sugar lime sludge can be used to turn landfill leachate into a sustainable and safe irrigation water source, resolving environmental issues and promoting creative water management techniques.