Molecular insights into the transformation of refractory organic matter in landfill leachate nanofiltration concentrates during a flocculation and O3/H2O2 treatment

During leachate treatment, molecular information regarding the completely removed, partially removed, less-reactive, increased, and produced parts of dissolved organic matter (DOM) remains unknown. This study applied ESI FT-ICR MS to investigate the transformation characteristics of leachate nanofiltration concentrate (NFC) DOM during a combined flocculation–O3/H2O2 process. The NFC contained 5069 compounds in four main classes (CHO, CHON, CHOS, and CHONS compounds). The DOM number decreased to 4489 during flocculation and to 2903 after the O3/H2O2 process. During flocculation, the completely and partially removed DOM was mainly low-oxygen unsaturated and phenolic compounds. Saturated DOM was produced and remained in the flocculated effluent. During the O3/H2O2 process, the completely and partially removed DOM were mainly low-oxygen unsaturated and phenolic compounds that were mainly in a reduced state. Flocculation can remove many (condensed) aromatic compounds, and methylation and hydrogenation reactions occurred during flocculation. In the O3/H2O2 process, dearomatization, demethylation, carboxylation, and carbonylation reactions further achieved the degradation of DOM that was resistant to flocculation. Overall, the combined flocculation-O3/H2O2 process collectively eliminated a broader range of DOM than the single processes could achieve. The results of this study provide an in-depth understanding of DOM transformation in an NFC treatment.