Abstract

Tanneries’ solid waste is usually disposed of in landfills where uncontrolled conditions that cause environmental problems such as gas emissions and leachate leak to groundwater. This study aimed to evaluate the mass reduction of tanneries solid waste treated by biodegradation. The essays were prepared in bench bioreactors where the two main tannery solid wastes were added: sludge from tannery wastewater treatment plant and wet-blue leather shaving. Biogas production was monitored. The solid waste mass was measured along biodegradation through destructive testing. As results, the mass reduction increased with the degradation time. The maximum mass reduction was practically already reached the first opening (15th day), arriving to 19.74%, slightly below the last measure, which achieved 21.76% reduction.