Unraveling complex removal behavior of landfill leachate upon the treatments of Fenton oxidation and MIEX® via two-dimensional correlation size exclusion chromatography (2D-CoSEC)

[Display omitted] •Removal behavior of landfill leachate is explored with respect to molecular sizes.•Preferable removal tendency was different between FnO and MIEX® treatments.•2D-CoSEC revealed sequential changes of different size fractions upon treatment.•The opposite trends of sequential changes were found between two treatment options. The complex removal behavior of stabilized landfill leachate was explored for the treatments of Fenton oxidation (FnO) and magnetic ion exchange (MIEX®) resin using two-dimensional correlation size exclusion chromatography (2D-CoSEC) and fluorescence excitation emission matrix-parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC). The overall removal rates of the bulk parameters (∼45% for dissolved organic carbon and ∼78% for UV absorbance) were similar between the two treatment options, while distinct differences were found with respect to different molecular sizes and chemical composition. The resin treatment eliminated humic substances (HS) and low molecular weight acid (LMWA) fractions to a greater extent than other fractions (i.e., HS: 62% and LMWA: 99%), while low molecular weight neutral (LMWN) and biopolymers (BP) fractions were more effectively treated by the FnO with the removal rates of 56% and 92%, respectively. The 2D-CoSEC further revealed that the sequential or preferential changes of different size fractions with increasing the resin or H2O2 were opposite between the two treatment options in the order of HS → LMWA → LMWN → BP for MIEX®. Due to their complementary roles in treating leachate, the combined processes removed a wider ranges of different molecular sizes compared to the single operation.