Solid waste treatment system and method

A waste treatment system for removing per-fluoroalkyl and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from bulk solid waste, the system comprising:

• a preparation module having a bulk material separator to separate oversize material from the bulk solid waste;
• a physical separation module, located down-stream of the preparation module, to separate the bulk solid waste based on particle size using physical and/or hydrodynamic and/or density separation techniques;
• an extraction and/or chemical separation module, located downstream of the physical separation module, to add leachate and/or extractant to and separate contaminants from a slurry output from the physical separation module, the contaminants being separated into a fines output and a contaminated water solution, and
• a water treatment module, located downstream of the physical separation module and the extraction/chemical separation module, to process the contaminated water solution by at least one water treatment process into a treated water, communicating with a water circulation system for providing water to the preparation module and operative to recycle and recirculate the treated water in a closed loop to the preparation module,
• wherein the physical separation module includes:
• a first linear screen deck configured to separate input slurry into output slurry and organic material having a size generally larger than about 1 mm;
• and
• a hindered settling classifier and a sieve bend located down-stream of the first linear screen deck and configured to separate organic material having a size of about 0.15 mm to 1 mm from the slurry.