Long‐term evaluation of an industrial‐scale biofilter for odor control at a large metropolitan wastewater treatment plant

Abstract

The efficiency of H2S removal by an industrial scale biofilter using a wood‐based mulch at a large publicly owned wastewater treatment plant has been evaluated for over a one‐year time period. The research consisted of developing sampling and analytical methods, validation of experimental methods, and the evaluation of the biofilter's performance. The study showed that removal efficiency strongly depends on the inlet H2S concentration. The elimination capacity increases as inlet loading increases until full elimination is achieved. The H2S removal efficiency was constantly higher than 95% during the one‐year period of this study. The removal efficiency was higher than 99% when the inlet H2S concentration was lower than 100 ppmv, and it dropped sharply when the inlet concentration was higher than 100 ppmv. The removal efficiency dropped from 99% to 95% when the inlet H2S concentration reached about 250 ppmv. At lower H2S concentrations (< 100 ppmv), the elimination capacity equaled the inlet H2S loading. The maximum elimination capacity was determined to be 14 g H2S/m2 hr. The seasonal temperature dependency of H2S production was also investigated based on ambient temperature data. Maximum levels of H2S production corresponded to periods of highest average ambient temperature.

Full-Scale Odor Abatement Technologies in Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs): A Review

“…In the Subiaco Wastewater Treatment Plant (Western Australia, the waste gas flowrate of 65,000 m 3 h −1 , 75 ppm H 2 S and 5 ppm NH 3 ), a biofilter installed after the acid scrubber to promote the formation of a biofilm for H 2 S removal, was then moved to the inlet of the scrubber to treat H 2 S and NH 3 mixtures [63]. BFs were also used to treat odors from the sludge thickeners, effluent channel and influent splitter box at the Mill Creek WWTP of the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati [64] and in Shandong, China with PU packing materials [65]. The REs, in terms of H 2 S and NH 3 concentrations, to be higher than 90%.…”

Removal of Ammonia from Waste Gases by a Biotrickling Filter

“…So, control of emission of ammonia is rather important for public health and welfare [2]. Many techniques, including catalytic oxidation, biological filtration, liquid absorption and solid adsorption have been used to eliminate the ammonia emission [3][4][5][6].Biological technologies especially the biofilters and the biotrickling filters have been widely applied in the process of ammonia treatment for their efficiency, cost-effectiveness and environmental acceptability, in contrast to physical and chemical treatment facilities [7,8].…”

Comparative Evaluation of Conventional and Innovative Biotechnologies for Odour Abatement in Wastewater Treatment Plants

“…environmental legislations became increasingly stringent worldwide in the 1970s, and residential and urban areas started to encroach on odour sources, the application of biofilters for odour mitigation expanded significantly [44][45]. From the 1980s, the application of biofiltration extended to the removal of volatile organic and inorganic compounds (VOCs and VICs, respectively) from industrial waste gases [44,46]. A 3 rd generation of enclosed biofilters capable of providing a more controlled environment in terms of moisture content, pH, T and metabolite accumulation was developed in the late 1990s [34].…”