Prototype Testing of Integrated Bio-Scrubber and Carbon System @ Hyperion Treatment Plant

Abstract

For the past several years, the City of Los Angeles has been testing various odor control strategies at the Hyperion Treatment Plant to determine the most cost-effective approach to treat odors associated with two of the City's largest interceptor sewer systems. These tests evaluated a full-scale, primary stage, Biotrickling filter followed by a bench-scale polishing stage involving either Biofilters or carbon absorption.Test results indicated that the odor levels remaining after first stage treatment were too high for direct atmospheric release at the proposed Air Treatment Facility locations and that a polishing stage would also be needed. Furthermore, air modeling indicated that only the use of activated carbon as the polishing stage would reduce odor levels to targeted goals. Based on the information gained from these tests, a new system employing bio-trickling filter technology followed by carbon absorption contained in a single package configuration was developed by Bioway America.To evaluate this new system, a test unit was subsequently tested at the Hyperion Treatment Plant. The installation of this unit was completed in February of 2005 followed by 8 months of testing. This paper presents the test results.