Operational characteristics of effective removal of H2S and NH3 waste gases by activated carbon biofilter

Simultaneous removal of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and ammonia (NH3) gases from gaseous streams was studied in a biofilter packed with granule activated carbon. Extensive studies, including the effects of carbon (C) source on the growth of inoculated microorganisms and gas removal efficiency, product analysis, bioaerosol emission, pressure drop, and cost evaluation, were conducted. The results indicated that molasses was a potential C source for inoculated cell growth that resulted in removal efficiencies of 99.5% for H2S and 99.2% for NH3. Microbial community observation by scanning electron microscopy indicated that granule activated carbon was an excellent support for microorganism attachment for long-term waste gas treatment. No disintegration or breakdown of biofilm was found when the system was operated for 140 days. The low bioaerosol concentration emitted from the biofilter showed that the system effectively avoided the environmental risk of bioaerosol emission. Also, the system is suitable to apply in the field because of its low pressure drop and treatment cost. Because NH3 gas was mainly converted to organic nitrogen, and H2S gas was converted to elemental sulfur, no acidification or alkalinity phenomena were found because of the metabolite products. Thus, the results of this study demonstrate that the biofilter is a feasible bioreactor in the removal of waste gases.     

Biological elimination of H2S and NH3 from wastegases by biofilter packed with immobilized heterotrophic bacteria

Biotreatment of various ratios of H₂S and NH₃ gas mixtures was studied using the biofilters, packed with co-immobilized cells (Arthrobacter oxydans CH8 for NH₃ and Pseudomonas putida CH11 for H₂S). Extensive tests to determine removal characteristics, removal efficiency, removal kinetics, and pressure drops of the biofilters were performed. To estimate the largest allowable inlet concentration, a prediction model was also employed. Greater than 95% and 90% removal efficiencies were observed for NH₃ and H₂S, respectively, irrespective of the ratios of H₂S and NH₃ gas mixtures. The results showed that H₂S removal of the biofilter was significantly affected by high inlet concentrations of H₂S and NH₃. As high H₂S concentration was an inhibitory substrate for the growth of heterotrophic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, the activity of H₂S oxidation was thus inhibited. In the case of high NH₃ concentration, the poor H₂S removal efficiency might be attributed to the acidification of the biofilter. The phenomenon was caused by acidic metabolite accumulation of NH₃. Through kinetic analysis, the presence of NH₃ did not hinder the NH₃ removal, but a high H₂S concentration would result in low removal efficiency. Conversely, H₂S of adequate concentrations would favor the removal of incoming NH₃. The results also indicated that maximum inlet concentrations (model-estimated) agreed well with the experimental values for space velocities of 50–150 h⁻¹. Hence, the results would be used as the guideline for the design and operation of biofilters.     

Two-stage biofilter for effective NH3 removal from waste gases containing high concentrations of H2S

A high H2S concentration inhibits nitrification when H2S and NH3 are simultaneously treated in a single biofilter. To improve NH3 removal from waste gases containing concentrated H2S, a two-stage biofilter was designed to solve the problem. In this study, the first biofilter, inoculated with Thiobacillus thioparus, was intended mainly to remove H2S and to reduce the effect of H2S concentration on nitrification in the second biofilter, and the second biofilter, inoculated with Nitrosomonas europaea, was to remove NH3. Extensive studies, which took into account the characteristics of gas removal, the engineering properties of the two biofilters, and biological parameters, were conducted in a 210-day operation. The results showed that an average 98% removal efficiency for H2S and a 100% removal efficiency for NH3 (empty bed retention time = 23-180 sec) were achieved after 70 days. The maximum degradation rate for NH3 was measured as 2.35 g N day(-1) kg of dry granular activated carbon(-1). Inhibition of nitrification was not found in the biofilter. This two-stage biofilter also exhibited good adaptability to shock loading and shutdown periods. Analysis of metabolic product and observation of the bacterial community revealed no obvious acidification or alkalinity phenomena. In addition, a lower moisture content (approximately 40%) for microbial survival and low pressure drop (average 24.39 mm H2O m(-1)) for system operation demonstrated that the two-stage biofilter was energy saving and economic. Thus, the two-stage biofilter is a feasible system to enhance NH3 removal in the concentrated coexistence of H2S.     

Biotreatment of H2S- and NH3-containing waste gases by co-immobilized cells biofilter

Gas mixture of H2S and NH3 in this study has been the focus in the research area concerning gases generated from the animal husbandry and the anaerobic wastewater lagoons used for their treatment. A specific microflora (mixture of Thiobacillus thioparus CH11 for H2S and Nitrosomonas europaea for NH3) was immobilized with Ca-alginate and packed inside a glass column to decompose H2S and NH3. The biofilter packed with co-immobilized cells was continuously supplied with H2S and NH3 gas mixtures of various ratios, and the removal efficiency, removal kinetics, and pressure drop in the biofilter was monitored. The results showed that the efficiency remained above 95% regardless of the ratios of H2S and NH3 used. The NH3 concentration has little effect on H2S removal efficiency, however, both high NH3 and H2S concentrations significantly suppress the NH3 removal. Through product analysis, we found that controlling the inlet ratio of the H2S/NH3 could prevent the biofilter from acidification, and, therefore, enhance the operational stability. Conclusions from bioaerosol analysis and pressure drop in the biofilter suggest that the immobilized cell technique creates less environmental impact and improves pure culture operational stability. The criteria for the biofilter operation to meet the current H2S and NH3 emission standards were also established. To reach Taiwan's current ambient air standards of H2S and NH3 (0.1 and 1 ppm, respectively), the maximum inlet concentrations should not exceed 58 ppm for H2S and 164 ppm for NH3, and the residence time be kept at 72 s.     

Carbon Disulfide and Hydrogen Sulfide Removal with a Peat Biofilter

ABSTRACT

Simultaneous removal of H₂S and CS₂ was studied with a peat biofilter inoculated with a Thiobacillus strain that oxidizes both compounds in an acidic environment. Both sulfurous gases at concentrations below 600 mg S/m³ were efficiently removed, and the removal efficiencies were similar, 99%, with an empty bed retention time (EBRT) of more than 60 sec. Concentrations greater than 1300-5000 mg S/m³ caused overloading of the filter material, resulting in high H₂SO₄ production, accumulation of elemental sulfur, and reduced removal efficiency. The highest sulfur removal rate achieved was 4500 g-S/day/m³ filter material. These results indicate that peat is suitable as a biofilter material for the removal of a mixture of H₂S and CS₂ when concentrations of gases to be purified are low (less than 600 mg/m³), but it is still odorous and toxic to the environment and humans.     

Effects of biofilter media depth and moisture content on removal of gases from a swine barn

Media depth (MD) and moisture content (MC) are two important factors that greatly influence biofilter performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the combined effect of MC and MD on removing ammonia (NH₃), hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), and nitrous oxide (N₂O) from swine barns. Biofiltration performance of different MDs and MCs in combination based on a mixed medium of wood chips and compost was monitored. A 3 × 3 factorial design was adopted, which included three levels of the two factors (MC: 45%, 55%, and 67% [wet basis]; MD: 0.17, 0.33, and 0.50 m). Results indicated that high MC and MD could improve NH₃ removal efficiency, but increase outlet N₂O concentration. When MC was 67%, the average NH₃ removal efficiency of three MDs (0.17, 0.33, and, 0.50 m) ranged from 77.4% to 78.7%; the range of average H₂S removal efficiency dropped from 68.1–90.0% (1–34 days of the test period) to 36.8–63.7% (35–58 days of the test period); and the average outlet N₂O concentration increased by 25.5–60.1%. When MC was 55%, the average removal efficiency of NH₃, H₂S, and N₂O for treatment with 0.33 m MD was 72.8 ± 5.9%, 70.9 ± 13.3%, and –18.9 ± 8.1%, respectively; and the average removal efficiency of NH₃, H₂S, and N₂O for treatment with 0.50 m MD was 77.7 ± 4.2%, 65.8 ± 13.7%, and –24.5 ±12.1%, respectively. When MC was 45%, the highest average NH₃ reduction efficiency among three MDs was 60.7% for 0.5 m MD, and the average N₂O removal efficiency for three MDs ranged from –18.8% to –12.7%. In addition, the pressure drop of 0.33 m MD was significantly lower than that of 0.50 m MD (p < 0.05). To obtain high mitigation of NH₃ and H₂S and avoid elevated emission of N₂O and large pressure drop, 0.33 m MD at 55% MC is recommended.

Implications: The performances of biofilters with three different media depths (0.17, 0.33, and 0.50 m) and three different media moisture contents (45%, 55%, and 67% [wet basis]) were compared to remove gases from a swine barn. Using wood chips and compost mixture as the biofilters media, the combination of 0.33 m media depth and 55% media moisture content is recommended to obtain good reduction of NH₃ and H₂S, and to simultaneously prevent elevated emission of N₂O and large pressure drop across the media.     

生物滤池处理城市污水工艺中恶臭和微生物气溶胶的填料选择简

采用实验室规模的生物滤池对含硫化氢、氨和微生物气溶胶的气体进行处理,并对海绵、陶粒、堆肥和空心塑料小球4种物质作为反应器填料的性能进行比较。结果表明,不同填料生物滤池对硫化氢、氨和微生物气溶胶的去除效率明显不同,去除效率从高到低的顺序依次为海绵、陶粒、堆肥和空心塑料小球生物滤池。海绵和陶粒生物滤池出气异养细菌和真菌主要以小粒径粒子为主。在同样的进气和运行条件下,堆肥填料层的压力降最大,其次是陶粒和空心塑料小球填料层,海绵填料层的压力降最小。对4种填料的性能进行综合比较,海绵和陶粒较适宜作为处理硫化氢、氨和微生物气溶胶的生物滤池填料。     

Long-Term Operation of a Biofilter for Simultaneous Removal of H2S and NH3

Abstract

Simultaneous removal of NH₃ and H₂S was investigated using two types of biofilters—one packed with wood chips and the other with granular activated carbon (GAC). Experimental tests and measurements included analyses of removal efficiency (RE), metabolic products, and results of long-term operation (around 240 days). The REs for NH₃ and H₂S were 92 and 99.9%, respectively, before deactivation. After deactivation, the RE for NH₃ and H₂S were decreased to 30–50% and 75%, respectively. The activity of nitrifying bacteria was inhibited by high concentrations of H₂S (over 200 ppm) but recovered gradually after H₂S addition was ceased. However, the Thiobacillus thioparus as sulfur oxidizing bacteria did not show inhibition at the NH₃ concentration under 150-ppm conditions. The deactivation of the biofilter was caused by metabolic products [elemental sulfur and (NH₄)₂SO₄] ac-cumulating on the packing materials during the extended operation. The removal capacities for NH₃ and H₂S were 6.0–8.0 and 45–75 mg N, S/L/hr, respectively.     

酸性洗涤塔-生物滤塔-生物曝气池组合工艺处理恶臭气体NH3和H2S

采用酸性洗涤塔、生物滤塔和生物曝气池的组合工艺处理NH3、H2S恶臭混合气体,研究表明,该组合工艺对NH3和H2S有很好的去除效果,在进气流量为35 L/min,喷淋量45 L/h时,NH3进气浓度50.15~525.4 mg/m3,H2S进气浓度10.23~110.36 mg/m3时,NH3单一进气去除率稳定在99%以上,H2S单一进气去除率90%以上。混合进气后,NH3去除率几乎为100%,H2S的去除率提高至98%以上。在一定的浓度范围内,NH3和H2S之间的相互作用对两者的去除效果没有明显的影响,而且起到了相互促进降解的作用。同时,进气流量和填料层高度都会影响NH3、H2S的去除率。系统对进气容积负荷变化的缓冲能力强,在偶尔超负荷条件下运行并不能使系统崩溃,并且微生物对高负荷逐渐表现出适应性。大部分溶于水的氨由生物曝气池去除,去除率达到96.9%。     

生物滤池处理城市污水工艺中恶臭和微生物气溶胶的填料选择

采用实验室规模的生物滤池对含硫化氢、氨和微生物气溶胶的气体进行处理,并对海绵、陶粒、堆肥和空心塑料小球4种物质作为反应器填料的性能进行比较。结果表明,不同填料生物滤池对硫化氢、氨和微生物气溶胶的去除效率明显不同,去除效率从高到低的顺序依次为海绵、陶粒、堆肥和空心塑料小球生物滤池。海绵和陶粒生物滤池出气异养细菌和真菌主要以小粒径粒子为主。在同样的进气和运行条件下,堆肥填料层的压力降最大,其次是陶粒和空心塑料小球填料层,海绵填料层的压力降最小。对4种填料的性能进行综合比较,海绵和陶粒较适宜作为处理硫化氢、氨和微生物气溶胶的生物滤池填料。     

Sulfur Toxicity and Media Capacity for H2S Removal in Biofilters Packed with a Natural or a Commercial Granular Medium

Abstract

Two types of media, a natural medium (wood chips) and a commercially engineered medium, were evaluated for sulfur inhibition and capacity for removal of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S). Sulfate was added artificially (40, 65, and 100 mg of S/g of medium) to test its effect on removal efficiency and the media. A humidified gas stream of 50 ppm by volume H₂S was passed through the media-packed columns, and effluent readings for H₂S at the outlet were measured continuously. The overall H₂S baseline removal efficiencies of the column packed with natural medium remained >95% over a 2-day period even with the accumulated sulfur species. Added sulfate at a concentration high enough to saturate the biofilter moisture phase did not appear to affect the H₂S removal process efficiency. The results of additional experiments with a commercial granular medium also demonstrated that the accumulation of amounts of sulfate sufficient enough to saturate the moisture phase of the medium did not have a significant effect on H₂S removal.

When the pH of the biofilter medium was lowered to 4, H₂S removal efficiency did drop to 36%. This work suggests that sulfate mass transfer through the moisture phase to the biofilm phase does not appear to inhibit H₂S removal rates in biofilters. Thus, performance degradation for odor-removing biofilters or H₂S breakthrough in field applications is probably caused by other consequences of high H₂S loading, such as sulfur precipitation.     

Biofiltration Control of Hydrogen Sulfide 2. Kinetics,Biofilter Performance,and Maintenance

The kinetics of H₂S oxidation in a biofilter were evaluated and the reaction rates determined to be first-order at low concentrations (<200 ppm), zero-order at high concentrations (>400 ppm), and fractional-order in the intermediate concentration range for H₂S in the inlet waste gas. The overall performance of the biofilter system and changes in compost properties were investigated for 200 days of operation. The compost biofiiter showed good buffering capacities to variations in gas flow rate and pollutant (H₂S) loading impacts. Hydrogen sulfide removal efficiencies exceeding 99.9% were consistently observed. System acidification and sulfate accumulation were identified as inhibitors of required biological activity. Routine washing of the compost effectively mitigated these deficiencies. System upset was determined to be caused by compost dry-out or system overloading. Methods were developed to provide for recovery of contaminated filter material.     

多层生物滤塔净化硫化氢废气研究

以木屑为填料,采用多层生物滤塔净化H2S气体,研究其适宜的工艺条件及生物降解宏观动力学.结果表明,填料分层可提高H2S去除率,当进气容积负荷＜153.2 g H2S/(m3·d)时,H2S的去除率保持在90%以上;进气浓度低于70 mg/m3,下层200mm填料对H2S总去除率的贡献在50%以上;填料含水率为50%～6...     

Biological Removal of Gaseous Ammonia in Biofilters: Space Travel and Earth-Based Applications

ABSTRACT

Gaseous NH₃ removal was studied in laboratory-scale biofilters (14-L reactor volume) containing perlite inoculated with a nitrifying enrichment culture. These biofilters received 6 L/min of airflow with inlet NH₃ concentrations of 20 or 50 ppm, and removed more than 99.99% of the NH₃ for the period of operation (101, 102 days). Comparison between an active reactor and an autoclaved control indicated that NH₃ removal resulted from nitrification directly, as well as from enhanced absorption resulting from acidity produced by nitrification. Spatial distribution studies (20 ppm only) after 8 days of operation showed that nearly 95% of the NH₃ could be accounted for in the lower 25% of the biofilter matrix, proximate to the port of entry. Periodic analysis of the biofilter material (20 and 50 ppm) showed accumulation of the nitrification product NO₃ ^- early in the operation, but later both NO₂ ^- and NO₃ ^- accumulated. Additionally, the N-mass balance accountability dropped from near 100% early in the experiments to ~95 and 75% for the 20- and 50-ppm biofilters, respectively. A partial contributing factor to this drop in mass balance accountability was the production of NO and N₂O, which were detected in the biofilter exhaust.     

Control of Organic Emissions from Surface Coating Operations

ABSTRACT

Step tracer tests were carried out on lab-scale biofilters to determine the residence time distributions (RTDs) of gases passing through two types of biofilters: a standard biofilter with vertical gas flow and a modified biofilter with horizontal gas flow. Results were used to define the flow patterns in the reactors. “Non-ideal flow” indicates that the flow reactors did not behave like either type of ideal reactor: the perfectly stirred reactor [often called a "continuously stirred tank reactor" (CSTR)] or the plug-flow reactor.

The horizontal biofilter with back-mixing was able to accommodate a shorter residence time without the usual requirement of greater biofilter surface area for increased biofiltration efficiency. Experimental results indicated that the first bed of the modified biofilter behaved like two CSTRs in series, while the second bed may be represented by two or three CSTRs in series. Because of the flow baffles used in the horizontal biofilter system, its performance was more similar to completely mixed systems, and hence, it could not be modeled as a plug-flow reactor. For the standard biofilter, the number of CSTRs was found to be between 2 and 9 depending on the airflow rate. In terms of NH₃ removal efficiency and elimination capacity, the standard biofilter was not as good as the modified system; moreover, the second bed of the modified biofilter exhibited greater removal efficiency than the first bed. The elimination rate increased as biofilter load increased. An opposite trend was exhibited with respect to removal efficiency.     

The Statistical Form for the Ambient Participate Standard Annual Arithmetic Mean vs Annual Geometric Mean

Abstract

The long-term stability of a biofilter loaded with waste gases containing NH₃ concentrations larger than 100 ppmv was studied in a laboratory-scale compost reactor. At an empty bed residence time (τ) of 21 sec, elimination capacities of more than 300 g NH₃/m³/day were obtained at elimination efficiencies up to 87%. Because of absorption and nitrification, almost 80% of the NH₃-N eliminated from the waste gas could be recovered in the compost as NH₄+-N or NO₂ ^?/NO₃ ^?-N. The high elimination capacities could be maintained as long as the NH₄+/NO_x concentration in the carrier material was less than 4 g NH₄+/NO_x ^?-N/kg wet compost. Above this critical value, osmotic effects inhibited the nitrifying activity, and the elimination capacity for NH₃ decreased. To restore the biofilter performance, a carbon source (methanol) was added to reduce NH₄+/NO_x ^? accumulated in the compost. Results indicate that methylotrophic microorganisms did convert NH₄+/NO_x ^? into biomass, as long as the NO₃ ^? content in the compost was larger than 0.1 g NO₃ ^?-N/kg compost. Removal efficiencies of CH₃OH of more than 90% were obtained at volumetric loads up to 11,000 g CH₃OH/m³/day. It is shown that addition of CH₃OH is a suitable technique for regenerating the compost material from osmotic inhibition as a result of high NH₃ loading. The biofilter was operated for 4 months with alternating loading of NH₃ and CH₃OH.     

Gaseous Ammonia Uptake in Compost Biofilters as Related to Compost Water Content

Abstract

Sewage sludge and yard waste compost were used as biofilter materials and tested with respect to their capacity for removing ammonia from air at different water contents. Ammonia removal was measured in biofilters containing compost wetted to different moisture contents ranging from air dry to field capacity (maximum water holding capacity). Filters were operated for 15 days and subsequently analyzed for NH₃/NH₄ ⁺, NO₂ ^-, and NO₃ ^-. The measured nitrogen species concentration profiles inside the filters were used to calculate ammonia removal rates. The results showed that ammonia removal is strongly dependent on the water content in the filter material. At gravimetric water contents below 0.25 g H₂O g solids^-1 for the yard waste compost and 0.5 g H₂O g solids^-1 ammonia removal rates were very low but increased rapidly above these values. The sewage sludge compost filters yielded more than twice the ammonia removal rate observed for yard waste compost likely because of a high initial concentration of nitrifying bacteria originating from the wastewater treatment process and a high air-water interphase surface area that facilitates effective ammonia dissolution and transport to the biofilm.     

1988 APCA Government Agencies Directory

The biowaste fractions in municipal solid waste (MSW) are the main odor sources in landfill and cause widespread complaints from residents. The ammonia (NH₃) and hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) generation processes were simulated and compared between four typical biowaste fractions individually and combined in the mixed MSW. Food waste was found to be the main contributor to odor emission in mixed MSW, with H₂S generation potential of 48.4 μg kg^?1 and NH₃ generation potential of 4742 μg kg^?1. Fruit waste was another source for NH₃ generation, with 3933 μg kg^?1 NH₃ generation potential. Meanwhile, nitrogen (N) was released in a faster way than sulfur (S) in waste, since 31% and 46% of total NH₃ and H₂S were generated in the first 90 days after disposal, with 1811 and 72 μg kg^?1, and more emphasis should be placed in this initial period.

Implications:?Monitoring of odor generation from biowastes in MSW on a laboratory scale showed that food waste is the main source for NH₃ and H₂S generation, whereas waste fruit is another main contributor for NH₃ released. Generally, N was released in a faster way than S from mixed-waste landfilling.     

Diurnal and seasonal variations of odor and gas emissions from a naturally ventilated free-stall dairy barn on the Canadian prairies

This study characterized the seasonal concentration (C) and emission (E) patterns of odor, ammonia (NH₃), and hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) over the course of a whole year and their diurnal patterns in cold, warm, and mild seasons for a naturally ventilated free-stall dairy barn. It was found that seasonal odor and NH₃ and H₂S emissions varied greatly: from 17.2 to 84.4 odor units (OU) sec^?1 AU^?1 (AU: animal unit, 500 kg of animal body mass), from 0.27 to 0.92 mg sec^?1 AU^?1, and from 3 to 105 μg sec^?1 AU^?1, respectively. The overall concentrations of odor and NH₃ were higher in the winter, whereas the emissions were higher in the mild and warm seasons. Diurnal variation was most significant for odor emission (OE) in the mild season when the ratio of maximum (279.2 OU sec^?1 AU^?1) to minimum value (60.5 OU sec^?1 AU^?1) was up to 4.6. The indoor air quality was also evaluated by considering not only the health effect of individual gases, but also the additive effect of NH₃ and H₂S. Results showed that the indoor air quality was poorest in cold seasons when NH₃ C could exceed the threshold limit set out in occupational health regulation, and in fact could worsen due to the additive effect of the two gases. Further, it was suggested NH₃ was a good indicator for predicting odor concentration (OC) or OE. The impact of climatic parameters on odor and gases were also examined, and it was found ventilation rate (VR) negatively affected OC and NH₃ C, but positively impacted OE and NH₃ E. Using 70% of the total data, a multilinear model for OE was developed as a function of VR and indoor relative humidity and was validated to be acceptable using the rest of the data.

Implications: Diurnal and seasonal variations of odor, NH₃, and H₂S concentrations and emissions were monitored for a naturally ventilated dairy barn in a cold region. The emission factors were calculated and indoor air quality was evaluated. The overall odor and NH₃ concentrations were higher in winter, whereas emissions were higher in the mild and warm seasons. Diurnal variation was most significant for odor emission in the mild season, when the ratio of maximum to minimum value was up to 4.6. The results can be used to estimate odor and gas emissions from other dairy barns in Canada and other cold regions.     

Biofiltration Control of Hydrogen Sulfide 1. Design and Operational Parameters

Laboratory scale biological filter systems for control of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) in waste gas have been studied and the optimum design and operating parameters determined. Extensive tests have been conducted to evaluate the effect of various filter bed operating parameters such as temperature, retention time, H₂S concentration, and H₂S loading rate. Variable properties of new and used composts such as sulfate content, acidity, and water content have been studied for their influence on H₂S removal efficiency. The effects of compost particle size distribution on system pressure drop and the maximum H₂S elimination capacity were examined. Biofiltration systems containing various types of yard waste compost as the filter material have been observed to remove hydrogen sulfide with efficiencies greater than 99.9 percent for H₂S inlet concentrations in the range from 5 to 2650 ppmv.