Biofiltration for Control of H2S from Wastewater Treatment Plant Gases

• Main Author: Bermudez, Vivian
• Format: Others
• Published: ScholarWorks@UNO 2003
• Subjects: Biofiltration; H2S
• Online Access: http://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/9; http://scholarworks.uno.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1008&context=td

A low-cost and efficient methodology was used to test the performance of a biofilter removing gaseous hydrogen sulfide generated in the headworks and a primary clarifier of a local Wastewater Treatment Plant. The contaminated gas stream is distributed upward through 1,718 m3 of filter material. With a flow rate varying between 3,503.0 m3/h and 4,587.3 m3/h and hydrogen sulfide inlet concentrations between 0.8 and 146 ppm, hydrogen sulfide was efficiently eliminated by the wood bark biofilter. The removal efficiencies ranged from 97.5% to 99.9%. The mean water content of the filter material was determined to be 67.1%. The excess water existing in the unit and long residence times may have provided the appropriate conditions for a high hydrogen sulfide removal.