The purpose of this research was to neutralize livestock-generated ammonia by using biofilters packed with inexpensive inorganic and organic packing material combined with multicultural microbial load at typical ambient temperatures. Peat and inorganic supporting materials were used as biofiltration matrix packed in a perfusion column through which gas was transfused. Results show the ammonia r...

Mixed agricultural residue, inoculated with aerobic sulfide oxidizing microbial consortium, was used as biofilter media to study the removal efficiency (,R) of hydrogen sulfide (H2S). The effect of humidification and inlet H2S volume fraction on the performance of biofilter was also investigated. A 3.9 l bench scale biofilter was continuously operated to treat air containing H2S gas in the rang...

Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) are unique engineered ecosystems that minimize environmental perturbation by reducing nutrient pollution discharge. RAS typically employ a biofilter to control ammonia levels produced as a byproduct of fish protein catabolism. Nitrosomonas (ammonia-oxidizing), Nitrospira, and Nitrobacter (nitrite-oxidizing) species are thought to be the primary nitrifiers...

Biofiltration of air polluted by volatile organic compounds is now recognized by the industrial and research communities as an effective and viable alternative to standard environmental technologies. Whereas many studies have focused on solid/liquid/gas biofilters, there have been fewer reports on waste air treatment using other biological processes, especially in a solid/gas biofilter. In this...

Biofiltration is an inexpensive method of odour removal in which a contaminated air stream is passed through a moist, porous medium before being vented to the atmosphere. Contaminants are absorbed onto the surface of the medium and degraded by microorganisms. Using an air model, the odour reduction resulting from the use of a vertical, lab-scale biofilter in treating off-gases intermittently re...

A heterotrophic Arthrobacter oxydans CH8 that was capable of removing NH3 from NH3 containing gas was isolated from livestock farming wastewater. The A. oxydans CH8 was immobilized with calcium alginate packed into filter column. Metered NH3-containing gas was partially humidified and passed through the glass column. Extensive tests including the removal characteristics, the removal efficiencie...

A pilot study was conducted to compare odor emissions from a windrow process and an aerated static pile and to determine the odor reduction efficiency of a pilot two-phase biofilter for odor control of biosolids composting. Chemical compounds identified as responsible for odors from biosolids composting include ammonia, dimethyl disulfide, carbon disulfide, formic acid, acetic acid, and sulfur ...

The removal of hydrophobic pollutants in biofilters is often limited by gas liquid mass transfer to the biotic aqueous phase where biodegradation occurs. It has been proposed that the use of fungi may improve their removal efficiency. To confirm this, the uptake of hexane vapors was investigated in 2.6-L perlite-packed biofilters, inoculated with a mixed culture containing bacteria and fungi, w...

Tetrazolium reduction assays, phospholipid analysis, and 16S rRNA (rDNA) sequence analysis were applied to assess the distribution, composition and activity of microbial communities developing in biofilters treating non-ozonated and ozonated drinking water. The response of media-attached biomass to both operating temperature (38C vs. >128C) and ozone application point was assessed. As judged by...