Development of a biofilter media for removal of hydrogen sulphide

Industrial facilities emit pollutant air that contains volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and
reduced sulphur compounds (RSCs) which are nuisance, corrosive to materials and
dangerous to health. In recent years, biofiltration has replaced numerous conventional
processes (i.e. adsorption) due to its more effective, economical and environmental benefits.
Thus, increasingly industrial facility operators are adopting biofilters for removal of air
pollutants. Biofiltration takes place in bioreactors that are packed with media particles. On
these media particles micro-organisms form biofilms where biological oxidation takes place.
The new biofilter media developed in this study consists of a base material, hydrophobic
coatings, nutrients and binding agents. In this contribution, method of development,
evaluation and performance of this new bioreactor media are discussed.