Removal of odors and VOCs in municipal solid waste comprehensive treatment plants using a novel three-stage integrated biofilter: Performance and bioaerosol emissions
1. Beijing Engineering Research Center of Sustainable Urban Sewage System Construction and Risk Control, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China 2. Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing 100044, China
• THIBF can effectively remove various odors, VOCs and bioaerosols.
• Different reaction segments in TSIBF can remove different types of odors and VOCs.
• TSIBF can reduce the emission of bioaerosols through enhanced interception.
A novel three-stage integrated biofilter (TSIBF) composed of acidophilic bacteria reaction segment (ABRS), fungal reaction segment (FRS) and heterotrophic bacteria reaction segment (HBRS) was constructed for the treatment of odors and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)from municipal solid waste (MSW) comprehensive treatment plants. The performance, counts of predominant microorganisms, and bioaerosol emissions of a full-scale TSIBF system were studied. High and stable removal efficiencies of hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and VOCs could be achieved with the TSIBF system, and the emissions of culturable heterotrophic bacteria, fungi and acidophilic sulfur bacteria were relatively low. The removal efficiencies of different odors and VOCs, emissions of culturable microorganisms, and types of predominant microorganisms were different in the ABRS, FRS and HBRS due to the differences in reaction conditions and mass transfer in each segment. The emissions of bioaerosols from the TSIBF depended on the capture of microorganisms and their volatilization from the packing. The rational segmentation, filling of high-density packings and the accumulation of the predominant functional microorganisms in each segment enhanced the capture effect of the bioaerosols, thus reducing the emissions of microorganisms from the bioreactor.
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