title: Carbonyl sulfide removal with compost and wood chip biofilters, and in the presence of hydrogen sulfide.
abstract: Carbonyl sulfide (COS) is an odor-causing compound and hazardous air pollutant emitted frequently from wastewater treatment facilities and chemical and primary metals industries. This study examined the effectiveness of biofiltration in removing COS. Specific objectives were to compare COS removal efficiency for various biofilter media; to determine whether hydrogen sulfide (H2S), which is frequently produced along with COS under anaerobic conditions, adversely impacts COS removal; and to determine the maximum elimination capacity of COS for use in biofilter design. Three laboratory-scale polyvinyl chloride biofilter columns were filled with up to 28 in. of biofilter media (aged compost, fresh compost, wood chips, or a compost/wood chip mixture). Inlet COS ranged from 5 to 46 parts per million (ppm) (0.10-9.0 g/m3 hr). Compost and the compost/wood chip mixture produced higher COS removal efficiencies than wood chips alone. The compost and compost/wood chip mixture had a shorter stabilization times compared with wood chips alone. Fresh versus aged compost did not impact COS removal efficiency. The presence of H2S did not adversely impact COS removal for the concentration ratios tested. The maximum elimination capacity is at least 9 g/m3 hr for COS with compost media.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA. sattler@uta.edu
authors.forename: Melanie L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Sattler
authors.forename: Divya R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Garrepalli
authors.forename: Chandraprakash S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Nawal
mesh_terms: D018441:Biofilms; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D005374:Filtration / Q000379:methods*; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide / Q000737:chemistry*; D012987:Soil; D013461:Sulfur Oxides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D014871:Water Microbiology; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*; D014934:Wood
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D012987:Soil; D013461:Sulfur Oxides; C010063:carbonyl sulfide; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide