Recovery of sulphur from contaminated air in wastewater treatment plants by biofiltration: a critical review

Biofilters are popular as an alternative method for treatment of volatile air pollutants like hydrogen sulphide originating from wastewater treatment plants. Despite several advantages over conventional chemical systems, one of the concerns of biological treatment of hydrogen sulphide is the product...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Reviews in environmental science and biotechnology 2015-09, Vol.14 (3), p.523-534
Main Authors: Rabbani, K. A, Charles, W, Cord-Ruwisch, R, Ho, G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
air
Air pollution
Analysis
Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution
Biofilters
Biofiltration
Biological treatment
Biotechnology
Contamination
Earth and Environmental Science
Emissions
Environment
Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology
Hydrogen
Hydrogen sulfide
Leachates
Microbiology
Microorganisms
Plants (organisms)
Pollutants
R&D
Research & development
research and development
Review Paper
Sewer systems
Studies
Sulfur
Sulphur
Waste streams
Wastewater treatment
Wastewater treatment plants
Water treatment
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Summary:Biofilters are popular as an alternative method for treatment of volatile air pollutants like hydrogen sulphide originating from wastewater treatment plants. Despite several advantages over conventional chemical systems, one of the concerns of biological treatment of hydrogen sulphide is the production of large volumes of neutral or acidic leachate which needs to be treated or disposed safely. Instead of treating as an unwanted product, a waste stream of weakly acidic leachate can be thought of as a sulphur resource. This paper provides an overview of recent literature on the removal of H₂S from contaminated air in an aerobic environment and discusses the possibility of recovering sulphur from contaminated air with special emphasis on polluted air originating from wastewater treatment plants. We also add our perspectives on future research and development needs in this area.
ISSN:1569-1705
1572-9826
DOI:10.1007/s11157-015-9367-5