Biological Treatment of Air Pollutants

Abstract

Reducing pollutant production at the source is probably the best method of pollution control. If this is incomplete, gases must be treated at the end-of-pipe to prevent release to the atmosphere. The treatment is usually oxidation; volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are oxidized to CO2, H2S and SO2 to sulfate, and NOx to nitrate. These reactions are spontaneous; the pollutant states are chemically unstable in air. The reaction rates are too slow in the atmosphere, however, to prevent environmental and health hazards and nuisances.