Performance of a compost and biochar packed biofilter for gas-phase hydrogen sulfide removal

Abstract

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of an aerobic biofilter packed with compost for the removal of gas-phase hydrogen sulfide (H2S). After 52 d of operation, the biofilter was re-packed by replacing a certain portion (25%, v/v) of the existing compost with biochar and its performance was tested. The steady and transient performance of the biofilter was evaluated by varying the H2S concentrations from 0.1 to 2.9 g m−3 at an empty bed residence time (EBRT) of 119 and 80 s, respectively. The maximum elimination capacity (ECmax) of the compost and compost + biochar biofilter were ∼19 and 33 g m−3 h−1, respectively, with >99% removal efficiency at an EBRT of 119 s. The compost biofilter showed a quick response to shock loads and the critical load to the biofilter during the shock loading step was ∼81 g m−3 h−1.