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Characterization and Selection of Packing Materials for Biofiltration of Rendering Odourous Emissions

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Abstract

Robust and cheap, biofiltration is one of the most used methods for the biological treatment of industrial gaseous odours and VOCs emissions. The chemical, physical and microbial properties, as well as the economical impact of 11 organic and inorganic packing materials potentially suitable for biofiltration, have been investigated in order to select the most relevant for the treatment of rendering gaseous emissions. Fibrous materials such as peat and coconut fibres are predisposed to compaction. Moreover, according to their low expected running period, their implementation remains expensive, such as activated carbon which induce overweening costs (>100,000€ an−1 for the treatment of 40,000 m3 h−1 with a 60-s empty bed gas residence time). Considering economical aspects, physico-chemical and biological properties, pines barks, composted wood mulch and expanded schist seem fit for this application. The performance of these materials was therefore investigated in a pilot-scale study conducted on a rendering site. According to its appropriate pH (8.62) and water-holding capacity (1.41 g g−1) and its highest nutrients content and colonization at the biofilter start-up (93 g of ATP m−3, 29.1013 CFU m−3), composted would mulch show the best odour removal efficiency during the 134 days of operation. Performances ranged between 75 and 93 % for the treatment of odourous inlet load between 1.16 and 10.10 · 106 ouE m−3 h−1 with an empty bed gas residence time of 47 s. However, the pressure drop of the compost bed decreased, suggesting structural changes which may impact the performances in the long term.

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Acknowledgements

This project was funded by the Atemax Ouest Company. The authors acknowledge the “Centre de Microscopie Électronique à Balayage et microAnalyse” of the Rennes 1 University for the scanning electron microscope observations. The authors also acknowledge the GEPEA department of the “Ecole des Mines De Nantes” for the mercury porosimeter measurements and the elemental analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Atemax Ouest, Route d’Alençon, 61400, Saint-Langis-lès-Mortagne, France

    Gilles Cogny

  2. Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Rennes, CNRS, UMR 6226, Avenue du général Leclerc, CS 50837, 35708, Rennes Cedex 7, France

    Benoît Anet, Abdeltif Amrane & Pierre Le Cloirec

  3. Laboratoire d’Ingénierie des Matériaux de Bretagne, EA 4250, Université de Bretagne Sud, Allée des Pommiers, 56300, Pontivy, France

    Thomas Lendormi

  4. Akiolis Group, 72 Avenue Olivier Messiaen, 72000, Le Mans, France

    Romain Fillières

  5. Université Européenne de Bretagne, Rennes, France

    Catherine Couriol, Thomas Lendormi, Abdeltif Amrane & Pierre Le Cloirec

  6. Université Rennes1, UMR 6226, IUT, 3 Rue du Clos Courtel, 35704, Rennes Cedex 7, France

    Catherine Couriol

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  1. Benoît Anet
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  4. Abdeltif Amrane
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Correspondence to Abdeltif Amrane.

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Anet, B., Couriol, C., Lendormi, T. et al. Characterization and Selection of Packing Materials for Biofiltration of Rendering Odourous Emissions. Water Air Soil Pollut 224, 1622 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-013-1622-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-013-1622-1

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