Pilot-Scale Comparison of Synthetic Biotrickling Filter Media: Implications for Design of Full-Scale Odor Control Facilities

The performance of pilot-scale biotrickling filters (BTFs) for hydrogen sulfide (H2S) removal was evaluated to compare three synthetic media for use within the BTF: (i) polyurethane foam cubes (PU foam), (ii) polyethylene mesh (PE mesh), and (iii) calcium silicate foamed glass (foamed glass). Under low H2S loading conditions, the three media achieved nearly complete removal and showed no difference in their performance. However, clear differences were observed under high loading conditions. PU foam achieved the highest and most consistent H2S removal across diurnal and seasonal variations, followed by PE mesh, then foamed glass. The differences appear to be influenced by media properties, including specific surface area and media porosity, which enable biological growth and affect contact time, respectively. The findings of this study were used to identify cost-effective BTF media for proposed and existing odor control facilities, based on the estimated H2S loading, and to predict the BTF performance with the selected media.