Bio-solution · RM03 · Remediation
Odour, H₂S, ammonia and VOC emissions treated by biofilters, biotrickling filters and bioscrubbers instead of chemical scrubbers (caustic/hypochlorite/acid) and thermal oxidizers
Replaces
Chemical scrubbers dosing sodium hydroxide, sodium hypochlorite and sulfuric acid; regenerative/thermal oxidizers burning gas to destroy dilute VOCs; masking agents
Chemical scrubbers dosing sodium hydroxide, sodium hypochlorite and sulfuric acid; regenerative/thermal oxidizers burning gas to destroy dilute VOCs; masking agents
→
Scope
Wastewater plants and sewer pumping stations, composting and waste sites, livestock houses, food and rendering plants, low-concentration industrial VOC streams; biogas desulfurization
Wastewater plants and sewer pumping stations, composting and waste sites, livestock houses, food and rendering plants, low-concentration industrial VOC streams; biogas desulfurization
Suppliers 6
| Alveo Water (Pty) Ltd | South Africa | active |
| MENA-Water | United Arab Emirates | active |
| generizon | Morocco | active |
| Kazanci Environmental Technics | ||
| Papop | Thailand | active |
| True Eco Sdn Bhd | Malaysia | active |
Route into Russia / EAEU EAC
- Regulator
- EAEU accredited bodies / Rosakkreditatsiya
- Typical time
- declaration registered within 3 working days (testing extra); certification longer
- Legal basis
- EAEU technical regulations (TR CU 010/2011, 004/2011, 020/2011); EEC Board Decision No. 41 (20.03.2018) on registering declarations
Information, not legal advice — confirm the procedure for your product.
Proof 5 claims
Old process
Chemical scrubbers (using caustic soda, hypochlorite, acid) and thermal oxidizers
Chemical scrubbers (using caustic soda, hypochlorite, acid) and thermal oxidizers
→
New practice
Biofilters and biotrickling filters (including advanced biofilters with inorganic media)
Biofilters and biotrickling filters (including advanced biofilters with inorganic media)
- Displaced at scale?
- partly
- Caveats
- While biofilters and biotrickling filters are increasingly used and have successfully replaced chemical scrubbers in specific commercial applications (such as at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant and OCSD facilities), there is no evidence of a widespread, national, or global displacement of chemical scrubbers as the dominant technology. The adoption is often project-specific or driven by the need to upgrade existing infrastructure.
- Hand review
- D3 National: biofilters, bioscrubbers and multistage biological systems are most exhaust-air treatment units installed in Germany (2010).
- checked
- 2026-10-06
| The Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant in Los Angeles replaced five chemical wet scrubbers, three carbon towers, and two chemical storage tanks with a new biotrickling filter system. “This upgrade will replace the existing five (5) chemical wet scrubbers, three (3) carbon towers, and two (2) chemical storage tanks.” USA · 2021-2023 · pilot or niche | weak (company, news, market research, other) ascelibrary.org |
| Biotrickling filters can achieve H2S removal rates comparable to chemical scrubbers, with average removal of 97.5% for inlet concentrations up to 25 ppm. “On average, 97.5% H2S removal was achieved for H2S inlet concentrations of up to 25 ppm (N =15,000 data points).” USA · 2003 · | weak (company, news, market research, other) ✓ deshusses.pratt.duke.edu |
| Converting chemical scrubbers to biotrickling filters can save $10,000–50,000 per year in chemicals and electricity, with additional benefits from reduced liability and improved worker safety. “Savings are in the range of $10,000–50,000 worth of chemicals and electricity per scrubber per year, depending on the size of the scrubber and the H2S loading.” USA · 2003 · | weak (company, news, market research, other) ✓ deshusses.pratt.duke.edu |
| The primary drivers for switching from chemical scrubbers to biotrickling filters are lower operation and maintenance costs, the elimination of hazardous chemical storage and handling, and improved worker health and safety. “Motivations for such conversions include the lower operation and maintenance costs and the absence of use of toxic and dangerous chemicals in biological scrubbers.” USA · 2003 · | weak (company, news, market research, other) deshusses.pratt.duke.edu |
| As of 2010, biofilters, trickle bed filters (bioscrubbers), and multistage operations accounted for 26.4%, 24.0%, and 43.2% respectively of the total exhaust air treatment systems installed in Germany, primarily on pig farms. “As of 2010, biofilters, trickle bed filters (bioscrubbers), and multistage operations amounted to 26.4, 24.0, and 43.2% of the total accumulation exhaust air treatment systems installed in Germany, most of which were installed on pig farms.” Germany · 2010 · majority share of a major market | peer-reviewed ✓ pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov |
Details
Replaces: chemical scrubbers and thermal oxidizers for dilute, biodegradable emissions · Scope: wastewater, waste, livestock, food industry, biogas · Evidence: high
The chemical problem#
- Odour from sewage works, compost sites and rendering plants is a top cause of public complaints and permit trouble.
- The standard fix — chemical scrubbers — needs a constant supply of caustic soda, hypochlorite and acid, with storage risk and chemical waste.
- Thermal oxidizers burn natural gas to destroy VOCs present at low concentration — high energy and CO₂ per unit of pollutant removed.
Product overview#
- Biofilters — air flows through a moist packed bed (compost, wood chips, bark, peat-free media) colonized by microbes that oxidize odorants.
- Biotrickling filters — inert packing with a trickling nutrient solution; higher loading, better pH control, smaller footprint; used for H₂S and ammonia.
- Bioscrubbers — pollutants absorbed into water, then degraded in a separate bioreactor.
- Biological biogas desulfurization — H₂S removal by sulfur-oxidizing bacteria instead of iron salts or caustic.
Active ingredient / Composition#
- Microbial communities: sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (Thiobacillus, Acidithiobacillus), nitrifiers, heterotrophic VOC degraders, fungi for hydrophobic VOCs.
- Media: compost/wood chips (biofilters) or plastic/lava-rock packing (biotrickling).
Key facts#
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Full-scale retrofit | Existing chemical scrubbers at a wastewater plant were converted to biotrickling filters for H₂S with high removal and no scrubbing chemicals |
| Typical removal | High (often >90 %) for H₂S, reduced sulfur compounds, ammonia and readily biodegradable VOCs at suitable residence times |
| Operating cost | Mostly fans and water; no chemical purchases; media replacement every few years (biofilters) |
| Limits | Hydrophobic and chlorinated VOCs, very high concentrations, sudden load swings |
Advantages#
- No hazardous chemicals stored on site.
- Low energy compared with thermal oxidation of dilute streams.
- Media can be made from residues (wood chips, compost).
- Converts existing scrubber towers (retrofit) with modest capital.
Mode of action#
- Pollutants dissolve into the water film on the packing; microbes oxidize them: H₂S → sulfate, NH₃ → nitrite/nitrate, VOCs → CO₂ and water.
- Biotrickling filters remove acidic products with the trickling liquid, keeping pH in range.
Application#
| Situation | Target | Method, timing and specifics |
|---|---|---|
| Sewage pumping stations, inlet works | H₂S, odour | Biotrickling filter or retrofit of existing caustic scrubber |
| Composting halls, waste sites | Odour, ammonia | Open or enclosed biofilter with acid pre-scrubber for high NH₃ |
| Livestock houses | Ammonia, odour | Biotrickling/biofilter on exhaust air (see LE02) |
| Biogas plants | H₂S | Biological desulfurization before engines (EN01) |
| Food and rendering plants | Odour, VOC | Biofilter or bioscrubber sized on odour load tests |
Limitations#
- Needs constant moisture, temperature and nutrient control; dries out or clogs if neglected.
- Footprint of open biofilters is large.
- Not suited to chlorinated solvents, very high VOC loads or intermittent emissions without buffering.
- Start-up takes weeks while the biomass establishes.
Evidence of displacement — D3: proven displacement at scale#
Assessment (hand-reviewed): National: biofilters, bioscrubbers and multistage biological systems are most exhaust-air treatment units installed in Germany (2010).
Verified figures (the number is in the quoted sentence and the sentence is on the source page):
- displacement — As of 2010, biofilters, trickle bed filters (bioscrubbers), and multistage operations accounted for 26.4%, 24.0%, and 43.2% respectively of the total exhaust air treatment systems installed in Germany, primarily on pig farms. (Germany, 2010; peer-reviewed: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- performance — Biotrickling filters can achieve H2S removal rates comparable to chemical scrubbers, with average removal of 97.5% for inlet concentrations up to 25 ppm. (USA, 2003; weak: deshusses.pratt.duke.edu)
- economics — Converting chemical scrubbers to biotrickling filters can save $10,000–50,000 per year in chemicals and electricity, with additional benefits from reduced liability and improved worker safety. (USA, 2003; weak: deshusses.pratt.duke.edu)
Suppliers — real products and services (from the vendor index)#
Active vendors whose own card shows biofiltration, biotrickling or biological odour/H₂S control systems.
| Company | Region · Country | What the index shows | Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alveo Water (Pty) Ltd | Africa/ME · South Africa | BioAir odour control systems for wastewater | card |
| MENA-Water | Africa/ME · United Arab Emirates | odour control incl. bio/scrubber filters | card |
| generizon | Africa/ME · Morocco | deodorization and biofiltration | card |
| Kazanci Environmental Technics | Africa/ME · Turkey | odour control and environmental biotechnology | card |
| Papop | Asia · Thailand | H₂S bio-scrubber for biogas purification | card |
| True Eco Sdn Bhd | Asia · Malaysia | industrial odour control solutions; biogas and wastewater EPCC | card |
Government funding signals#
Scanned 2026-10-01 (OpenAIRE + NSF); candidates reviewed by hand.
Signal: Weak. Four candidates: EC SME Instrument 719443 (plasma + biotrickling for industrial VOC, €50 k), Czech grants GA104/02/0665 (biotrickling filter design) and TA03020395 (combined biological waste-gas treatment), and an old NSF SBIR. A mature technology bought by plant operators, not funded by research agencies.
Scientific evidence#
- Gabriel D, Deshusses MA (2003). Retrofitting existing chemical scrubbers to biotrickling filters for H2S emission control. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 100: 6308–6312.
- Iranpour R, Cox HHJ, Deshusses MA, Schroeder ED (2005). Literature review of air pollution control biofilters and biotrickling filters for odor and volatile organic compound removal. Environmental Progress 24: 254–267.
- Mudliar S, Giri B, Padoley K, et al. (2010). Bioreactors for treatment of VOCs and odours – a review. Journal of Environmental Management 91: 1039–1054.
Bioeconomy value#
Every wastewater plant, biogas plant and compost site needs odour control. Biofilters replace a recurring chemical purchase with a living filter, and the water and biogas engineering firms in this index already sell them.
Cross-links: W01 biological treatment; EN01 biogas; LE02 livestock ammonia; WC02/WC03 waste and sludge sites.