Ecological air quality improvement technologies – comparison of biofilter and bioscrubber efficiency in waste gas treatment
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17512/INSTAL.2026.10.05Keywords:
biofilter, bioscrubber, composting, VOC, activated sludge inoculationAbstract
Emissions of odorous compounds and volatile pollutants from composting organic waste remain one of the major environmental challenges associated with municipal waste management. Biological gas treatment technologies, particularly biofilters and bioscrubbers, are increasingly applied due to their high removal efficiency and relatively low operating costs. This study aimed to compare the performance of a biofilter and a bioscrubber under comparable experimental conditions in treating off-gases generated during the composting of separately collected organic waste. The biofilter was filled with a mixture of peat, mature compost and wood chips (40:40:20, v/v), while both systems were inoculated with activated sludge to enhance microbial activity. Experimental investigations were conducted during the summer season under mesophilic conditions. Fifteen measurements were performed for each technology. Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), ammonia (NH₃), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were analysed alongside inlet loading (IL), elimination capacity (EC), and removal efficiency (RE). Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics and Welch's t-test (α = 0.05). The bioscrubber demonstrated a significantly higher average removal efficiency than the biofilter, achieving approximately 96% compared with approximately 93%, and also showed a higher elimination capacity. Both technologies operated stably and showed low variability in removal efficiency throughout the experimental period. The results indicate that the biofilter is an effective solution for installations with relatively stable operating conditions, whereas the bioscrubber showed higher treatment efficiency under the variable pollutant loads and gas humidities examined in this study.The findings apply exclusively to summer operating conditions and should not be directly extrapolated to year-round operation without further investigations under low-temperature conditions.
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