Use of porous glass media for a biofilter to remove odorous compounds from an air stream
A system for removing undesirable compounds from contaminated air includes a biofilter having porous glass media. Hydrogen sulfide is removed from contaminated air by passing the contaminated air through the biofilter.
1. A gas phase biofilter for the treatment of contaminated air, the biofilter comprising:
a contaminated air inlet;
a treated air outlet; and
a media bed including foamed glass media in fluid communication between the contaminated air inlet and the treated air outlet, the foamed glass media having a density of about 0.2 grams/cm 3 .
2. The biofilter of claim 1 , wherein the foamed glass media comprises silicon dioxide.
3. The biofilter of claim 2 , wherein the foamed glass media includes surface pores.
4. The biofilter of claim 3 , wherein the foamed glass media includes internal voids.
5. The biofilter of claim 4 , wherein individual pieces of the foamed glass media include passageways extending from first surfaces of the individual pieces to second surfaces of the individual pieces.
6. The biofilter of claim 1 , wherein the foamed glass media comprises recycled glass.
7. The biofilter of claim 1 , further comprising a population of hydrogen sulfide oxidizing bacteria disposed on the foamed glass media.
8. The biofilter of claim 7 , operable to reduce a concentration of hydrogen sulfide in contaminated air including greater than 100 ppm hydrogen sulfide by more than about 95% when the contaminated air is passed through the media bed of the biofilter at a flow rate of from zero to 500 cubic meters per hour per cubic meter of media bed volume.
9. The biofilter of claim 7 , operable to reduce the concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the contaminated air including greater than 100 ppm hydrogen sulfide by more than about 95% when the contaminated air is passed through the media bed of the biofilter at a flow rate of greater than about 500 cubic meters per hour per cubic meter of media bed volume.
10. The biofilter of claim 8 , operable to reduce the concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the contaminated air by more than about 99% when the contaminated air is passed through the media bed of the biofilter at a flow rate of from zero to 500 cubic meters per hour per cubic meter of media bed volume.
11. The biofilter of claim 9 , operable to reduce the concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the contaminated air by more than about 99% when the contaminated air is passed through the media bed of the biofilter at a flow rate of greater than about 500 cubic meters per hour per cubic meter of media bed volume.
12. A method of removing an undesirable compound from contaminated air, the method comprising flowing the contaminated air through a gas phase biofilter including a foamed glass media, the foamed glass media having a density of about 0.2 grams/cm 3 .
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising at least partially filling a media bed compartment of the biofilter with the foamed glass media prior to flowing the contaminated air through the biofilter.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising facilitating growth of a population of hydrogen sulfide oxidizing bacteria on the foamed glass media.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising maintaining the population of hydrogen sulfide oxidizing bacteria on the foamed glass media.
16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
measuring a concentration of nutrient in one of a fluid within and exiting the biofilter; and
adjusting an amount of nutrient added to the media bed compartment per unit of time responsive to the concentration of the nutrient in the fluid being outside of a predetermined range.
17. The method of claim 12 , wherein removing the undesirable compound from the contaminated air comprises removing hydrogen sulfide from the contaminated air.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein removing the hydrogen sulfide from the contaminated air comprises reducing a concentration of hydrogen sulfide by passing the contaminated air at a flow rate of from about zero to about 250 cubic meters per hour per cubic meter of a media bed of the biofilter including the foamed glass media through the media bed.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein reducing the concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the contaminated air comprises reducing the concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the contaminated air by more than about 99%.
20. The method of claim 17 , wherein removing the hydrogen sulfide from the contaminated air comprises reducing a concentration of hydrogen sulfide by passing the contaminated air at a flow rate of greater than about 500 cubic meters per hour per cubic meter of the media bed through the media bed.