Emission of volatile organic compounds from composting of different solid wastes : abatement by biofiltration
Pagans i Miró, Estel·la (Escola Universitària Politècnica del Medi Ambient (Mollet del Vallès, Catalunya))
Font i Segura, Xavier (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Biològica i Ambiental)
Sanchez, Antoni (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament d'Enginyeria Química, Biològica i Ambiental)

Date:	2006
Abstract:	Emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced during composting of different organic wastes (source-selected organic fraction of municipal solid wastes (OFMSW), raw sludge (RS) and anaerobically digested wastewater sludge (ADS) and animal by-products (AP)) and its subsequent biofiltration have been studied. Composting was performed in a laboratory scale composting plant (30 l) and the exhaust gases generated were treated by means of a compost biofilter. VOCs concentration in the composting exhaust gases for each composting process ranged from 50 to 695 mg C m⁻³ for OFMSW (5:1), from 13 to 190 mg C m⁻³ for OFMSW (1:1), from 200 to 965 mg C m⁻³ for RS, from 43 to 2900 mg C m⁻³ for ADS and from 50 to 465 mg C m⁻³ for AP. VOCs emissions were higher during the beginning of the composting process and were not generally related to the biological activity of the process. These emissions corresponded to an average loading rate applied to the biofilter from 2. 56 to 29. 7 g C m⁻³ biofilter h⁻¹. VOCs concentration in the exhaust gas from the biofilter ranged from 55 to 295 mg C m⁻³ for OFMSW (5:1), from 12 to 145 mg C m−3 for OFMSW (1:1), from 55 to 270 mg C m−3 for RS, from 42 to 855 mg C m⁻³ for ADS and from 55 to 315 mg C m⁻³ for AP. Removal efficiencies up to 97% were achieved although they were highly dependent of the composted waste. An important observation was that the compost biofilter emitted VOCs with an estimated concentration of 50 mg C m⁻³.
Grants:	Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología REN2003-00823
Rights:	Tots els drets reservats.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió sotmesa a revisió
Subject:	Biofiltration ; Volatile organic compounds ; Composting ; Compost biofilter ; Organic solid wastes
Published in:	Journal of hazardous materials, Vol. 131, issues 1-3, (April 2006) , p. 179-186, ISSN 0304-3894

DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2005.09.017

Pre-print 33 p, 979.4 KB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Engineering > Composting Research Group (GICOM)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles