Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Optimization of biofiltration for odor control: model development and parameter sensitivity.

Hebi Li1, John C Crittenden, James R Mihelcic

  • 1Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton 49931, USA.

Water Environment Research : a Research Publication of the Water Environment Federation
|May 9, 2002
PubMed
Summary

A dynamic biofiltration model, Biofilter, simulates odor-causing air emissions like hydrogen sulfide. Model results indicate a surrounding water layer reduces removal efficiency, highlighting biofilm diffusion and kinetics as key factors.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Disulfide Oxidation in Water: Thiosulfinate Intermediates Dictate Redox Fate.

Environmental science & technology·2026
Same author

Insights from heterogeneous kinetic model: A framework for predicting electrochemical oxidizability from molecular structure for emerging contaminants.

Journal of hazardous materials·2026
Same author

Stakeholder Engagement in Socio-Environmental Systems Research: A Review of Practices and Pathways to Purposeful Integration.

Environmental science & technology·2026
Same author

An Advanced Pore Flow Model for Uncoding Micropollutant Transport in Nanofiltration Membranes.

Environmental science & technology·2025
Same author

The adsorption route and stabilization mechanism of Cd and Pb in soil from Pb-Zn smelter using ferrous sulfide coated with alginate.

Environmental research·2025
Same author

B-Modified Pd Cathodes for the Efficient Detoxification of Halogenated Antibiotics: Enhancing C-F Bond Breakage beyond Hydrodefluorination.

Environmental science & technology·2025

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Engineering
  • Biochemical Engineering
  • Chemical Engineering

Background:

  • Odor-causing air emissions, particularly reduced sulfur compounds like hydrogen sulfide, pose environmental challenges.
  • Biofiltration is a widely used technology for treating these emissions, relying on microbial activity within a biofilm.
  • Understanding the complex mass transport and reaction processes within biofilters is crucial for optimizing their performance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and validate a dynamic mathematical model for simulating mass transport and attenuation of air pollutants in biofilters.
  • To investigate the influence of various physical and biological parameters on the removal efficiency of hydrogen sulfide.
  • To provide a computational tool (Biofilter software) for the design and operation of biofiltration systems.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Methods:

  • Development of a dynamic model incorporating advection, mass transfer, diffusion, and biological reaction.
  • Dimensionless analysis to identify key characterizing groups.
  • Numerical solution of model equations using orthogonal collocation and the DGEAR algorithm.
  • Verification of numerical solutions against analytical solutions.
  • Sensitivity analysis of model parameters using data from operational biofilters.

Main Results:

  • The developed Biofilter model accurately simulates the dynamic behavior of biofiltration processes.
  • Model simulations revealed that a water layer surrounding the biofilm significantly decreases hydrogen sulfide removal efficiency.
  • Sensitivity analysis identified biofilm internal diffusion and biofilm kinetics as dominant factors affecting hydrogen sulfide removal, with external mass transfer having minimal impact.

Conclusions:

  • The Biofilter model provides a valuable tool for understanding and predicting the performance of biofiltration systems.
  • Optimizing biofilm properties and minimizing water layer interference are critical for enhancing the removal of hydrogen sulfide and similar compounds.
  • The study underscores the importance of internal mass transfer and biological kinetics in biofilter design and operation.