Macro-Kinetics of Biofiltration for Odor Control:Dimethyl Disulfide

A dual -column biofilter system with two different composts was used to investigate the macro-kinetics of dim-ethyl disulfide (DMDS) degradation. The biofilter columns were filled with compost mixtures up to one meter, The gas How rate and DMDS concentration to the biofilters were varied to study their effect on the removal characteris-tics of DMDS. It was found that the biodegradation of DMDS was governed by zero-order reaction -limited macro-kinetics for inlet DMDS concentrations between 10 and 55 ppmv. The overall average zero-order kinetic coeffi-cient for DMDS removal by compost was 0.50 (<TEX>$pm$</TEX>0.1) ppm/sec for both compost mixtures studied. Variations in individual kinetic coefficients were observed due to varying environmental conditions, such as pH and temperature. The kinetic coefficients determined are specific to the system discussed in this work. During high acidity conditions in the filter beds, methyl mercaptan (MM) was observed in the gas samples collected. Appearance of MM was pro-bably due to decreased microbial activity in the lower portions of the biofilter. Considering the neutral pH range required and the presence of methyl mercaptan, it is likely that the microorganisms present in the biofilters used in this research are similar to the T. thioparus (strain E6) species.