Performance evaluation of a wood-chip based biofilter using solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy-olfactometry

Bioresour Technol. 2008 Nov;99(16):7767-80. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2008.01.085. Epub 2008 May 1.

Abstract

A pilot-scale mobile biofilter was developed where two types of wood chips (western cedar and 2 in. hardwood) were examined to treat odor emissions from a deep-pit swine finishing facility in central Iowa. The biofilters were operated continuously for 13 weeks at different air flow rates resulting in a variable empty bed residence time (EBRT) from 1.6 to 7.3 s. During this test period, solid-phase microextraction (SPME) PDMS/DVB 65 microm fibers were used to extract volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from both the control plenum and biofilter treatments. Analyses of VOCs were carried out using a multidimentional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-olfactometry (MDGC-MS-O) system. Results indicated that both types of chips achieved significant reductions in p-cresol, phenol, indole and skatole which represent some of the most odorous and odor-defining compounds known for swine facilities. The results also showed that maintaining proper moisture content is critical to the success of wood-chip based biofilters and that this factor is more important than media depth and residence time.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Air Movements
  • Animals
  • Filtration / instrumentation
  • Filtration / methods
  • Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / methods*
  • Microchemistry / methods*
  • Odorants / analysis*
  • Organic Chemicals / analysis
  • Pilot Projects
  • Smell
  • Solid Phase Microextraction / methods*
  • Swine
  • Time Factors
  • Volatilization
  • Wood / analysis*

Substances

  • Organic Chemicals