Bioprocesses for air treatment - Implementation

While biological degradation phenomena are widespread in nature and commonly used in wastewater treatment, the use of micro-organisms in air treatment is a recent development.

In general, rustic, efficient and economical treatment processes are sought. This is where biological processes normally find their place, for the degradation of biodegradable molecules alone or in complex mixtures in the air. Moreover, in order to avoid any inhibition of the living environment, bioprocesses are suitable for low to medium pollutant concentrations, but can be applied to high flows of air to be treated.

This article presents the biological processes most commonly used to remove pollutants from the air. It explains the principle and the biological mechanisms involved, describes how the processes are implemented and offers a few examples of applications. The by-products generated by this type of treatment are discussed in terms of their potential uses.

Bioreactor modelling, an interesting tool for predicting the performance of an existing plant or for sizing new units, will be covered in the following article [G 1 781] .

For further information on the various air treatment methods, please refer to to .