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Recovery of sulphur from contaminated air in wastewater treatment plants by biofiltration: a critical review

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Abstract

Biofilters are popular as an alternative method for treatment of volatile air pollutants like hydrogen sulphide originating from wastewater treatment plants. Despite several advantages over conventional chemical systems, one of the concerns of biological treatment of hydrogen sulphide is the production of large volumes of neutral or acidic leachate which needs to be treated or disposed safely. Instead of treating as an unwanted product, a waste stream of weakly acidic leachate can be thought of as a sulphur resource. This paper provides an overview of recent literature on the removal of H2S from contaminated air in an aerobic environment and discusses the possibility of recovering sulphur from contaminated air with special emphasis on polluted air originating from wastewater treatment plants. We also add our perspectives on future research and development needs in this area.

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  1. School of Engineering and Information Technology, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Perth, WA, 6150, Australia

    K. A. Rabbani, W. Charles, R. Cord-Ruwisch & G. Ho

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  1. K. A. Rabbani
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  2. W. Charles
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  3. R. Cord-Ruwisch
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  4. G. Ho
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Correspondence to K. A. Rabbani.

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Rabbani, K.A., Charles, W., Cord-Ruwisch, R. et al. Recovery of sulphur from contaminated air in wastewater treatment plants by biofiltration: a critical review. Rev Environ Sci Biotechnol 14, 523–534 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11157-015-9367-5

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