Biofiltration Techniques for Volatile Organic Compound Treatment
Summary
Biofiltration harnesses microbial communities immobilised on packing materials to degrade volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in waste gas streams across industrial, commercial and indoor environments. Conventional biofilters comprise a fixed bed of organic or synthetic media supporting biofilm formation, whereas biotrickling filters incorporate a recirculating liquid phase to supply nutrients and maintain moisture, enhancing mass transfer of hydrophobic compounds. Recent innovations include bioactive coatings on inert carriers to improve pollutant bioavailability, fungal–bacterial consortia to broaden substrate range, and integrated advanced oxidation–biofiltration hybrids for recalcitrant compounds. System performance is governed by operational parameters such as empty bed residence time, inlet loading rate, pH, temperature and nutrient dosing. Advances in molecular techniques, including metagenomics and high-throughput sequencing, have elucidated key degraders and community dynamics, enabling targeted design of consortia and optimisation of process conditions. Scalable configurations are being deployed globally to treat emissions from petrochemical plants, painting operations, indoor environments and landfill gas, demonstrating cost effectiveness, low energy consumption and minimal secondary pollution.
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Biofiltration Techniques for Volatile Organic Compound Treatment publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in biofiltration techniques for volatile organic compound treatment across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Biofilm: A structured microbial community attached to a surface and embedded in extracellular polymeric substances, essential for pollutant degradation in biofilters.
Empty bed residence time (EBRT): The theoretical time taken for gas to pass through the filter bed without accounting for media or biofilm volume; a critical factor influencing removal efficiency.
Elimination capacity (EC): The mass of pollutant removed per unit volume of biofilter per hour, indicating the overall treatment performance.
Biotrickling filter: A variant of biofilter in which liquid is continuously or intermittently recirculated over the packing medium to supply nutrients and regulate moisture content.
Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs): Physico-chemical treatments such as UV/TiO₂ that generate reactive radicals, often applied upstream or downstream of biofiltration to tackle persistent VOCs.
References
- Indoor air VOCs biofiltration by bioactive coating packed bed bioreactors. Journal of Environmental Management (2023).
- Fungal co-culture improves the biodegradation of hydrophobic VOCs gas mixtures in conventional biofilters and biotrickling filters. Chemosphere (2022).
- Air Pollutants Removal Using Biofiltration Technique: A Challenge at the Frontiers of Sustainable Environment. ACS Engineering Au (2022).
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