Deodorisation of Ventilated Air from a Fat-Processing Plant Using Different Types of Biofilter Fillings and Membranes

Abstract

The aim of the research is to assess changes in odour concentration in the ventilated air of a production hall, using different types of biofilter fillings and different types of membranes. Deodorisation was carried out using a mobile combined biofilter at a plant producing lard and liquid oils. Ventilated air from the hall contained organic and inorganic pollutants. Two types of fillings were used for technological tests: stumpwood chips mixed with pine bark and a mix of stumpwood chips with pine bark and green waste compost. Two types of membranes were also used, differing in thickness, permeability, and water resistance. The subjects of the research were the air supplied to the filter, lifted directly from the bed, and the air above the membranes. The deodorisation efficiency—the percentage reduction in the odour concentration value as a result of air flow through the bed and membranes—was calculated. The filtration methods used allowed the selection of the most advantageous technological variant from the point of view of deodorisation effectiveness: a mix of stumpwood chips with pine bark and the Pro Eko Tex UV membrane. It has a total odour reduction efficiency of 99.3–99.9% and has been added to full-scale implementation works.