Development and testing of a model biofilter

Abstract

Offensive odour arising from animal production houses and facilities has been noted to be harmful to both human and animal health. Bad odour causing air pollution can be controlled by physical, chemical or biological methods. A biochemical system called Biofilter for air filtration and control of offensive odour has been designed, constructed and tested. The effectiveness of odour control by the model biofilter was tested by a panel guided with a structured questionnaire. 63% of panel members correctly identified the offensive odour being produced by the source, the same proportion identified odourless nature of the products released at the exhaust section of the filter, and 100% noticed the milky colour change at the humidifier and condensing water on the top of the glass layers of the biofilter. 84% of the panel viewed the biofilter as an effective way of removing bad odour from the atmosphere. Keywords: Biofilter, Odour, Air Filtration, Control Journal of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology , Volume 8, 2008