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A Neutralizing System For Odor Control

Controlling odors generated by landfill and transfer station activities is one of the many challenges facing the solid waste management industry today.  This article focuses on a neutralizing technology which consists of a complex mixture of essential oils found in plants.

Odor Control Technologies Odor controlling mechanisms include biofilters, neutralizers, and traditional air pollution control equipment such as scrubbers and flares as well activated carbon.  Common gases contributing to landfill or transfer station odor include hydrogen sulfide and organosulfur,  hydrocarbons, and methane as well as

non-hazardous gases such as alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, organic acids, mercaptans, and ammonia, which are typical of anaerobic decomposition and odor contribution.  With a biofiltration method, microbes present in the biofilter degrade some compounds like methane, which produce offensive odors.  Biofiltration is a low temperature catalytic oxidation process in which the catalysts are microbial enzymes.  Soil biofilters have low installation and operating costs.  They require little maintenance, are silent and unobtrusive, create no secondary pollutants or wastes, are intrinsically safe, and remove or destroy a wide range of organic and inorganic gases.  The microbes in biofilters degrade methane and mono- and di-chlorinated hydro-carbons, but do not destroy the tri- and higher-chlorinated hydro-carbons.  Biofilters require moist conditions to maintain microbial activity.  Traditional means of odor control include air pollution scrubbing systems, flares, and the use of activated carbon.  Flares may be an option in some cases, but stack, noise and lighting requirements make this alternative limited.  Activated carbon is a proven technology, but may be costly if continual replacement is required.  In addition, activated carbon is not effective in light (C1 to C3) hydrocarbon removal, and moisture may lower the activated carbon's sorption capacity.  Other odor abatement means include condensation, odor modification / masking, and dilution.

Solid Waste Technologies       March/April  1998                                                            1 of 4  >>>

proportion of food scraps and like materials in our solid waste stream, contributing yet another source of odor.  Strategies for odor control are important because communities and solid waste management employees should not have to suffer from the stench flowing from solid waste transfer points and disposal locations.

or municipalities, technological advances have increased the options for controlling odors generated each day by our solid waste stream.  In addition to the decaying garbage odors found in landfills, recycling has increased the