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This guidance sheet forms part of a series of guidance sheets on preventing and managing offensive odours, and should be read in conjunction with EPA Victoria’s Odour Guidance for Industry webpage.
Bio-trickling filters and bioscrubbers are highly specialised odour treatment methods. They work by filtering odorous air through microorganisms and need to be properly designed for your business by a suitably qualified person.
Bio-trickling filters generally combine properties of both biofilters and bioscrubbers in that they contain media, water, and odour treating microorganisms. Unlike biofilters, they are smaller, enclosed systems that usually contain inorganic media that doesn’t need changing. The microorganisms grow within the bio-trickling filter media.
Bioscrubbers are much like bio-trickling filters, being smaller, enclosed biological filtration odour treatment systems. However, unlike bio-trickling filters, the microorganisms are grown in a separate reservoir and circulated/recirculated through the media.
Biological filtration.
These filters work best on large volumes of low/consistently concentrated odour sources; however, they can be more difficult and expensive to install than a biofilter. The decision to use a biological filtration method, or the specific one for your site, is best done with a suitably qualified person. For assistance in choosing a suitably qualified person, see EPA’s guide to engaging a consultant.
Suitable for: various volatile odorous compounds from hydrocarbons like styrene or fatty acids, to sulphur or chlorine-laden compounds, or nitrogenous compounds such as ammonia.
Industries that would use this: bio-trickling filters and bioscrubbers are most commonly seen in industries that produce acidic gases, or water purification plants and animal holding/processing facilities, as well as the textile and tobacco industries.
Bio-trickling filter:
Bioscrubber:
Biofilters fact sheet [scheduled for publication shortly]
Page last updated on 4 Jun 2019