Microbial Ecology of Biofiltration Units Used for the Desulfurization of Biogas

• Published in: ChemEngineering Vol. 3; no. 3; p. 72
• Main Authors: Le Borgne, Sylvie, Baquerizo, Guillermo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.09.2019
• Subjects: Alternative energy sources; Amino acids; anoxic biofiltration; autotrophic denitrification; Bacteria; Biofiltration; Biogas; biotrickling filters; By products; Carbon dioxide; Chemical engineering; Cytochrome; desulfurization; Desulfurizing; Dietary minerals; Ecology; Emissions; Fungi; Gases; Hydrogen sulfide; Membrane separation; Metabolism; Metabolites; microbial ecology; Microorganisms; molecular techniques; Nitrates; Oxidation; Prokaryotes; Proteins; Raw materials; Respiration; Sulfur; Sulfur compounds; sulfur-oxidizing bacteria; Trickling filters
• ISSN: 2305-7084; 2305-7084
• DOI: 10.3390/chemengineering3030072

Bacterial communities’ composition, activity and robustness determines the effectiveness of biofiltration units for the desulfurization of biogas. It is therefore important to get a better understanding of the bacterial communities that coexist in biofiltration units under different operational conditions for the removal of H2S, the main reduced sulfur compound to eliminate in biogas. This review presents the main characteristics of sulfur-oxidizing chemotrophic bacteria that are the base of the biological transformation of H2S to innocuous products in biofilters. A survey of the existing biofiltration technologies in relation to H2S elimination is then presented followed by a review of the microbial ecology studies performed to date on biotrickling filter units for the treatment of H2S in biogas under aerobic and anoxic conditions.