Biofiltration of Waste Gases in Africa and the Caribbean

Odors and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are typical products of industrial processes. VOCs may be originated from chemical mechanisms, solvent use, petroleum processing and several other sources, while odors are emitted mainly from livestocks, food processing industries, landfills, and waste water treatment plants. They are not known to cause serious diseases, however their persistence provokes nuisances to sensitive people in the case of odors whereas VOCs are precursors of pollutants that degrade the ozone layer. Therefore, the need of waste gas treatment technologies has increased tremendously. Biofiltration is a technique that employs a biofilm, containing a consortium of microorganisms in contact with water and waste gases, which by consuming the organic compounds present in the exhaust gases sustain their growth and simultaneously eliminate the content of several pollutants. It has been proven as a very efficient technique for the treatment of VOCs and odor emissions. In this book you will find an assessment of the potential of biofiltration to be established in Africa and the Caribbean (AF&CA). It is focused for engineers and technicians that provide services in air quality management and want to venture in these regions.