ODOR CONTROL SYSTEM

What is an Odor?
An odor is defined as a sensation resulting from the reception of a stimulus by the olfactory sensory system.
Controlling odors is an important consideration for protecting the environment and our community amenity. Odors
can be generated from a vast range of sources including sewage treatment processes and industrial effluents.

Odor Control Technologies

Typical odor emission control applications are the removal of odor from sewage treatment plants & sewage wet
waste. Odor related complaints from communities surrounding WWTPs have been increasing for many WWTPs.
Here, several emission sources need odor control equipment, e.g. such as pump stations, wet wells, sludge
dewatering, manholes, air valve chambers, and sludge trans-shipment operations from silo into trucks. Sewage
odor consists of mainly hydrogen sulphide & H2S is dangerous to be released to the environment. Hydrogen
sulphide, the gas, also contains organic sulphur components (mercaptans, hydrocarbons) and ammonia.

Odor control technologies can be grouped into three distinct categories:

1. Chemical Absorption
(acid and caustic wet scrubbing)

2. Biological Oxidation
(bio-filtration and bio-scrubbing / bio trinkling filtration)

3. Adsorption
(activated carbon and other adsorptive medias)

4. The Combination of above systems are usually used for Biological Oxidation & Chemical Scrubbing

Chemical Absorption:
Chemical scrubbers achieve odor removal by mass transfer absorption via contact of air stream with aqueous
solution on random packing material in a scrubbing chamber.
The liquid is typically water, adjusted to the proper pH and CHEMICAL

oxidation potential by chemicals. DOSING

TANK CHEMICAL
STORAGE
TANK
CHEMICAL

Two parameters define the performance of any absorption SCRUBBER

scrubbing system. These are the efficiency of gas/liquid CHEMICAL DOSING

PUMPS CHEMICAL
contact and the adequacy of a chemical within the aqueous SCRUBBER

phase to promote reaction and absorption. Corodex Industries

CHEMICAL
CHEMICAL TANK
CIRCULATION
FILLING
PUMPS FRESH WATER
uses a special media which increases the efficiency of the TANK

scrubber in smaller tower size.

SOFTENER
FEED PUMPS

Main features:

1. Scrubbing liquid make-up system

AIR FAN

2. Scrubbing liquid re-circulation system

3. Scrubbing liquid discharge system SOFTENER

4. Scrubbing liquid system

(chemical for adjusting the pH and ORP value )
5. Ventilation system
Odor Control System

Biological Oxidation
Biological oxidation is a process by which the bacteria and other types of micro-organisms consume dissolved
oxygen and organic substances in wastewater, using the energy released to convert organic carbon into carbon
dioxide and cellular materials.
BIO SCRUBBER

Biological oxidation is broken into two broad categories:

1. Bio-oxidation using inorganic media
(bio-scrubbers or bio-trickling filters)
2. Bio-oxidation using organic media AIR FAN

(traditionally referred to as biofilters)

Main features:

1. Scrubbing liquid make-up system

2. Scrubbing liquid re-circulation system
3. Scrubbing liquid discharge system NUTRIENT DOSING
PUMPS

4. Nutrient dosing system NUTRIENT TANK

5. pH controller system BIO CIRCULATION

PUMPS

6. Ventilation system TSE MAKE UP

PUMPS
TSE TANK

Adsorption
Adsorption is a process that uses activated carbon to adsorb odorous compound into
activated carbon material. This is accomplished by passing the odorous air across a
DEODORIZER

bed of activated carbon, allowing the adsorptive process to occur and releasing the
clean air to atmosphere. AIR
FAN

Main features: DEMISTER

1. Prefiltration system (demister)

2. Ventilation system
3. Carbon media

Combined Technologies
When a situation arises, where an odor stream contains both high levels of H2S and significant level of organic
sulfur compounds. In a combined systems consisting of 2 technologies become more pratical. For this particular
instance, a first stage system such as a bio-scrubber or
catalytic carbon system might be used for removing the
CHEMICAL
H2S. A second stage bio-filter system would then be SCRUBBER CLEAN AIR

ideal to treat the mercaptans and any remaining H2S, STACK OUTPUT

which at this point would be at a very low level.

AIR
FAN

Another situation that often requires a combination CHEMICAL

DOSING PUMPS

approach is that of odor control in sensitive areas.

There are times when the odor source is quite close
to facility fence line. Some odor control technologies BIO SCRUBBER

have an odor unit level at their discharge that might

not be acceptable if the neighbors are close to the fence
line. For example, bio-filters have an effluent odor unit
(OU) level between 200 and 400 OU. This level may
represent a considerable reduction of odors prior to the CHEMICAL
STORAGE TANK

bio-filter but may still be too high for the neighbors. In CHEMICAL
TANK FILLING

this case, a solution would be to add a second stage OROROUS CHEMICAL

activated carbon system to further reduce the OU level AIR CIRCULATION

PUMPS

to 100 or less. This odor control technique is known as BIO

CIRCULATION
SOFTENER FRESH
WATER TANK

polishing.
PUMPS
SOFTENER
FEED PUMPS
FRESH WATER
TANK SOFTENER
 Odor control technologies comparison chart

Odor Control Types of odor H2S Concentration Air flow range Efficiency
Technology treated ppm m3/h %
Adsorption VOCs, H2S, broad range of Peak Less than 250 500 - 15,000 Greater than 99%
(Activated Carbon) compounds Average Less than 50

Bioscrubber VOCs, NH3, H2S Less than 1000 500 - 50,000* Greater than 99%

Chemical Scrubber Soluble odorous compounds Up-to 2000 Greater than 2000 99.9%
including NH3 500 - 50,000*

*Capacity can be supplied as per cilent requirments

Common Odor Scenarios and Potential Solutions

Odors can be produced at a number of points within the wastewater collection system as well as within
wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) itself. These odors can be caused by a combination of inorganic and
organic compounds.
Three common odor scenarios have been examined as follows.
1. Collection System - Pumping Station
2. WWTP - Headworks
3. WWTP - Sludge Dewatering

Looking at each scenario, the typical odor conditions such as types of odorous compounds present, how they
are generated and their relative intensity is described. Then the best technology or combination of technology
is recommended to solve the problem.

1. Collection System – Pumping Station

The collection system which brings wastewater to the central wastewater treatment facility can be a major
source of odor generation. When the waste water reaches the pumping station, the water is agitated and the
H2S is liberated frvom the liquid phase to vapor phase, resulting in odor. The average H2S concentration is
assumed to be 10 ppm. Other odorous compounds may be present but in very low concentrations.
Solution
The predominance of H2S combined with the lack of significant organic odorous compounds allows this
application to be effectively solved with a single stage technology. At lower end of H2S range (10 ppm or less),
an engineered biofilter or catalytic carbon system would be a good choice. At higher H2S levels, the biofilter
becomes less of an adequate solution but a bioscrubber might now become an acceptable alternative. The
particulars of pump stations include the proximity to neighbors and limited foot print space. For these additional
reasons, activated carbon technology is highly preferred.
2. WWTP – Headworks
Waste water from the collection system is brought into the treatment plant at the headworks. Hydrogen sulfide
is typically the most prevalent odorous compound at the end headworks and can be present in concentrations
from 5 ppm up to 50 ppm and beyond. Reduced sulfur compounds are usually also present from 50 ppb and
higher.
Solution
The combination of significat level of H2S and reduced sulfur compounds requires a combination system for
most effective solution. Here we can make a two stage system, consisting of a first stage bio-scrubber for H2S
removal, followed by either an engineered biofilter or an activated carbon system.
3. WTTP – Sludge Dewatering
Solids processes present some of the most intense odor challenges of all wastewater operations. The average
H2S concentration can be assumed to be 10 ppm.
Solution
This challenging odor application is best solved with a combination technology. In this case, the significant

loadings of all major types of odorous compounds would argue in favor of a bio-scrubber first stage (assuming
the H2S levels are 20 ppm or less) to treat both H2S and ammonia followed by a biofilter second stage to reduce
organic odors as well as to polish any remaining H2S or NH3. If average H2S levels are below 20 ppm, a first
stage biofilter followed by a carbon polisher is a good choice.
 Three decades of engineering excellence
Corodex has been supplying top quality water and wastewater treatment solutions for over 30 years. We have
supplied over 250 water treatment systems, over 500 wastewater treatment plants, and numerous odor control
systems.

The type of odor control systems we have supplied include Adsorption, Biological Oxidation, and Chemical ab-
sorption.Corodex has supplied more than 40 odor control systems for various applications to clients like Dubai
Airport, Jebel Ali Airport zone, Palm Jumeirah Island, Dubai and Abu Dhabi Municipality,Qatar Airport and Oman.

Project Profile

Adsorption Odor Control System

CRIN.CAT3.003.1010
Client: Nakheel, Dubai
Capacity: 2,520 m3/hr
Client Need: Treatment of odor from Sewage
Pumping Station
H2S level: Average 30 ppm

Wet Chemical-scrubber Odor Control System

Client: Sharjah Municipality, Dibba Al Hisin
Capacity: 1,250 m3/hr
Client Need: Treatment of odor from Main
Lifting Station
H2S level: Average 40 ppmv
Peak 250 ppmv

Combine Bio-scrubber and Carbon Adsorption

Odor Control System
Client: Sharjah Municipality, Sharjah
Capacity: 3,011 m3/hr
Client Need: Treatment of odor from
main pumping station
H2S level: Average 40-80 ppmv
Peak 250 ppmv