2001 AACC Annual Meeting Charlotte, North Carolina October 14-18, 2001 Charlotte Convention Center

As a result of the Clean Air Act of 1990 and its amendments, industrial odors and VOC emissions are regulated in the US and require treatment. In addition, many corn wet milling companies are confronted with urban sprawling that result in residential developments very close to its facilities. As a result, companies are subject to much stricter odor control regulations due to public's low tolerance to odors. Previously, odors were mostly controlled via physical-chemical processes. Due to the high operating costs associated with these technologies, companies were forced to explore more cost effective alternative technologies. Consequently, biological treatment technologies were investigated and developed to the point that it could be used to cost effectively reduce odors and VOCs. Originally biofiltration technology was not recognized in the US as an effective means for odor control. Fortunately, the potential of biofiltration technology has intrigued many research scientists and entrepreneurs that led to the development of modern day technology biofilters that are used widely for various odor and VOC treatment applications. This paper presents the design and implementation of biofiltration at critical stages in its development process. The application of various type biofilter technologies and designs for treating odors from corn wet milling facilities is discussed. Performance data for full-scale biofilter installations will be presented.