Technologies for the abatement of odours and volatile organic and inorganic compounds

Air pollution has become a major concern worldwide. Different groups of pollutants play a role in atmospheric pollution, namely particulate matter and volatile organic and inorganic compounds (VOC, VIC). The latter are also known as odours when they generate smelling problems. This short review will mainly focus on available technologies for the removal of volatile compounds. Conventional physico-chemical techniques, such as incineration, absorption and adsorption, as well as biotechniques and innovative processes will be considered. Some important differences between those abatment technologies is the fate of the pollutant. In non-biological oxidation processes as well as in bioprocesses, the pollutants are degraded and are expected to get converted to non-toxic compounds, under optimised conditions. Conversely, in technologies based on mass-transfer, the pollutants are transfered from one-phase to another, although this may sometimes be accompanied by a chemical reaction. Other significant differences between treatment processes are the investment and operating costs as well as the recommended application range in terms of gas flow rates or pollutant concentrations, among others. Combined or multi-stage processes have also gained more interest recently, as well as some innovative bioprocesses.