Lush green wall representing a biotrickling filter with futuristic industrial background.

Biotrickling Filtration: Can This Natural Tech Clean Our Air?

Lena Voss in Climate & Environment June 2025 • 3 min read.

"Explore how biotrickling filtration uses natural processes to efficiently remove ammonia and other pollutants from industrial air streams, offering a sustainable solution for air purification."

Imagine a world where industrial processes don't mean polluted air. That's the promise of biotrickling filtration, a nature-inspired technology that's gaining serious traction. Instead of relying on harsh chemicals or energy-intensive methods, biotrickling filtration harnesses the power of microorganisms to clean up gaseous waste streams.

At its core, biotrickling filtration is a biological treatment method used to purify polluted air streams. It's particularly effective for removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other pollutants, including ammonia, from industrial emissions. Think of it as a high-tech, eco-friendly air purifier.

Industries like food processing, flavor manufacturing, and composting often release air pollutants. Biotrickling filtration offers a sustainable solution by degrading pollutants at standard pressure and temperature. Compared to other methods like scrubbing or catalytic oxidation, it's a highly energy-efficient option that also ensures complete pollutant mineralization.

How Does Biotrickling Filtration Work?

Lush green wall representing a biotrickling filter with futuristic industrial background.

The process relies on a carefully designed system where polluted air flows through a packed bed of media. This media, which can be natural materials like peat or wood bark, or synthetic materials such as lava rock, supports a thriving community of microorganisms.

As the polluted air makes its way through the filter, pollutants are absorbed into a thin film of water that trickles down through the media. This water film provides the microorganisms with the moisture and nutrients they need to break down the pollutants into harmless substances like carbon dioxide, water, and mineral salts.

Absorption: Pollutants from the air are absorbed into the water film.
Biodegradation: Microorganisms in the biofilm break down the absorbed pollutants.
Regeneration: The trickling water continuously replenishes moisture and nutrients.

A key advantage of biotrickling filtration is its ability to handle pollutants that are highly soluble in water, like ammonia. A recent study even developed a mathematical model to describe the dynamics of absorption and biological activity within these systems, finding that a significant portion of ammonia removal (around 44%) is due to water absorption alone!

The Future of Air Purification is Green

Biotrickling filtration offers a promising path toward cleaner industrial emissions. By harnessing the power of nature, this technology provides a sustainable, energy-efficient, and cost-effective solution for air purification. As industries continue to seek greener practices, biotrickling filtration is poised to play a key role in creating a healthier environment for everyone.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1007/s11356-017-9968-3, Alternate LINK

Title: Comparison Between Absorption And Biological Activity On The Efficiency Of The Biotrickling Filtration Of Gaseous Streams Containing Ammonia

Subject: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

Journal: Environmental Science and Pollution Research

Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Authors: Sabrina Copelli, Massimo Raboni, Marco Derudi, Giuseppe Nano, Vincenzo Torretta

Published: 2017-08-22

Everything You Need To Know

What exactly is biotrickling filtration?

Biotrickling filtration is a biological treatment method designed to purify polluted air streams, particularly those containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and pollutants like ammonia. It's essentially an eco-friendly air purifier that utilizes microorganisms to break down harmful substances.

Why is biotrickling filtration so important?

The significance of biotrickling filtration lies in its sustainable approach to air purification. It's a green technology that offers an energy-efficient and cost-effective solution compared to methods like scrubbing or catalytic oxidation. The implications are far-reaching, as it helps industries reduce their environmental impact and move towards cleaner emissions.

How does biotrickling filtration work?

The process starts with polluted air flowing through a packed bed of media, such as peat, wood bark, or lava rock. This media houses a thriving community of microorganisms. As the air passes through, pollutants are absorbed into a water film. The microorganisms then break down the pollutants into harmless substances like carbon dioxide, water, and mineral salts. The process involves absorption, biodegradation, and regeneration.

How effective is biotrickling filtration at removing ammonia?

Biotrickling filtration is highly effective for removing pollutants like ammonia because ammonia is highly soluble in water. A study showed a substantial percentage of ammonia removal is due to water absorption alone. This makes the process a powerful tool for industries dealing with ammonia emissions.

What does the future look like for biotrickling filtration?

The future of air purification is likely to include more widespread use of biotrickling filtration. It's a promising approach because it offers a sustainable, energy-efficient, and cost-effective method for cleaning industrial emissions. As industries look for greener practices, this technology is expected to play a key role in creating a healthier environment.