Removal of gas-phase ammonia and hydrogen sulfide using photocatalysis, nonthermal plasma, and combined plasma and photocatalysis at pilot scale.

This study focuses on the removal of gas-phase ammonia (NH3) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in a continuous reactor. Photocatalysis and surface dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD) plasma are studied separately and combined. Though the removal of volatile organic compounds by coupling plasma and photocatalysis has been reported on a number of studies in laboratory scale, this is as far as we know the first time that it is used to remove inorganic malodorous pollutants. While each separate process is able to degrade ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, a synergetic effect appears when they are combined at a pilot scale, leading to removal capacity higher than the sum of each separate process. The removal capacity is higher when the gas circulates at a higher flow rate and when pollutant concentration is higher. The presence of water vapor in the gas is detrimental to the efficiency of the process. Operating conditions also influence the production of nitrogen oxides and ozone.