Hydrogen sulfide and ammonia are two inorganic compounds that may cause severe odor problems. In this study, the effectiveness of applying dielectric barrier discharges (DBDs) to destroy and remove these two odor-causing compounds from gas streams via the generation of gas-phase radicals and high-energy electrons is experimentally evaluated with a bench-scale apparatus. Experimental results indicate that the removal efficiencies of both H2S and NH3 With DBD plasmas depend on the gas composition, gas residence time, and applied voltage. Electronegative gases, such as O-2 and H2O(g), tend to increase the electron attachment and therefore decrease removal efficiencies. Simultaneous removal of H2S and NH3 from gas streams is accomplished with DBD technology. Results of this study indicate DBD is an effective technology for controlling inorganic odor-causing compounds.
