BACKGROUNDH(2)S and methanethiol, which are important odorants from pig facilities, were unsatisfactorily removed in field biological air filters with short residence time. For a better understanding of the process, this study established a dynamic model for simulation of H2S and methanethiol removal in a three-stage biological air filter (two stages of biotrickling filter and one stage of biofilter), based on experimental determined mass transfer coefficients and partition coefficients from previous studies. RESULTSThe maximum biodegradation rates for both H2S and methaetniol were estimated to be relatively low, with differences observed for different stages. Further, H2S removal was also observed to be limited by mass transfer, while other parameters such as active water content, biofilm thickness and diffusion coefficient were also shown to affect model performance, indicating the relevance of proper estimation of these parameters. For methanethiol, on the other hand, the model is mainly limited by maximum biodegradation rate. CONCLUSIONOverall, the established model can properly simulate the performance of the field biological air filter for the removal of volatile sulfur compounds. Calibration of model parameters in field conditions may further improve the model precision and robustness for predicting performance of the field biological air filter. (c) 2015 Society of Chemical Industry