Home / Current Issue / Paper 1717595
Biological Mitigation of Malodorous Emissions in Sewage: A Comprehensive Review
Subject area: Science,Engineering and Technology · Area of research: Environmental Microbiology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I11-1717595
Abstract
Malodorous gases generated from sewage systems represent a significant environmental and public health challenge due to their offensive nature, toxicity, and persistence. Conventional odor control methods such as adsorption and chemical scrubbing are widely applied but are often associated with high operational costs, secondary pollution, and limited sustainability. Bioremediation has emerged as a promising alternative, utilizing microbial metabolism to degrade, transform, or mineralize odor-causing compounds into less harmful products. This review critically examines the sources and impacts of malodorous gases, conventional control technologies and their limitations, and advances in bioremediation strategies. Particular emphasis is placed on microbial diversity, degradation mechanisms, influencing environmental factors, and emerging molecular approaches such as omics technologies, bioaugmentation, and biostimulation. The integration of advanced biotechnological tools with microbial systems offers significant potential for sustainable odor management in sewage treatment systems.
Keywords
Bioremediation, Malodorous Gases, Sewage, Microorganisms, Biofiltration, Bioaugmentation, Odor Control
References
[1] Azubuike, C. C., Chikere, C. B., & Okpokwasili, G. C. (2016). Bioremediation techniques—classification based on site of application: Principles, advantages, limitations and prospects. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, 32(11), 180.
[2] de Falco, G., Sabba, F., Ramalingam, K., & Fillos, J. (2025). Biofiltration for odor mitigation in water resource recovery facilities. Science of the Total Environment, 964, 178593.
[3] deSouza, P. N., Anenberg, S. C., & Miller, J. (2024). Evaluating environmental justice dimensions of odor pollution. Environmental Health Perspectives / Preprint (arXiv).
[4] Du, H., Wang, Z., Sun, Y., & Shah, K. J. (2024). Progress in odor removal in water treatment plants. Water, 16(2), 280.
[5] Felföldi, T. (2024). Microbiological aspects of sewage odor problems in urban environments: A review. Biologia Futura, 75, 371–377.
[6] Feng, J., Zhang, Y., Li, L., & Liu, J. (2024). Performance of biotrickling filters for the treatment of complex volatile organic compounds. Journal of Environmental Management, 351, 119842.
[7] Kaur, P., Sharma, S., Gupta, R., Singh, J., & Kumar, V. (2025). Advances in soil remediation technologies and sustainable approaches. Environmental Earth Sciences.
[8] Lee, S., Park, J., Cho, H., & Kim, S. (2023). Reduction of odor-causing compounds in wastewater using biochar: A review. Bioresource Technology, 385, 129419.
[9] Li, W., Lv, J., Yue, Y., Wang, Y., Zhang, J., & Qian, G. (2025). Enhanced adsorption removal of odor contaminants at low concentrations: Advances and challenges. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 482, 136512.
[10] Liu, X., Zhang, Y., & Chen, Z. (2023). Microbial mechanisms in biological air treatment systems: A review. Chemosphere, 312, 137210.
[11] Mekonnen, B. A., Aragaw, T. A., & Genet, M. B. (2024). Bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soil: Principles, degradation mechanisms, and advancements. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 12, 1354422.
[12] Muter, O. (2023). Current trends in bioaugmentation tools for bioremediation: Advances and knowledge gaps. Microorganisms, 11(3), 710.
[13] Pachaiappan, R., Rajendran, S., & Vo, D. V. N. (2022). Biofiltration of volatile organic compounds: A review of its current status and future prospects. Environmental Chemistry Letters, 20, 1–25.
[14] Regidor-Alfageme, P., Dumont, E., & Cantera, S. (2024). Recent advances in biological technologies for the removal of volatile organic compounds and odors. Chemical Engineering Journal, 480, 148123.
[15] Rittmann, B. E., & McCarty, P. L. (2012). Environmental Biotechnology: Principles and Applications. Tata McGraw-Hill Education.
[16] Sheoran, S., Panghal, A., & Singh, D. (2022). Biological treatment of gaseous emissions: A review on biofilters and biotrickling filters. Journal of Cleaner Production, 368, 133128.
[17] Silva-Castro, G. A., Uad, I., Rodriguez-Calvo, A., Gonzalez-Lopez, J., & Calvo, C. (2012). Response of autochthonous bacterial communities of a soil polluted by herbicides to different strategies for bioremediation. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation, 75, 1–10.
[18] Virginia, A. R., Yuwono, A. S., & Arif, C. (2024). Environmental odor analysis and its impact on quality of life. Emerging Science Innovation, 2, 9–18.
[19] Vitko, T., Sahu, A. K., & Ergas, S. J. (2022). Evaluation of a pilot-scale bioscrubber for hydrogen sulfide removal from wastewater treatment plant headspace. Water Environment Research, 94(2), e10688.
[20] Xie, M., Zhang, X., Jing, Y., Du, X., & Tan, C. (2024). Enhanced in-situ bioremediation strategies for organic pollutants in groundwater. Water, 16(3), 456.
[21] Yang, M., Zhang, Y., Zhao, X., Sun, H., & Liu, P. (2025). Bioremediation of hydrogen sulfide emissions using microbial-based membranes. Microbial Cell Factories, 24, 63.
How to cite this paper
@article{1717595,
author = {Emeaba, Goodness Aladdin, V. C. Eze, E. Nwachukwu},
title = {Biological Mitigation of Malodorous Emissions in Sewage: A Comprehensive Review},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2026},
volume = {9},
number = {11},
pages = {1327-1333},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1717595.pdf},
abstract = {Malodorous gases generated from sewage systems represent a significant environmental and public health challenge due to their offensive nature, toxicity, and persistence. Conventional odor control methods such as adsorption and chemical scrubbing are widely applied but are often associated with high operational costs, secondary pollution, and limited sustainability. Bioremediation has emerged as a promising alternative, utilizing microbial metabolism to degrade, transform, or mineralize odor-causing compounds into less harmful products. This review critically examines the sources and impacts of malodorous gases, conventional control technologies and their limitations, and advances in bioremediation strategies. Particular emphasis is placed on microbial diversity, degradation mechanisms, influencing environmental factors, and emerging molecular approaches such as omics technologies, bioaugmentation, and biostimulation. The integration of advanced biotechnological tools with microbial systems offers significant potential for sustainable odor management in sewage treatment systems.},
keywords = {Bioremediation, Malodorous Gases, Sewage, Microorganisms, Biofiltration, Bioaugmentation, Odor Control},
month = {May},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV9I11-1717595}
}