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The use of air treatment biofilters for the control of trace air contaminants in advanced life support (ALS) systems is currently being investigated by the Waste Processing and Resource Recovery team of the New Jersey - NSCORT (NASA Specialized Center of Research and Training). Ammonia (NH3) was selected as a model compound because it presents special challenges to the sustained operation of a biofilter; additionally, ammonia' is a contaminant of concern to ALS. The special challenges that NH3 removal presents to biofilter operation are due to (dynamic changes in the biodegradation environment which result from the accumulation of ammonia and its metabolic (biotransformation) products. This accumulation degrades the quality of the environment eventually limiting and eliminating the desired biological activity. This paper contains inform&ion on the development of a mathematical model for a nitrifying biofilter.

The use of biofilters for the control of air contaminants in Advanced Life Support (ALS) systems is currently being investigated by the Waste Processing and Resource Recovery research team of the New Jersey - NSCORT (NASA Specialized Center of Research and Training). Ammonia (NH3) was selected as a test air contaminant as it presents special challenges to the sustained operation of a biofilter. Ammonia loading to the ALS atmosphere will likely be from waste treatment (biological treatment of human, plant and food wastes) and food processing operations. This NH3 has the potential of causing adverse effects on plant growth and humans.