Sulphide Removal Microbes

Torus Sulphide Removal is a consortium of sulphur-oxidising and heterotrophic bacteria formulated to eliminate hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and dissolved sulphides from wastewater. Rather than masking odour or binding sulphide with chemical dosing, this microbial blend biologically oxidises sulphide to harmless, odourless sulphate, tackling the root cause of the rotten-egg odour, corrosion, and toxicity that plague sewers and sulphate-rich industrial effluents.

Field applications show that this formulation can reduce dissolved sulphide levels by 70-95% while sharply lowering H2S in the headspace, providing a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to iron salts and chemical scavengers across municipal and industrial systems.

Benefits

• Effective Sulphide Removal: Achieves 70-95% reduction of dissolved sulphides by converting them biologically to sulphate, addressing the contaminant at source rather than temporarily binding it.

• Odour Control: Removing sulphide before it off-gasses sharply cuts hydrogen sulphide in the headspace, reducing nuisance odour complaints around pumping stations and treatment sites.

• Corrosion Protection: By preventing the formation of hydrogen sulphide and the sulphuric acid it produces, the consortium protects concrete sewers, pipework, and metal assets from sulphide-driven corrosion.

• Improved Safety: Lower H2S concentrations mean a safer working environment for operators around wet wells, sumps, and confined spaces.

• Reduced Chemical Costs: After establishment, the self-sustaining microbial community reduces reliance on iron salts, nitrate dosing, and hazardous sulphide scavengers.

• Compatible Treatment: Works alongside our ammonia treatment consortia for combined nutrient and sulphide control within a single water treatment system.

Applications

• Sewer Networks and Pumping Stations: Controls sulphide generated in rising mains and wet wells, protecting infrastructure and reducing odour at discharge points.

• Tannery and Leather Processing: Treats the high sulphide loads produced during dehairing and other sulphide-intensive process steps.

• Pulp, Paper and Textile Wastewater: Manages sulphide arising from sulphur-based process chemistry.

• Refinery and Petrochemical Streams: Reduces sulphide in sour water and related effluents.

• Distillery and Fermentation Effluent: Handles sulphide generated during anaerobic breakdown of high-strength organic wastewater.

For optimal results, the consortium is best deployed with controlled aeration so that sulphides are oxidised to sulphate rather than stripped as gas. Housed within our Torocell WT bioreactor, it maintains a stable sulphide-oxidising community for continuous, chemical-free treatment.

Key Microorganisms

Sulphur-Oxidising Bacteria: Chemolithotrophic bacteria that derive energy from oxidising hydrogen sulphide and other reduced sulphur compounds, converting them to sulphate through a controlled biological pathway.

Supporting Heterotrophs: Complementary bacteria that consume organic matter, stabilise the biofilm, and create the micro-environments that keep the sulphur oxidisers productive under variable effluent conditions.

Mechanism of Action

• Biological Sulphide Oxidation: Under controlled aeration, sulphur-oxidising bacteria convert hydrogen sulphide and dissolved sulphides to sulphate (H2S to SO4), a stable, odourless, non-corrosive end product.

• Source Control of Odour and Corrosion: By removing sulphide before it escapes to the air, the process prevents both the rotten-egg odour and the sulphuric acid corrosion cycle that damages sewers and treatment assets.

• Biofilm Establishment: The consortium colonises available surfaces, forming a resilient biofilm that continues to process sulphide through fluctuations in flow and load, particularly when housed inside the Torocell WT bioreactor.