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Abstract
This study evaluated the effectiveness of biogas scrubbing using three low-cost materials charcoal, iron filings, and chalk with a focus on removing water moisture, hydrogen sulphide (H₂S), and carbon dioxide (CO₂) from raw biogas. A three-stage serial scrubbing system was fabricated using transparent 2-litre plastic bottles connected in series to a small-scale anaerobic digester. Each scrubbing material was assessed individually using a hygrometer and portable gas analysers. Results demonstrated that iron filings achieved the highest average H₂S removal efficiency of 96.3%, charcoal reduced moisture content by an average of 83.5%, while chalk reduced CO₂ by approximately 62.4%. Overall, the combined scrubbing system substantially elevated the estimated methane (CH₄) fraction from approximately 60–68% to 82–87%. The findings suggest that this simple, inexpensive, and scalable scrubbing configuration offers a viable solution for small-scale biogas purification in rural and peri-urban communities, contributing to sustainable housing and green building energy strategies.
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