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Design and performance of biofilters for the removal of alkylbenzene vapors
Author(s) -
Kennes Christian,
Cox Huub H. J.,
Doddema Hans J.,
Harder Wim
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of chemical technology and biotechnology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1097-4660
pISSN - 0268-2575
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-4660(199607)66:3<300::aid-jctb495>3.0.co;2-9
Subject(s) - biofilter , ethylbenzene , toluene , chemistry , biodegradation , perlite , xylene , carbon dioxide , environmental chemistry , degradation (telecommunications) , chromatography , environmental engineering , environmental science , organic chemistry , materials science , metallurgy , telecommunications , computer science
Three identical biofilters, run under the same conditions but inoculated with different mixed cultures, were fed a mixture of toluene, ethylbenzene, and o ‐xylene (TEX) gases. Inert porous perlite was used as support material, in contrast to the more conventional biofiltration systems where natural supports are used. Biodegradation started in all three biofilters a few hours after inoculation, without previous adaptation of the inocula to the toxic mixture. Despite acidification of the systems to pH values below 4·5, the elimination capacities reached were fully satisfactory. The best performing biofilter, in which bacteria were dominant, showed an elimination capacity of 70 g TEX m −3 h −1 with a near complete removal of the mixture up to an influent concentration of 1200 mg TEX m −3 at a gas residence time of 57 s. Most of the ingoing carbon was recovered as carbon dioxide in the outgoing gas. In the other biofilters fungi dominated and performance was slightly worse. With single substrates, the elimination capacity was higher for toluene and ethylbenzene than for the TEX mixture, whereas o ‐xylene removal was slowest in all cases. Also when feeding the mixture to the biofilters, o ‐xylene was removed most slowly.