« Previous AbstractPolyurethane foam based biofilter media for toluene removal    Next AbstractRemoval of the sesquiterpene beta-caryophyllene from air via biofiltration: performance assessment and microbial community structure »

Water Res

Title:		Performance of a fungal biofilter treating gas-phase solvent mixtures during intermittent loading
Author(s):		Moe WM; Qi B;
Address:		"3418G CEBA Building, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA. moemwil@lsu.edu"
Journal Title:		Water Res
Year:		2004
Volume:		38
Issue:		9
Page Number:		2258 - 2267
DOI:		10.1016/j.watres.2004.02.017
ISSN/ISBN:		0043-1354 (Print) 0043-1354 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Biological treatment processes used to remove and degrade volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from contaminated gases emitted by industrial operations or waste treatment processes are almost always subjected to transient loading conditions because of the inherently unsteady-state nature of contaminant generating processes. In the study presented here, a laboratory-scale biofilter populated by a mixed culture of fungi was used to study the transient response to various periods of no contaminant loading in a system treating a model waste gas stream containing a mixture of commonly used solvents. The biofilter, packed with cubed polyurethane foam media and operated with an empty bed residence time of 15s, was supplied with a four-component mixture of n-butyl acetate, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl propyl ketone, and toluene at target influent concentrations of 124, 50.5, 174, and 44.6 mg/m(3), respectively. This corresponds to a total VOC loading rate of 94.3g/(m(3)h). Biofilter performance was evaluated over a 94-day period for three loading conditions intended to simulate processes generating contaminated gases only during daytime operation, daytime operation with weekend shutdown periods, and with long term (9-day) shutdown. Results indicate that fungal biofilters can be an effective alternative to conventional abatement technologies for treating solvent contaminated off-gases even under discontinuous loading conditions"
Keywords:		"Acetates/chemistry/metabolism Air Pollutants/chemistry/metabolism Air Pollution/*prevention & control Biodegradation, Environmental Butanones/chemistry/metabolism Filtration/instrumentation/*methods Fungi/*metabolism Gases/*chemistry Pentanones/chemistry/;"
Notes:		"MedlineMoe, William M Qi, Bing eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2004/05/15 Water Res. 2004 May; 38(9):2258-67. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2004.02.017"