• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.133-139
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• 2006

Soil biofiltration is an environmentally-sound technology for elimination of VOCs, odorous and NOx compounds from a low concentration, high volume waste gas streams because of its simplicity and cost-effectiveness. This study was performed to evaluate effect of removal of gaseous NOx using a soil and a yellow soil. Over $60\%\;and\;48\%$ of NOx from a soil and a yellow soil was removed at the inlet NO concentrations of $423\~451$ppb, respectively. The bio-filter using a soil media was capable of purifying NOx with a different natural processes. Although some of the processes are quite complex, they can broadly be summarized as adsorption into soil pore water, and biochemical transformations by soil bacteria. When the filteration bio-reactor was applied to a soil and a yellow soil, effective NOx removal was obtained for several times and months. These results show that a soil biofilter can be of use as an alternative advanced NOx treatment system.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2006

In this study, conventional biofilters packed with flexible synthetic polyurethane (PU) foam carriers were operated to remove toluene from a contaminated air stream. PU foams containing various adsorbents (e.g., zeolite, sepiolite, dolomite and barite) were synthesized for the biofilter media and their adsorption characteristics of toluene were determined. Adsorption capacity of PU-adsorbent foam was in the order of PU-dolomite ${\approx}$ PU-zeolite > PU-sepiolite > PU-barite. During the biofiltration experiment, influent toluene concentration was in the range of 0-160 ppm and EBRT (i.e., empty bed residence time) was 45 seconds. Pressure drop of the biofilter bed was 4-5 mm $H_2O/m$ column height. The maximum removal capacity was in the order of PU-dolomite > PU-zeolite > PU-sepiolite > PU-barite, while the complete removal capacity was in the order of PU-dolomite > PU-sepiolite > PU-zeolite > PU-barite. The better biofiltration performance in PU-dolomite foam was because PU-dolomite foam had lower density and higher porosity than the others providing favorable conditions for microbial growth. The results of biodegradation kinetic analysis showed that PU-dolomite foam had higher maximum removal rate ($V_m\;=\;11.04\;g$ toluene/kg dry material/day) and saturation constant ($K_s\;=\;26.57\;ppm$) than the other PU foams. This supports that PU-dolomite foam was better than the others for biofilteration of toluene.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.664-669
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• 2004

An upflow BAF(Biological Aerated Filter) equipped with an expanded clay media was applied to reuse weaving wastewater of water jet loom. The performance of lab-scale biofilter was investigated by the adjustment of EBCTs(Empty Bed Contact Time) and the packing ratio of media, which were changed 1.1 to 3.7hr and 38 to 63%, respectively. In most conditions except 1.1hr of EBCT, BOD, CODcr, SS and Turbidity of the effluent were 1~4mg/L, 7~16mg/L, 1~5mg/L and 5~14NTU, where their removal efficiencies were 76~95%, 82~93%, 63~94% and 59~81%, respectively. From the observation of SEM(Scanning Electron Microscope) photographs of porous clay media, it was revealed that this media provided good performance of retaining microbes effectively. In addition, $0.44~0.49kgVSS/kgBOD_{rem}$. of low sludge reduction was expected. The most efficient back washing cycle and procedure were once per 4 to 9 days and air including collapse-pulsing method, respectively. Therefore, this system can be of use as an weaving wastewater treatment for reuse.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.45-50
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• 2006

This study was performed to evaluate the air lift reactors (ALR) by variations of HRT and recycling rate. Air lift reactor was composed of bioreactor and clarifier above it. To remove organic matters and nitrogen through the formation of microbic film and filtration, bio-filter reactors were filled with clay, glass, bead, waste plastic, respectively. Influent wastewater was fed to biofilter reactor, and effluent wastewater from bio-filter reactor was injected ALR again, instead of adding external carbon source. Effluent BOD concentration was satisfied with lower than 10 mg/L in recycling rate 100% regardless of the variation of HRT and the kinds of media materials. In HRT 4 hr, recycling rate 100%, BOD removal efficiency rate was from about 85 to 90%, COD removal efficiency rate was higher than 90%. Effluent TN concentration was satisfied with less than 20 mg/L, if HRT was maintained by over than 6 hr regardless of recycling rate and media materials. Over than HRT was 4 hr, microbes concentration in air lift reactor was maintained over than 2,500 mg/L constantly, not sensitive to environmental condition, and organic removal was effective as it was higher.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.55-60
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• 2005

This study was conducted to determine the odor reduction efficiency of a biofilter desist using different filter materials. The summary of results are as follows; 1. The airflow penetration rate of the different filter materials namely; rice straw, woodchips, rice hulls and sawdust were 0.72 m/s, 0.64 m/s, 0.48 m/s and 0.17 m/s, respectively. 2. The elimination of $NH_3$ gas was fastest in the rice hull at a rate of 4 mg/${\iota}$ followed by sawdust, woodchips and rice straw at 3 mg/${\iota}$, 3 mg/${\iota}$ and 7 mg/${\iota}$, respectively. 3. The filter material made of wood chips was able to eliminate the offensive gas known as $H_2S$ at a rate of 2.2 mg/${\iota}$ on the 7th day, 17.6 mg/${\iota}$ on the 21st day but decreased to 10.7 mg/${\iota}$ on the 36th day. In contrast, the filter material composed of sawdust had a continuous increase in the reduction of $H_2S$ at a rate of 12.3 mg/${\iota}$ on the 7th day, 18.3 mg/${\iota}$ on the 21st day and 20.1 mg/${\iota}$ on the 36th day. The above findings indicated that among the filter materials, sawdust was the most effective in absorbing $H_2S$. Airflow penetration rate can be related to $H_2S$ odor elimination efficiency as shown by the slowest airflow rate of sawdust which is only 0.17 m/s.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.32 no.12
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• pp.1126-1133
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• 2010

A two-stage biofilter was constructed and utilized to determine the removal efficiency when treating dynamic loading of a mixture of odorous compounds including benzene, toluene, p-xylene, ammonia and hydrogen sulfide. A yeast strain, Candida tropicalis, and a sulfur oxidizing bacterial (SOB) strain, Acidithiobacillus caldus sp., were immobilized in polyurethane media and packed in the two-stage biofilter. The experiment of dynamic loading variation was composed of (1) stepwise loading variation of all the odorous compounds (total EC test), (2) stepwise loading variation of each odorous compound, and (3) intermittent loading variation with 2-day-off and 3-day-on. The total EC test showed that the maximum elimination capacity was $61\;g/m^3/hr$ for total VOCs, and 5.2 and $9.1\;g/m^3/hr$ for ammonia and hydrogen, respectively. In addition, the inhibition between VOCs was observed when the loading of each individual VOC was varied. Especially the stepwise increase in toluene loading resulted in decreases of benzene and p-xylene removal efficiencies about 30% and 25%, respectively. However, the inhibition between organic and inorganic compounds was not observed. The intermittent loading variation with 2-day-off and 3-day-on showed that greater than 95% of the overall removal efficiency was restored in two days after the loading resumed. Consequently, the two-stage biofilter packed with immobilized microorganisms showed advantages over conventional biofilters for the simultaneous treatment of the mixture of organic and inorganic odorous compounds.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.200-206
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• 1998

The distributions and characteristics of bacteria on the deodorizing biofilters were studied as a part of biofiltration research for odor gas removal. The odor gas originated from a currently operating nightsoil treatment plant were mainly nitrogenous compounds of ammonia and amines. The filter media were consisted various ratio of pine bark, nightsoil cast and compost, and were sampled before and after operation of 153 days. Before operation, the level of bacteria on nitrification agar medium, nutrient agar medium and thiosulfate agar medium were around $10^7{\sim}10^8cfu/g$ media. After operation, the level decreased but still high as $10^5{\sim}10^7cfu/g$ media. The bacteria from reactors before and after operations were either rod or coccus after growth on nitrification agar media. The 45 isolated heterotrophic bacteria were further characterized and Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Flavobacterium, Alcaligenes were dominant genera. Genus Alcaligenes was particularly dominant when the isolates were incubated on nitrification agar media first and then transfered to nutrient media. The portion of Alcaligenes in the biofilter increased after operation, and was higher in the media contained nightsoil cast, which showed better treatment than the media with pine bark only.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.820-825
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• 2007

Earthworm casting was the natural fertilizer that contained high concentrations of nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphate and potassium and of over $10^8$ CFU/ml of microorganisms. Greater than 80% of feed was excreted through the fermentation by the intestinal enzyme, after worm had eaten feeds such as fallen leaves and rotten roots under the ground. Also, the soil structure of casting was known to be very efficient in the aspects of the porosity, the water permeability, and deodorizing activities. In this research, the biofilter packed with a biomedia made of casting and waste polyurethane foam, a binder, which helped to improve the durability and perpetuity of casting, was investigated to degrade malodorous hydrogen sulfide gas. The biomedia had no need of extra supply of nutrients and of microbial inoculations. On the beginning of the operations, it showed 100% removal of hydrogen sulfide gas without lag phase. At SV of 50 $h^{-1}$, hydrogen sulfide gas from the outlet of the biofilter was not detected, when inlet concentration increased to 450 ppmv. After that, removal efficiency decreased as increasing inlet hydrogen sulfide concentration. Hydrogen sulfide removal was maintained at almost 93% until inlet concentration was increased up to 950 ppmv, at which the elimination capacity of $H_2S$ was 61.2 g $S{\cdot}m^{-3}{\cdot}h^{-1}$. Maximum elimination capacity guaranteing 90% removal was 61.2, 65.9, 84.7, 89.4 g $S{\cdot}m^{-3}{\cdot}h^{-1}$ at SV ranging from 50 $h^{-1}$ to 300 $h^{-1}$, but was 59.3 g $S{\cdot}m^{-3}{\cdot}h^{-1}$ at SV of 400 $h^{-1}$. The results calculated from Michaelis-Menten equation revealed that $V_m$ increased from 66.04, 88.96, 117.35, 224.15, to 227.54 g $S{\cdot}m^{-3}{\cdot}h^{-1}$ with increasing space velocity in the range of 50 $h^{-1}$ to 400 $h^{-1}$. However, saturation constant$(K_s)$ decreased from 79.97 ppmv to 64.95 and 65.37 ppmv, and then increased to 127.72 and 157.43 ppmv.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.837-845
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• 2017

A recirculating integrated system composed of a fluidized biofilter filled with waste-tire crumb media fixed with return sludge from wastewater treatment facility of D dyeing industrial center, and a UV/photocatalytic reactor packed with calcined $TiO_2$ coated-glass beads as photocatalyst-support, was constructed and was run to treat authentic textile-dyeing wastewater from D-dyeing industrial center, which was mixed with an alkaline polyester-weight-reducing wastewater and a wastewater from sizing process. As a result, its total removal efficiency(RE(tot)) of $COD_{cr}$ and colors were ca. 81% and 55%, respectively. The synergy effect of the recirculating integrated system to enhance total removal efficiency(RE(tot)) of $COD_{cr}$ and colors were evaluated at most ca. 7% and 3%, respectively. The fluidized biofilter and the UV/photocatalytic reactor were responsible for ca. 94% and 6% of the total $COD_{cr}$ removal efficiency, respectively, and were also responsible for ca. 86% and 14% of the total color-removal efficiency, respectively. Thus, the degree of the UV/photocatalytic reactor-unit process's contribution to RE(tot) of color, was about 2.4 times of that to RE(tot) of $COD_{cr}$. Therefore, the UV/photocatalytic reactor facilitated the more effective elimination of colors by breaking down the chemical bonds oriented from colors of dyes such as azo-bond, than $COD_{cr}$. In addition, the effect of the removal efficiency of each unit process(i.e., the fluidized biofilter or the UV/photocatalytic reactor) of the recirculating integrated system on RE(tot) of $COD_{cr}$ and colors, was analysed by establishing its model equation with an analytic correlation.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.13-20
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• 2007

Sawdust biofiltration is an emerging bio-technology for control of ammonia emissions including compost odors from composting of biological wastes. Although sawdust is widely used as a medium for bulking agent in composting system and for microbial attachment in biofiltration systems, the performance of agitated bed composting and sawdust biofiltration are not well established. A pilot-scale composting of hog manure amended with sawdust and sawdust biofiltration systems for practical operation were investigated using aerated and agitated rectangular reactor with compost turner and sawdust biofilter operated under controlled conditions, each with a working capacity of approximately $40m^3\;and\;4.5m^3$ respectively. These were used to investigate the effect of compost temperature, seed germination rate and the C/N ratio of the compost on ammonia emissions, compost maturity and sawdust biofiltration performance. Temperature profiles showed that the material in three runs had been reached to temperature of 55 to $65^{\circ}C$ and above. The ammonia concentration in the exhaust gas of the sawdust biofilter media was below the maximum average value as 45 ppm. Seed germination rate levels of final compost was maintained from 70 to 93% and EC values of the finished compost varied between 2.8 and 4.8 ds/m, providing adequate conditions for plant growth.