• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.240-246
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• 2014

A semi-pilot biofilter inoculated with the microbes consortium of Bacillus cereus DAH-1056 and Arthrobacter sp. KDE-0311 was operated under various operating conditions in order to treat malodorous waste air containing both hydrogen sulfide and ammonia. When both hydrogen sulfide and ammonia contained in malodorous waste air were treated simultaneously by semi-pilot biofilter inoculated with Thiobacillus sp. IW and return-sludge, the removal efficiencies of hydrogen sulfide and ammonia were ca. 80% and ca. 50%, respectively. On the other hand, in this study, the removal efficiencies of hydrogen sulfide and ammonia were ca. 90% and ca. 60%, respectively. Therefore, the removal efficiencies of hydrogen sulfide and ammonia were enhanced by ca. 13% and 20%, respectively, compared to the semipilot biofilter inoculated with Thiobacillus sp. IW and return-sludge. In addition, in this study, the maximum elimination capacities of hydrogen sulfide and ammonia were enhanced by ca. 15% ($8g/m^3/h$) and 10~17% ($3{\sim}5g/m^3/h$), respectively. In this study, it was observed either that in case of even a same inlet load of hydrogen sulfide, a higher concentration of hydrogen sulfide causes more difficulties in treating ammonia containing in waste air than a lower one, or that in case of even a same inlet load of ammonia, a lower concentration of ammonia results in higher removal efficienciy and elimination capacity than a higher one. Even though hydrogen sulfide and ammonia were treated simultaneously by a biofilter in this study, the maximum elimination capacity of hydrogen sulfide in this study exceeded or was similar to that in previous study of biofilter treating only hydrogen sulfide. In addition, this study showed the higher maximum elimination capacity of ammonia than other previous investigation of biofilter treating hydrogen sulfide and ammonia simultaneously.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.7-17
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• 2008

Simultaneous removal of $NH_3,\;H_2S$ and toluene in a contaminated air stream was investigated over 185 days in a biofilter packed with Zeocarbon granule as microbial support. In this study, multi-microorganisms including Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter for nitrogen removal, Thiobacillus thioparus (ATCC 23645) for $H_2S$ removal, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 15692), Pseudomonas putida (ATCC 17484) and Pseudomonas putida (ATCC 23973) for toluene removal were used simultaneously. The empty bed residence time (EBRT) was 40-120 seconds and the feed (inlet) concentrations of $NH_3,\;H_2S$ and toluene were 0.02-0.11, 0.05-0.23 and 0.15-0.21 ppmv, respectively. The observed removal efficiency was 85%-99% for $NH_3$, 100% for $H_2S$, and 20-90% for toluene, respectively. The maximum elimination capacities were 9.3, 20.6 and $17g/m^3/hr\;for\;NH_3,\;H_2S$ and toluene, respectively. The results of kinetic model analysis showed that there were no particular evidences of interactions or inhibitions among the microorganisms, and that the three bio degradation reactions took place independently within a finite area of biofilm developed on the surface of the Zeocarbon carrier.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.741-750
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• 2011

A pilot-scale biofilter was constructed to discover degradation characteristics of the complex odor discharged from Ansan wastewater treatment plant. Candida tropicalis for volatile organic compounds, sulfur oxidizing bacteria(SOB) for hydrogen sulfide, and bacteria extracted from feces soil were immobilized on a polymer gel media. According to this study, the EBCT was varied from 36 sec to 18 sec. Toluene was removed as 80% along the variations, but it was recovered as 100% within 1 week. All benzene and xylene were removed during the operation while the efficiency of hydrogen sulfur was temporary decreased at 18 sec of EBCT, thereafter it was recovered to 100% within a week. The maximum elimination capacities of the benzene, toluene, xylene, and hydrogen sulfur were 6.6 g/$m^{3}$/hr, 31.7 g/$m^{3}$/hr, 7.8 g/$m^{3}$/hr, and 133.6 g/$m^{3}$/hr, respectively. There were merits on removal both organic and inorganic complex odor using the pilot-scale biofilter embedded with microorganisms immobilized on polymer gel media.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.21-27
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• 2005

This study was conducted to evaluate the biofiltration treatment characteristic for benzene vapor gas. Compost and calcium silicate porous material were used as biofilter fillers. Gas velocity and empty bed retention time were 15 m/hr and 4 min, respectively. Benzene gas removal efficiency of P-Bio (calcium silicate porous material with inoculation) was the highest and maintained in over 98%. After shock input of benzene gas, the removal efficiency of P-Bio biofilter was recovered within 2 days, while 5 days were taken in CP-Bio (compost + calcium silicate porous material mixture with inoculation) and CP (compost + calcium silicate porous material mixture without inoculation) biofilters. The removal efficiency of P-Bio biofilter was near 100% in the loading rate of <$85g/m^3$(filling material)/hr, It was shown that the maximum elimination capacities of P-Bio, CP-Bio, and CP biofilters were 95, 69, and $66\;g/m^3$(filling material)/hr, respectively. Microbial number of P-Bio, which the number was the lowest at start-up, was 3 orders increased on operational day 48. $CO_2$ was generated greatly in order of P-Bio, CP-Bio, and CP biofilters.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.970-975
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• 2003

Microbial trichloroethylene (TCE) degradation using trickling biofilter (TBF) is a cost-effective treatment method, in which monooxygenase (MO) fortuitously transforms TCE via cometabolism. Simple TBF, however, could not be stably operated for long-term treatment of TCE due to the contradictory characteristics of cometabolism. In this paper, microbial biocatalyst and biofilm reactor system, a two-stage continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR)/TBF system using Burkholderia cepacia G4 and Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b, are evaluated for the long-term continuous treatment of TCE. The maximum TCE elimination capacities were in the range of 28 and 525 mg TCE/1$.$day. The reactor systems were stably operated for more than 3∼12 months.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.603-610
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• 2009

This research was performed to improve removal efficiency of toluene and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) using Candida tropicalis, one of the yeast species. An airlift loop bioreactor (ALB) was employed to enhance the capability of mass transfer for toluene and MEK from the gas phase to the liquid, microbial phase. Polymer gel media made from PAC, alginate and PEG was applied for the effective immobilization of the yeast strain on the polymer gel media. The experimental results indicated that the mass transfer coefficient of toluene without polymer gel media was 1.29 $min^{-1}$ at a gas retention time of 15 sec, whereas the KLa value for toluene was increased to 4.07 $min^{-1}$ by adding the media, confirming the enhanced mass transfer of volatile organic compounds between the gas and liquid phases. The removal efficiency of toluene and MEK by using yeast-immobilized polymer gel media in the ALB was greater than 80% at different pollutant loading rates (5, 10, 19 and 37 g/$m^3$/hr for toluene, 4.5, 8.9, 17.8 and 35.1 g/$m^3$/hr for MEK). In addition, an elimination capacity test conducted by changing inlet loading rates stepwise demonstrated that maximum elimination capacities for toluene and MEK were 70.4 and 56.4 g/$m^3$/hr, respectively.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.8
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• pp.886-891
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• 2005

In this study, a novel bioreactor system using a submerged hollow fiber membrane module (so called hollow fiber membrane bioreactor, HFMB) was applied to investigate feasibility and biodegradation capacity of the system for the treatment of gaseous toluene. First an abiotic test was conducted to determine the mass transfer coefficient, showing the value was similar to that obtained from a diffuser system using fine bubbles. Second, in the presence of toluene-degrading microorganisms, the HFMB was operated at different inlet toluene loading rates of 50, 100, $500\;g/m^3/hr$, and overall removal efficiencies were maintained in the range of $70{\sim}80%$. In addition, elimination capacities(EC) were increased up to $800\;g/m^3/hr$, which was substantially higher than maximum ECs for toluene reported in the biofiltration literature. Consequently, the HFMB was considered as an alternative method over other conventional VOC-treating technologies.