A biofilter using granular activated carbon with immobilized Paracoccus sp. CP2 was applied to the elimination of 10-250 ppm of trimethylamine (TMA), dimethylamine (DMA), and methylamine (MA). The results indicated that the system effectively treated MA (>93%), DMA (>90%), and TMA (>85%) under high loading conditions, and the maximum degradation rates were 1.4, 1.2, and 0.9g-Nkg(-1) GAC d(-1). ...

Competition between heterotrophic and nitrifying bacteria is of major practical importance in aquaculture biofilter design and operation. This competition must be understood to minimize the negative impact of heterotrophic bacteria on an aquaculture system. On the other hand, the heterotrophic population is suspected of having a positive effect against pathogenic bacteria. Little information is...

Lab scale studies were conducted to evaluate the performance of two simultaneously operated immobilized cell biofilters (ICBs) for removing hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and ammonia (NH3) from gas phase. The removal efficiencies (REs) of the biofilter treating H2S varied from 50 to 100% at inlet loading rates (ILRs) varying up to 13 g H2S/m(3) ·h, while the NH3 biofilter showed REs ranging from 60 to...

Despite the low biodegradability of seawater NOM, problems associated with biofouling are common in facilities that handle seawater. In this work, a fixed-film aerobic biofilter is proposed as an effective unit for preventing biofouling in such facilities. A packed-bed biofilter with an EBCT = 6 11 min was employed. The results demonstrated that the DOC is reduced by 6% and the BOD7 is reduced ...

Butanol, ether, toluene, and hexane, which have Henry's constants ranging from 0.0005 to 53, were used to investigate the effects of substrate solubility or availability on the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in trickle-bed biofilters. Results from this study suggest that, although removal of a VOC generally increases with a decrease in its Henry's constant, an optimal Henry's cons...

Biotilters are recognized by an increasing number of state air quality regulatory agencies as ”best available control technology” (BACT) for treatment of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and odor. This has been the case for two cocomposting facilities permitted by Bedminster Bioconversion Corporation in Cobb County, Georgia, and Marlborough. Massachusetts. Both areas are in ozone non-attainmen...

A membrane biofilter is used to biodegrade toluene in the gas phase. Active microorganisms are immobilized on the outside of a hollow fiber membrane cartridge and air containing toluene as the contaminant is passed through the membrane fibers. A porous polysulfone membrane containing water in the pore is used through which both toluene and oxygen are diffused to the biofilm attached to the outs...

This paper investigates and provides a critical analysis of the toluene biofilter model developed by Li and De Visscher. The model simulation results have been reproduced and compared with several sets of experimental data from literature. Three different model variations are considered: model with no substrate inhibition, with substrate inhibition, and with air flow rate modification. A sensit...

Experimental evaluation of a diffusion reaction model (part 1) for the determination of both steady-and transient-state behavior of biofilters for waste air biotreatment is presented. The model, applied to the aerobic biodegradation of methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) and methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) vapors from air as single and as mixed pollutants, proved appropriate for describing most of the expe...