Treatment of benzene vapors from contaminated air stream in a laboratory-scale compost biofilter

Authors

  • Eldon R. Rene Chemical Engineering Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences, University of La Coruña, Alejandro de la Sota, 1, E-15071 La Coruña
  • D. V. S. Murthy Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai – 600036, Tamilnadu
  • T. Swaminathan Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai – 600036, Tamilnadu

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20450/mjcce.2009.227

Keywords:

compost biofilter, benzene, performance, removal efficiency, elimination capacity

Abstract

Biofiltration of process waste–gas streams using microorganisms attached to porous support matrix, at low concentrations and high gas flow rates, has gained importance as a versatile treatment technology ever since the Clean Air Act Amendments (1990), by the US – EPA came into existence. In this study, we evaluated the potential of a laboratory–scale biofilter, inoculated with mixed culture, to remove gas–phase benzene from a synthetic waste gas stream. Experiments were conducted in three different phases, after the acclimatization step, corresponding to empty bed residence times (EBRT) varying between 0.81–2.45 min and benzene concentrations up to 1.7 g/m3. At high concentrations, significant reduction in removal efficiency was observed, which may be due to insufficient biomass in the filter bed to utilize the substrate, or due to substrate inhibition at high concentrations. Removal efficiencies higher than 90% were achieved for inlet benzene loading rates lesser than 40 g/m3hr.

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Published

2009-06-15

How to Cite

Rene, E. R., Murthy, D. V. S., & Swaminathan, T. (2009). Treatment of benzene vapors from contaminated air stream in a laboratory-scale compost biofilter. Macedonian Journal of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, 28(1), 119–123. https://doi.org/10.20450/mjcce.2009.227

Issue

Vol. 28 No. 1 (2009)

Section

Environmental Chemistry

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