Continuous bioremediation of phenol-polluted air in an external loop airlift bioreactor with a packed bed

✍ Scribed by Hossein Nikakhtari; Gordon A Hill

• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 2006
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 257 KB
• Volume: 81
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0268-2575
• DOI: 10.1002/jctb.1520

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

An external loop airlift bioreactor with a small amount (99% porosity) of stainless steel mesh packing inserted in the riser section was used for bioremediation of a phenol‐polluted air stream. The packing enhanced volatile organic chemical and oxygen mass transfer rates and provided a large surface area for cell immobilization. Using a pure strain of Pseudomonas putida, fed‐batch and continuous runs at three different dilution rates were completed with phenol in the polluted air as the only source of growth substrate. 100% phenol removal was achieved at phenol loading rates up to 33 120 mg h^−1^ m^−3^ using only one‐third of the column, superior to any previously reported biodegradation rates of phenol‐polluted air with 100% efficiency. A mathematical model has been developed and is shown to accurately predict the transient and steady‐state data. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry