Elimination of chlorobenzene vapors from air in a compost-based biofilter

✍ Scribed by Marie-Caroline Delhoménie; Michèle Heitz

• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 2003
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 231 KB
• Volume: 78
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0268-2575
• DOI: 10.1002/jctb.822

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

In this work, the removal of monochlorobenzene (CB) vapors from air was studied, for the first time, in a non‐inoculated, laboratory‐scale, aerobic biofilter. The influence of three parameters on the bioprocess has been evaluated: the rate of nitrogen supplied to the bed, the inlet concentration of CB, and the flow rate. The CB inlet concentration was varied between 0.3 and 3.2 g m^−3^, at a constant flow rate of 1.0 m^3^ h^−1^. Removal rates of greater than 90% were achieved for CB inlet concentrations of up to 1.2 g m^−3^. Then the flow rate was varied from 0.5 to 3.0 m^3^ h^−1^ with a constant inlet concentration (1.2 g m^−3^). Maximum elimination capacities (70 g m^−3^ h^−1^) were reached for contact times of greater than 60 s. The study of varying flow rates also permitted evaluation of a first order macrokinetic constant (1.1 × 10^−2^ s^−1^) for the CB biodegradation. Finally, the optimum nitrogen input value was found to lie between 0.3 and 0.4 g N h^−1^ and gave rise to elimination capacities as high as 70 g m^−3^ h^−1^ for an inlet load of near 80 g m^−3^ h^−1^. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry