Title: Biotreatment of waste gas containing pyridine in a novel rotating rope biofilter

Authors: S.N. Mudliar, K.V. Padoley, P.P. Bhatt, M. Suresh Kumar, R.A. Pandey, A.N. Vaidya

Addresses: National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nehru Marg, Nagpur 440 020, India. ' National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nehru Marg, Nagpur 440 020, India. ' National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nehru Marg, Nagpur 440 020, India. ' National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nehru Marg, Nagpur 440 020, India. ' National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nehru Marg, Nagpur 440 020, India. ' National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nehru Marg, Nagpur 440 020, India

Abstract: A novel Rotating Rope Biofilter (RRB) has been developed especially for the treatment of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) at higher loadings and characterised by high volatility along with high water solubility. The RRB provides a higher interfacial area (per unit reactor liquid volume) along with high oxygen mass transfer rate, greater microbial culture stability, and consequently higher substrate loadings and removal rates in comparison with other conventional reactors (e.g. biofilters) widely used for the treatment of VOCs. Pyridine was used as a model compound to demonstrate the enhanced performance of the RRB. The experimental results indicate that the novel RRB system is able to degrade pyridine with removal efficiency of more than 90%, up to a loading of 250 g/m³/h. The reactor has been in operation for the past 15 months and no loss of activity has been observed.

Keywords: VOC; volatile organic compounds; RRB; rotating rope biofilters; biofiltering; biodegradation; pyridine; ammonia; mass transfer; bioremediation; waste gas; removal efficiency; wastewater treatment.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2010.035916

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2010 Vol.43 No.1/2/3, pp.90 - 105

Published online: 09 Oct 2010 *

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