Biotrickling filters for air pollution control are expected to encounter fluctuating conditions or periods without pollutant supply. In the present study, we investigated the effect of pollutant starvation in bench-scale biotrickling filters treating toluene. The experimental protocol consisted of starving biotrickling filters under various conditions: with or without airflow, with or without l...

A new concept of periodically rotating biotrickling filters was developed for parallel operation of multiple bench scale biotrickling filters without the requirement for expensive equipment such as liquid recycle pumps and air flow regulation. The performance of 20 identically operated rotating biotrickling filters was reproducible with an average toluene elimination capacity of 79.4 g m h (sta...

The feasibility of using biotrickling filters for the removal of mercury vapor from simulated flue gases was evaluated. The experiments were carried out in laboratory-scale biotrickling filters with various mixed cultures naturally attached on a polyurethane foam packing. Sulfur oxidizing bacteria, toluene degraders and denitrifiers were used and compared for their ability to remove Hg 0 vapor....

Two protozoan species as well as an uncharacterized protozoan consortium were added to a toluene-degrading biotrickling filter to investigate protozoan predation as a means of biomass control. Wet biomass formation in 23.6-L reactors over a 77-day period was reduced from 13.875 kg in a control biotrickling filter to 11.795 kg in a biotrickling filter enriched with protozoa. The average toluene ...

A bench-scale biotrickling filter was operated in the laboratory for the treatment of dimethyl sulphide (DMS). The biotrickling filter was packed with pre-sterilized polyurethane foam and seeded with biomass developed from garden soil enriched with DMS. The biotrickling filter was operated for the generation of process parameters. The biotrickling filter could remove an average removal efficien...

A mathematical model for the simulation of the removal of hydrophilic compounds using biotrickling filtration was developed. The model takes into account that biotrickling filters operate by using an intermittent spraying pattern. During spraying periods, a mobile liquid phase was considered, while during non-spraying periods, a stagnant liquid phase was considered. The model was calibrated and...

Until recently, biological treatment of odors in biofilters or biotrickling filters was thought to require a longer gas contact time than chemical scrubbing, hence bioreactors for air treatment required a larger footprint. This paper discusses the conversion of chemical scrubbers to biological trickling filters. Initially, research was conducted with a laboratory-scale biotrickling filter. An e...

Acid scrubbers and biotrickling filters have been developed for ammonia (NH3) removal at pig and poultry houses in The Netherlands over the last 20 years to prevent acidification and eutrophication of soils. Because of growing suburbanization, odor removal is increasingly considered important as well. In this review, we report the results of the on-farm research on full-scale operated scrubbers...

Biological treatment is an emerging technology for the treatment of publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) off-gases. Most of POTWs off-gases contain H2S and a wide range of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Since co-treatment of odors and VOCs in biotrickling filters is a relatively unexplored area, the simultaneous biotreatment of H2S and toluene (as the model VOC) was investigated. The expe...

Complete treatment of sulfur dioxide (SO2) from flue gases in a two-stage process consisting of a biotrickling filter followed by biological post-treatment unit was investigated. The biotrickling filter could remove 100% of influent SO2 from simulated flue gas at an empty bed residence time of 6 s for a concentration range of 300-1000 ppm(v). All the absorbed SO2 was recovered in the biotrickli...