One-stage biotrickling filter for the removal of a mixture of volatile pollutants from air: Performance and microbial community analysis

摘要

The biodegradation of gas-phase mixtures of methanol, α-pinene and H_2S was examined in a biotrickling filter (BTF), inoculated with a microbial consortium composed of an autotrophic H_2S-degrading culture, and pure strains of Candida boidinii, Rhodococcus erythropolis, and Ophiostoma stenoceras. The inlet concentrations of methanol, α-pinene and H_2S varied from 0.05 to 3.3gm~(-3), 0.05 to 2.7gm~(-3), and 0.01 to 1.4gm~(-3), respectively, at empty bed residence times (EBRT) of either 38 or 26s. The maximum elimination capacities (EC_(max)) of the BTF were 302, 175, and 191gm~(-3)h~(-1), with 100%, 67%, and >99% removal of methanol, α-pinene and H_2S, respectively. The presence of methanol showed an antagonistic removal pattern for α-pinene, but the opposite did not occur. For α-pinene, inlet loading rates (ILRs) >150g_(α-pinene)m~(-3)h~(-1) affected its own removal in the BTF. The presence of H_2S did not show any declining effect on the removal of both methanol and α-pinene.