Membrane Bioreactor for Control of Volatile Organic Compound Emissions
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 123, Issue 6
Abstract
A membrane bioreactor system that overcomes many of the limitations of conventional compost biofilters is described. The system utilizes microporous hydrophobic hollow fiber membranes for mass transfer of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the gas phase to a microbially active liquid phase. The reactor design provides a high biomass concentration, a method for wasting biomass, and a method for addition of pH buffers, nutrients, cometabolites, and/or other amendments. A theoretical model is developed, describing mass transfer and biodegradation in the membrane bioreactor. Reactor performance was determined in a laboratory scale membrane bioreactor over a range of gas loading rates using toluene as a model VOC. Toluene removal efficiency was greater than 98% at an inlet concentration of 100 ppmv and a gas residence time of less than 2 s. Factors controlling bioreactor performance were determined through both experiments and theoretical modeling to include: compound Henry's law constant, membrane specific surface area, gas and VOC loading rates, liquid phase turbulence, and biomass substrate utilization rate.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Bhowmick, M., and Semmens, M. J.(1994). “Laboratory scale testing of a continuous CLAS process.”J. Am. Water Works Assn., 86(8), 86–96.
2.
Castro, K., and Zander, A. K.(1995). “Membrane air stripping: effects of pre-treatment.”J. Am. Water Works Assn., 87(3), 50–61.
3.
Coté, P., Bersillion, J. L., and Huyard, A.(1988). “Bubble-free aeration using membranes: process analysis.”J. Water Pollution Control Fed., 60(11), 1986–1992.
4.
Coté, P., Bersillion, J. L., and Huyard, A.(1989). “Bubble-free aeration using membranes: mass transfer analysis.”J. Membrane Sci., 47, 91–106.
5.
Ergas, S. J. (1993). “Control of air emissions of low concentration volatile organic compounds by biofiltration,” PhD thesis, Univ. of California, Davis, Davis, Calif.
6.
Ergas, S. J., Kinney, K., Fuller, M. E., and Scow, K. M.(1994). “Characterization of a compost biofiltration system degrading dichloromethane.”Biotechnol. and Bioengrg., 44(9), 1048–1054.
7.
Ergas, S. J., Schroeder, E. D., Chang, D. P. Y., and Morton, R.(1995). “Control of VOC emissions from a POTW using a compost biofilter.”J. Water Envir. Fed., 67(5), 816–821.
8.
Hartmans, S., Leenen, E. J. T. M., and Voskuilen, G. T. H. (1992). “Membrane bioreactor with porous hydrophobic membranes for waste-gas treatment.”Biotechniques for air pollution abatement and odour control policies. A. J. Dragt and J. van Ham, eds., Elsevier Science Publishers BV, (North-Holland), Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
9.
Knudsen, J. G., and Katz, D. L. (1958). Fluid dynamics and heat transfer. McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, N.Y.
10.
Lévêque, J. A.(1928). “Les lois de la transmission de chaleur par convection.”Ann. Mines, 12(13), 201.
11.
McCleaf, P. R., and Schroeder, E. D.(1995). “Denitrification using a membrane-immobilized biofilm.”J. Am. Water Works Assn., 87(3), 77–86.
12.
McGrath, M. S. (1995). “Microporous Hollow Fiber Membranes for VOC Treatment,” MS thesis, Univ. of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, Mass.
13.
Norris, R. H., and Streid, D. D.(1940). “Laminar flow heat transfer coefficients for ducts.”Trans. Am. Soc. Mech. Engrs., 5, 525.
14.
Semmens, M. J., Quen, R., and Zander, A.(1989). “Using a microporous hollow-fiber membrane to separate VOCs from water.”J. Am. Water Works Assn., 81(4), 162–167.
15.
Sorial, G. A., Smith, F. L., Pandit, A., Suidan, M. T., Biswas, P., and Brenner, R. C. (1995). “Performance of trickle bed biofilters under high toluene loading.”Proc. 88th Annu. Meeting of the Air and Waste Mgmt. Assn., San Antonio, Tex.
16.
Speitel, G. E., and McLay, D. S.(1993). “Biofilm reactors for treatment of gas streams containing solvents.”J. Envir. Engrg., ASCE, 119(4), 658–679.
17.
Standard Methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 18th Ed. (1992). American Public Health Assn., Washington, D.C.
18.
Togna, A. P., and Folsom, B. R. (1992). “Removal of styrene from air using bench-scale biofilter and biotrickling filter reactors.”Proc., 85th Annu. Meeting Air and Waste Mgmt. Assn., Kansas City, Mo.
19.
Yang, M.-C., and Cussler, E. L.(1986). “Designing hollow fiber contactors.”AIChE J., 32(11), 1910–1916.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 123 • Issue 6 • June 1997
Pages: 593 - 598
Copyright
Copyright © 1997 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: Jun 1, 1997
Published in print: Jun 1997
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.