Fungal Biofiltration of Toluene on Ceramic Rings
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 131, Issue 3
Abstract
Fungal biofilters attain higher toluene elimination rates compared to bacterial systems. However, strong mycelia growth can cause clogging. In the present work, toluene biofiltration with the fungus Paecilomyces variotii CBS 115145 was tested with two rigid packing materials that allow high mycelia growth. The reactor had two sections, each packed with ceramic Raschig rings differing in water retention capacity and internal porosity. After optimizing nutrient solution delivery, an overall maximum elimination capacity of was obtained. Higher elimination capacity was measured in the ceramic ring with lower water content, indicating the interest of such packing material for treating hydrophobic pollutants in fungal biofilters. Additional experiments with this support in a biofilter showed bacterial contamination, but the fungal activity was responsible for about 70% of the total removal. The support with less humidity showed greater aerial growth, which possibly improves removal efficiency by favoring the direct transfer of pollutants from the gas phase to the microorganism.
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Acknowledgments
The writers are grateful to Martín Rodríguez from UAM-Azcapotzalco, Mexico for providing the ceramic support, to Sergio Hernández for support in the pilot experiments, to Dr. Francesc Prenafreta Boldu, from the Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures for the useful discussions, to Jose Sepulveda for the SEM photos, to IRD France for the posdoctorate support of A. Aizpuru and Inés García- Peña, and to Conacyt, Mexico for partially financing the research project through Grant No. 32982-U.
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Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 131 • Issue 3 • March 2005
Pages: 396 - 402
Copyright
© 2005 ASCE.
History
Received: Sep 30, 2003
Accepted: May 11, 2004
Published online: Mar 1, 2005
Published in print: Mar 2005
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