Removal of Methyl Isobutyl Ketone From Contaminated Air by Trickle-Bed Air Biofilter
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 131, Issue 9
Abstract
A laboratory-scale trickle-bed air biofilter was evaluated for the removal of methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) from a waste gas stream. Six-millimeter Celite pellets (R-635) were used as the biological attachment medium. Effects of MIBK volumetric loading rates on removal efficiency, biofilter reacclimation, biomass growth, and removal kinetics were studied under three different operating conditions, namely, backwashing and two intermittent periods (off chemical—no MIBK input; and off flow-no flow input). Backwashing of the biofilter once a week with full-medium fluidization removed the excess biomass and attained stable long-term performance with over 99% removal efficiency for loading rates less than chemical oxygen demand . The two intermittent periods could also sustain high removal efficiency for loading rates up to without any backwashing. The recovery time increased with an increase in loading rates. Furthermore, the intermittent operations required a longer time to recover than backwashing. The pseudo-first-order removal rate constant decreased with an increase in volumetric loading rate. The removal kinetics showed an apparent dependency on the experimental operating conditions.
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Acknowledgment
This research was supported by the National Science Foundation under Award No. BES 0229135. The findings and conclusions expressed in this publication are solely those of the writers and do not necessary reflect the views of the Foundation. Special thanks are given to Mr. Steven Mallin and Miss Rachel Rhodes, the cooperative undergraduate students from the University of Cincinnati, for their dependable skilled technical assistance. The writers also extend their sincere gratitude to Dr. Makram T. Suidan and his research assistants at the University of Cincinnati for their consistent assistance during this phase of our research.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 131 • Issue 9 • September 2005
Pages: 1322 - 1329
Copyright
© 2005 ASCE.
History
Received: May 24, 2004
Accepted: Feb 3, 2005
Published online: Sep 1, 2005
Published in print: Sep 2005
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