title: Feasibility study of a compact process for biological treatment of highly soluble VOCs polluted gaseous effluent.
abstract: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), representing a wide range of products mainly generated by industrial activity, are involved in air pollution. This study deals with a new biological treatment process of gaseous effluent combining a gas/liquid contactor called an "aero-ejector" and a membrane bioreactor. Combining these two innovative technologies enables a high elimination efficiency to be reached. We first focus on transfer phenomena characterization in a pilot installation on a laboratory scale, using a gaseous effluent polluted with a low ethanol concentration (7.1 x 10(-3) kg.m(-3)). These experiments demonstrated the good transfer performances since 90% of the ethanol was absorbed in the liquid phase in one step. After this physical characterization, the biological aspect of the system was studied using the yeast Candida utilis as microorganism. During the experiment, no ethanol was measured in the fermentation broth nor in the outlet gas, confirming the efficiency of ethanol elimination by C. utilis. The experimental procedure emerging from the present study strongly validates the suitability of this process for ethanol removal from air.
authors.affiliation: Institut National des Sciences Appliquées, Centre de Bioingénierie Gilbert Durand, UMR 5504 CNRS, UMR 792 INRA, 135 avenue de Rangueil, 31077 Toulouse Cedex 4, France.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Daubert
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lafforgue
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maranges
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fonade
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D019342:Acetic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000465:Algorithms; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002175:Candida / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D003470:Culture Media; D000431:Ethanol / Q000032:analysis; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005740:Gases / Q000032:analysis; D007220:Industrial Waste; D007700:Kinetics; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000737:chemistry*; D018505:Waste Management / Q000379:methods*; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D003470:Culture Media; D005740:Gases; D007220:Industrial Waste; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D014873:Water Pollutants; D000431:Ethanol; D019342:Acetic Acid