title: Styrene degradation by Pseudomonas sp. SR-5 in biofilters with organic and inorganic packing materials.
abstract: Pseudomonas sp. SR-5 was isolated as a styrene-degrading bacterium. In liquid culture containing 1% (v/v) styrene, more than 90% styrene was degraded in 53 h and the doubling time of SR-5 was 2 h. The removal of styrene gas was investigated in biofilters for 31 days using an organic packing material of peat and an inorganic packing material of ceramic inoculated with SR-5. The maximum-styrene-elimination capacities for peat and ceramic packing materials were 236 and 81 g m(-3) h(-1), respectively. The percentage of styrene converted to low molecular weight compounds including CO(2) in the peat and ceramic biofilters during a 10-day operation were estimated to be 90.4 and 36.7%, respectively. As the pressure drop in the peat bioflter at the end of experiment was significantly higher than that in ceramic biofilter, a biofilter using a mixture of peat and ceramic was tested. We determined that the maximum elimination capacity was 170 g m(-3) h(-1) and the production of low molecular weight compounds was 95% at a low pressure drop for this mixed packing material filter.
authors.affiliation: Chemical Resources Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta, Midori-Ku, Yokohama, 226-8503, Japan.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirai
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shoda
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D019149:Bioreactors; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D002516:Ceramics; D005374:Filtration / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D011549:Pseudomonas / Q000378:metabolism*; D012987:Soil; D020058:Styrene / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D020058:Styrene