title: Evaluation of trickle-bed air biofilter performance for MEK removal.
abstract: A lab-scale trickle-bed air biofilter (TBAB) was operated to evaluate the removal of methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) from waste gas. Three biomass control strategies were investigated, namely, backwashing and two non-use periods (starvation and stagnant). Five volumetric loading rates from 0.70 to 7.04 kg COD/m(3)day were employed. Backwashing once a week removed the excess biomass and obtained long-term, stable performance over 99% removal efficiency for loading rates less than 5.63 kg COD/m(3)day. The two non-use periods could also sustain 99% removal efficiency and could be employed as another means of biomass control for loading rates up to 3.52 kg COD/m(3)day. The non-use periods did not delay the recovery when the loading rate did not exceed 3.52 kg COD/m(3)day. The pseudo-first-order removal rate constant decreased with increase in volumetric loading rate. The effect of non-use periods on removal rate showed apparent transition from positive to negative with the increase in loading rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0071, USA.
authors.forename: Zhangli
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Daekeun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: George A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Sorial
mesh_terms: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000397:Air Pollution; D001420:Bacteria, Aerobic / Q000378:metabolism; D018533:Biomass; D002074:Butanones / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D005374:Filtration; D007700:Kinetics; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D002074:Butanones; C005222:methylethyl ketone; D010100:Oxygen