title: Influence of water content on degradation rates for ethanol in biofiltration.
abstract: Treatment of ethanol vapor in a peat biofilter with various initial water contents (70%, 59%, 49%, and 35%) was studied. For water contents ranging from 49% to 70%, elimination capacity was about 30 g/m3/h. For a water content of 35%, elimination capacity decreased to 4 g/m3/h. A low mean CO2 yield coefficient (0.35 g CO2 produced per g ethanol consumed) was found for all of the initial water contents. The value was only 20% of the yield coefficient (1.91 g/g) predicted by stoichiometry. When the packing material was dried from 70% to 59% water content during the biofiltration process, elimination capacity dropped from 27 g/m3/h to 4 g/m3/h. After 24 hours of drying, the biofiltration experiment was restarted and run for two more weeks. During this period, the biofilter did not recover. At 59% water content, the rate of water evaporation was estimated at 59.6 g/m3/h. A simplified mass balance permitted calculation of the biological water production rate, approximately 22.1 g/m3/h.
authors.affiliation: ORSTOM (Institut Français de Recherche Scientifique pour le Développement en Coopération), Paris, France.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Auria
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Aycaguer
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Devinny
mesh_terms: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis*; D000465:Algorithms; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D000431:Ethanol / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D005374:Filtration; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D014867:Water; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D000431:Ethanol