Development of a membrane-based vapor-phase bioreactor.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Biotechnology
• Chemical Engineering
• Bioreactor Design

Background:

• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like p-xylene pose environmental challenges.
• Traditional bioreactors often face limitations in mass transfer and operational efficiency.
• Developing efficient bioreactor systems is crucial for environmental remediation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate a novel vapor-phase bioreactor for p-xylene biodegradation.
• To investigate the performance of a radial flow bioreactor with porous metal membranes.
• To assess the biodegradation efficiency of immobilized Pseudomonas putida ATCC 23973.

Main Methods:

• Development of a cylindrical, radial flow bioreactor with porous stainless-steel membranes.
• Immobilization of Pseudomonas putida ATCC 23973 onto sand as the biocatalyst.
• System evaluation by varying feed flow rate (60-130 cm³/min) and p-xylene concentration (15-150 ppm).
• Continuous operation for 80-200 hours to assess removal efficiencies.

Main Results:

• The bioreactor demonstrated high p-xylene removal efficiencies ranging from 80% to 95%.
• Continuous operation was sustained for extended periods (80-200 hours).
• The system effectively treated water-saturated air streams contaminated with p-xylene.

Conclusions:

• The developed radial flow bioreactor is a promising technology for the biodegradation of p-xylene.
• The use of porous metal membranes and radial flow enhances bioreactor performance.
• This system offers an efficient solution for removing volatile organic compounds from air streams.