Nitric oxide removal from flue gas with a biotrickling filter using Pseudomonas putida

Area of Science:

• Environmental Microbiology
• Biotechnology
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Nitric oxide (NO) is a major air pollutant from flue gas.
• Effective biological treatment methods for NO removal are needed.
• Aerobic denitrification offers a potential solution for NO abatement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a biotrickling filter (BF) system for NO removal.
• To inoculate the BF with a newly isolated strain of Pseudomonas putida SB1.
• To investigate the effect of oxygen concentration on NO removal efficiency.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a bench-scale biotrickling filter (BF) system.
• Cultivated aerobic denitrifying bacteria using alternating aeration and pH monitoring.
• Inoculated the BF with Pseudomonas putida SB1.
• Tested the system with simulated flue gas containing high NO and O(2) concentrations.

Main Results:

• Pseudomonas putida SB1 achieved a 95% nitrate removal rate in an aerobic environment.
• The BF system consistently removed 82.9-94.2% of inlet NO (400 ppm).
• Oxygen enhanced NO removal efficiency, with 79.3% attributed to bio-denitrification at 20% oxygen.

Conclusions:

• The biotrickling filter system effectively removes nitric oxide (NO) using aerobic denitrification.
• Pseudomonas putida SB1 is a promising microorganism for NO treatment in flue gas.
• Oxygen enhances the biological NO removal process in biotrickling filters.