Feasibility Testing of Biofiltration Technology for Remediating Air Contaminated by a Boat Manufacturing Facility

Area of Science:

• Environmental Engineering
• Biotechnology
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Industrial processes often release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like styrene, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), and acetone.
• Biofiltration is a promising technology for treating VOC emissions from industrial waste gas streams.
• Comparing bench- and pilot-scale biofilters is crucial for understanding scalability and real-world performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare the efficacy of bench- and pilot-scale biofilters in controlling styrene, MEK, and acetone emissions.
• To evaluate the impact of critical operating parameters on biofilter performance.
• To assess biofilter acclimation and re-acclimation dynamics for different VOCs.

Main Methods:

• Utilized both bench- and pilot-scale biofilters to treat an industrial gas waste stream containing styrene, MEK, and acetone.
• Manipulated key operating parameters: contaminant loading rate, temperature, and empty bed contact time.
• Monitored removal efficiencies and microbial acclimation periods under steady-state conditions.

Main Results:

• Both biofilter scales demonstrated high removal efficiencies (>99%) for styrene at specific loading rates.
• Pilot-scale biofilters achieved >99% removal for acetone and MEK across all tested loading rates.
• Microbial acclimation to styrene was rapid (<5 days) in inoculated systems; MEK acclimation was slower without specific inoculum.

Conclusions:

• Biofiltration is a highly effective method for removing styrene, MEK, and acetone from industrial emissions.
• Scale-up from bench to pilot scale is feasible, with consistent high performance observed for MEK and acetone.
• Optimized microbial communities and operating conditions are key for efficient VOC biodegradation in biofilters.