The treatment of ethanol vapors in biotrickling filters for air pollution control was investigated. Two reactors were operated in parallel, one at ambient temperature (22 ℃) and one at high temperature (53 ℃). After a short adaptation phase, the removal of ethanol was similar in both reactors. At a bed contact time of 57 s, the elimination capacity exceeded 220 g m{sup}(-3) h{sup}(-1) at both temperatures. The experiments performed revealed that the process was most likely limited by biodegradation in the biofilm. The high-temperature biotrickling filter exhibited a higher degree of ethanol mineralization to CO{sub}2 (60 vs 46 at ambient temperature); hence, a lower rate of biomass accumulation was observed. Plating and cultivation of biofilm samples revealed that the high-temperature biotrickling filter hosted a process culture composed of both mesophilic and thermotolerant or thermophilic microorganisms, whereas the ambient-temperature reactor lacked microorganisms capable of growing at high temperature. Consequently, the performance of the control biotrickling filter was significantly affected by a short incursion at 53 ℃. The upper temperature limit for treatment was 62 ℃. Overall, the results of this study open new possibilities for biotrickling filtration of hot gases.
展开▼
