Mechanisms of N, N-dimethylacetamide-facilitated n-hexane removal in a rotating drum biofilter packed with bamboo charcoal-polyurethane composite

• Published in: Bioresource technology Vol. 372; p. 128600
• Main Authors: Wang, Zhaoyun, Hu, Liyong, He, Jiamei, Zhou, Gang, Chen, Zhenghui, Wang, Zeyu, Chen, Jun, Hayat, Kashif, Hrynsphan, Dzmitry, Tatsiana, Savitskaya
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2023
• Subjects: Bamboo charcoal-polyurethane composite; bamboos; bioavailability; Biofilm; biofilters; biomass; carbon; Charcoal; electron transfer; Environmental Pollutants; Filtration; hexane; hydrophilicity; hydrophobicity; metabolism; N, N-Dimethylacetamide; n-Hexane; pharmaceutical industry; polymers; Polyurethanes; Rotating drum biofilter; technology; volatile organic compounds; Bamboo charcoal-polyurethane composite; Biofilm; n-Hexane; Rotating drum biofilter; N, N-Dimethylacetamide
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.128600

[Display omitted] •n-Hexane and DMAC were removed by RDB packed with BC-PU simultaneously.•DMAC enhanced the performance of RDB for n-hexane removal.•DMAC promoted microbial ATPase and electron transport system activity.•The Mycobacterium sp. and Hyphomicrobium sp. were found as the dominating bacteria.•Metabolites of DMAC including N-methylacetamide and acetic acid were detected. n-Hexane and N, N-dimethylacetamide (DMAC) are two major volatile organic compounds (VOCs) discharged from the pharmaceutical industry. To enhance DMAC-facilitated n-hexane removal, we investigated the simultaneous removal of multiple pollutants in a rotating drum biofilter packed with bamboo charcoal-polyurethane composite. After adding 800 mg·L−1 DMAC, the n-hexane removal efficiency increased from 59.4 % to 83.1 % under the optimized conditions. The maximum elimination capacity of 10.0 g·m−3·h−1n-hexane and 157 g·m−3·h−1 DMAC were obtained. The biomass of bamboo charcoal-polyurethane and the ratio of protein-to-polysaccharide in extracellular polymeric substances were significantly increased compared with the non-DMAC stage, which is attributed to increased carbon utilization. In addition, Na+ K+-ATPase was positively correlated with increasing electron transport system activity, which was 1.98 and 1.36 times greater. Hydrophilic DMAC improved the bioavailability of hydrophobic n-hexane and benefited bacterial metabolism. Co-degradation of n-hexane and DMAC system can be used for other volatile organic pollutants.