Packing Incubation and Addition of Rot Fungi Extracts Improve BTEX Elimination from Air in Biotrickling Filters

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 29; no. 18; p. 4431
• Main Authors: Rybarczyk, Piotr, Cichon, Krzysztof, Kucharska, Karolina, Dobrzyniewski, Dominik, Szulczyński, Bartosz, Gębicki, Jacek
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 18.09.2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Air Filters - microbiology; Air Pollutants; Air pollution; air treatment; Benzene - chemistry; Benzene - metabolism; Benzene Derivatives - chemistry; Biodegradation; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biofilms; Biofiltration; biotrickling filtration; BTEX; Carbon; Energy consumption; Enzymes; Filtration - instrumentation; Filtration - methods; Fungi; Fungi - metabolism; fungi extracts; Gases; Hydrocarbons; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; inoculation pattern; Lignin; Microorganisms; Outdoor air quality; Oxidation; PCB; Phenols; Pollutants; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Polyurethanes - chemistry; Process controls; process performance; Sludge; Toluene - chemistry; Toluene - metabolism; VOCs; Volatile organic compounds; Volatile Organic Compounds - metabolism; Water treatment; Xylenes - chemistry; Xylenes - metabolism; Poland; Germany; process performance; biotrickling filtration; BTEX; air treatment; inoculation pattern; fungi extracts
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules29184431

The removal of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) from air was investigated in two similar biotrickling filters (BTFs) packed with polyurethane (PU) foam, differing in terms of inoculation procedure (BTF A was packed with pre-incubated PU discs, and BTF B was inoculated via the continuous recirculation of a liquid inoculum). The effects of white rot fungi enzyme extract addition and system responses to variable VOC loading, liquid trickling patterns, and pH were studied. Positive effects of both packing incubation and enzyme addition on biotrickling filtration performance were identified. BFF A exhibited a shorter start-up period (approximately 20 days) and lower pressure drop (75 ± 6 mm H O) than BTF B (30 days; 86 ± 5 mm H O), indicating the superior effects of packing incubation over inoculum circulation during the biotrickling filter start-up. The novel approach of using white rot fungi extracts resulted in fast system recovery and enhanced process performance after the BTF acidification episode. Average BTEX elimination capacities of 28.8 ± 0.4 g/(m h) and 23.1 ± 0.4 g/(m h) were reached for BTF A and BTF B, respectively. This study presents new strategies for controlling and improving the abatement of BTEX in biotrickling filters.