• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.191-198
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• 2014

A semi-pilot hybrid system composed of a photocatalytic reactor and a biofilter was operated under various operating conditions in order to treat malodorous waste air containing both hydrogen sulfide and ammonia which are major air pollutants emitted from composting factories and many publicly owned treatment works (POTW). When both hydrogen sulfide and ammonia contained in malodorous waste air were treated simultaneously by a biofilter system, its performance of ammonia removal was much more poor than that by a biofilter system treating waste air containing only ammonia, unlike its performance of hydrogen sulfide removal. For semi-pilot hybrid system, the removal efficiencies of hydrogen sulfide and ammonia turned out to be ca. 83 and 65%, respectively. Therefore, for semi-pilot hybrid system, the removal efficiencies of hydrogen sulfide and ammonia was increased by ca. 4 and 30%, respectively, compared to those of semi-pilot biofilter system (control). In addition, the maximum elimination capacities of hydrogen sulfide and ammonia for semi-pilot hybrid system turned out to be ca. 60 and $37g/m^3/h$, respectively. These maximum elimination capacities of hydrogen sulfide and ammonia were estimated to be ca. 9.1% and ca. 23.3% greater than those for semi-pilot biofilter system (control), respectively. Therefore, the semi-pilot hybrid system contributed the enhancement of removal efficiency and the maximum elimination capacity of ammonia in a higher degree than that of hydrogen sulfide, compared to the semi-pilot biofilter system.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.605-617
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• 2015

The ultimate goal of this research is to develop a botanical biofiltration system that combines a green interior, biofiltering, and automatic irrigation to purify indoor air pollutants according to indoor space and the size of biofilter. This study was performed to compare the stability of air flow characteristics and removal efficiency (RE) of fine dust within a wall-typed (vertical) botanical biofilter depending on humidifying cycle and to investigate RE of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by the biofilter. The biofilter used in this experiment was designed as an integral form of water metering pump, water tank, blower, humidifier, and multi-level planting space in order to be suitable for indoor space utilization. As a result, relative humidity, air temperature, and soil moisture content (SMC) within the biofilter showed stable values regardless of three different humidifying cycles operated by the metering pump. In particular, SMCs were consistently maintained in the range of 27.1-29.7% during all humidifying cycles; moreover, a humidifying cycle of operating for 15 min and pausing for 45 min showed the best horizontal linear regression (y = 0.0008x + 29.09) on SMC ($29.0{\pm}0.2%$) during 120 hour. REs for number of fine dust (PM10) and ultra-fine dust (PM2.5) particles passed through the biofilter were in the range of 82.7-89.7% and 65.4-73.0%, respectively. RE for weight of PM10 passed through the biofilter was in the range of 58.1-78.9%, depending on humidifying cycle. REs of xylene, ethyl benzene, total VOCs (TVOCs), and toluene passed through the biofilter were in the range of 71.3-75.5%, while REs of benzene and formaldehyde (HCHO) passed through the biofilter were 39.7% and 44.9%, respectively. Hence, it was confirmed that the wall-typed botanical biofilter suitable for indoor plants was very effective for indoor air purification.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.73-78
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• 2002

Four inorganic packing materials (zeocarbon, porous celite, porous glass, zeolite) and a earthworm cast were compared with regard to the removal of ammonia in a biofilter inoculated with earthworm cast. Physical adsorption of ammonia on packing materials were negligible except zeocarbon (23.5 g-$NH_3$/kg), and cell immobilization capacity have similar values irrespective of packing materials. Pressure drops of the packed bed were in order of earthworm cast zeocarbon zeolite porous glass porous. The maximum elimination capacity ($g-Nkg^{-1}$ $d^{-1}$ ) of ammonia, which were based on a unit volume of packing material, were in order of zeocarbon (526) earthworm cast (220) porous celite (93) > zeolite (68) > porous glass (53). By using kinetic analysis, the maximum removal rates ($V_{m}$ ) and the saturation constant ($K_{s}$ ) for ammonia were determined, and zeocarbon showed superior performance among the five materials.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.391-396
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• 2010

In this research the characteristics of ammonia removal from malodorous waste-air were investigated under various operating condition of biofiilter packed with equal volume of rubber media and compost for the efficient removal of ammonia, representative source of malodor frequently generated at compost manufacturing factory and publicly owned facilities. Then the optimum conditions were constructed to treat waste-air containing ammonia with biofilter. Biofilter was run for 30 days(experimental frequency of 2 times/day makes 60 experimental times.) with the ammonia loading from $2.18g-N/m^3/h$ to $70g-N/m^3/h$ at $30^{\circ}C$. The ammonia removal efficiency reached almost 100% for I through IV stage of run to degrade up to the ammonia loading of $17g-N/m^3/h$. However the removal efficiency dropped to 80% when ammonia loading increased to $35g-N/m^3/h$, which makes the elimination capacity of ammonia $28g-N/m^3/h$ for V stage of run. However, the removal efficiency remained 80% and the maximum elimination capacity reached $55g-N/m^3/h$ when ammonia loading was doubled $70g-N/m^3/h$ for VI stage of run. Thus the maximum elimination capacity exceeded $1,200g-N/m^3/day$(i.e., $50g-N/m^3/h$) of the experiment of biofilter packed with rock wool inoculated with night soil sludge by Kim et al.. However, the critical loading did not exceed $810g-N/m^3/day$ (i.e., $33.75g-N/m^3/h$) of the biofilter experiment by Kim et al.. The reason to exceed the maximum elimination capacity of Kim et al. may be attributed to that the rubber media used as biofilter packing material provide the better environment for the fixation of nitrifying and denitrification bacteria to its surface coated with coconut based-activated carbon powder and well-developed inner-pores, respectively.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.85-95
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• 2018

In this research, a biofilter system equipped with a biofilter process and a humidifier composed of a fluidized aerobic and an anoxic reactor, was constructed to treat odorous waste air containing hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and VOC, frequently generated from pig and poultry housing facilities, compost manufacturing factories and publicly owned facilities. Its optimum operating condition was revealed and discussed. In the experiment of complex feed, the ammonia of fed-waste air was removed by ca. 75% and more than 20% at the stage of the humidifier and the biofilter, respectively. The toluene of the fed-waste air was removed by ca. 20% and more than 70% at the stage of the humidifier and the biofilter, respectively. Therefore the water-soluble ammonia and the water-insoluble toluene were treated mainly at the stage of the humidifier and the biofilter, respectively. In addition, hydrogen sulfide was almost absorbed at the stage of the humidifier so that it was not detected at the biofilter process. In the experiment of ammonia-containing feed, the ammonia of fed-waste air was removed by ca. 65% and 35% at the stage of the humidifier and the biofilter, respectively. Its removal efficiency of ammonia at the stage of the humidifier was 10% less than that in the experiment of complex feed, due to no supply of such carbon source as toluene required in the process of denitrification. In the experiments of complex feed, ammonia-containing feed with and without (instead, glucose) the addition of yeast extract, the absorption rates of ammonia-nitrogen were ca. 0.28 mg/min, 0.23 mg/min and 0.27 mg/min, respectively. The corresponding denitrification rates in the anoxic reactor were 0.42 mg/min, 0.55 mg/min and 0.27 mg/min, respectively. In addition, in the modeling of bubble column(the fluidized aerobic reactor of the humidifier) process, the value of specific surface area(a) of bubbles multiplied by enhanced mass transfer coefficient (E $K_y$) was evaluated to be 0.12/hr.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.272-278
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• 2013

The hybrid system composed of a photocatalytic reactor and a biofilter was operated under various operating conditions in order to treat malodorous waste air containing ammonia which is a major air pollutant emitted from composting factories and many publicly owned treatment works. Total ammonia removal efficiency of the hybrid system was maintained to be ca. 80% even though its inlet loads were increased at a higher operating stage according to an operating schedule of the hybrid system. The ammonia removal efficiency of photocatalytic reactor was decreased from 65% to 22% as ammonia inlet loads to photocatalytic reactor were increased. In spite of same inlet loads of ammonia to the photocatalytic reactor, the ammonia removal efficiency of photocatalytic reactor with lower ammonia concentration of fed-waste air was higher than that with higher ammonia concentration of fed-waste air. To the contrary, during the first half of the hybrid system operation the ammonia removal efficiency of a biofilter was quite suppressed while, despite of increased ammonia inlet loads, the ammonia removal efficiency of the biofilter was continuously increased to 78% and reached the ammonia removal efficiency similar to what Lee et al. attained. The maximum ammonia elimination capacity of the photocatalytic reactor was observed to be ca. 16 g-N/$m^3$/h. In an incipient stage of hybrid system run, the ammonia elimination capacity of the biofilter showed little sensitivity against ammonia inlet loads to the hybrid system. However, in the 2nd half of its run, the ammonia elimination capacity of the biofilter was increased abruptly in case of high ammonia inlet loads to the hybrid system. In 6th stage of hybrid system run, total ammonia inlet load attained at ca. 80 g-N/$m^3$/h corresponding to 16 g-N/$m^3$/h of ammonia elimination capacity of the photocatalytic reactor. Then, the remaining ammonia inlet load to the 2nd and main process of the biofilter and its elimination capacity was expected and shown to be ca 64 g-N/$m^3$/h and ca 48 g-N/$m^3$/h, respectively. The ammonia elimination capacity of the biofilter was close to 1,200 g-N/$m^3$/day of the maximum elimination capacity of the investigation performed by Kim et al.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.372-377
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• 2007

In order to assess its capability as biofilter bed material under variable conditions of two parameters (inlet gas concentration and inlet gas flow rate), reticulated polyurethan was applied to remove hydrogen sulfide via a biological process. We detected a maximal elimination capacity (critical loading rate) of $488.3(330.1)g-H_2S/m^3{\cdot}hr$, when reticulated polyurethane was employed as supporting material of biofilter. This study show that the application of reticulated polyurethane carrier might be a favorable choice as a packing material in biofilter for the biological removal of hydrogen sulfide.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.221-227
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• 2013

The methane oxidation characteristics at the top and bottom layers in up-flow biofilters were investigated. Two biofilters were packed with perlite and tobermolite (biofilter A: respectively top and bottom; biofilter B: respectively bottom and top) and then compared. The methane oxidation rate was analyzed with the packed bed of the biofilter layers. The bacterial population in the biofilter was characterized using quantitative real-time PCR. For the methane oxidation rate of the biofilter A column, the perlite top part ($845.16{\pm}64.78{\mu}mol{\cdot}VS^{-1}{\cdot}h^{-1}$) gave a relatively higher value than the tobermolite bottom part ($381.85{\pm}42.00{\mu}mol{\cdot}VS^{-1}{\cdot}h^{-1}$). For the methane oxidation rate of the biofilter B column, the tobermolite top part ($601.25{\pm}37.78{\mu}mol{\cdot}VS^{-1}{\cdot}h^{-1}$) provided a relatively higher value than the perlite bottom part ($411.07{\pm}53.02{\mu}mol{\cdot}VS^{-1}{\cdot}h^{-1}$). The pmoA gene copy numbers, responsible for methanotrophs, in the top layer of biofilter A (1.27E+13 pmoA gene copy number/mg-VSS) was higher than in the bottom layer (3.33E+13 pmoA gene copy number/mg-VSS). However, the population of methanotrophs in biofilter B was not significantly different between the top and bottom layers. These results suggest that although the methane oxidation rates of perlite and tobermolite in the top parts of biofilter A and B were high, methanotroph populations were higher in the bottom parts of both biofilters, with a rapid decline in methane concentrations within the biofilters.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Agricultural Machinery Conference
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.315-322
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• 2005

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.45-56
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• 1999

A biofilter was established to remove the ammonia, which is representative nitrogen-contained malodorous gas. in a compost factory. Removal efficiency of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide also was investigated. A quantity of malodor gas produced in a compost factory was affected greatly by the weather. compost states and working condition of a fertilizing mixer, and the produced gas concentrations doubled by above various parameters. By operating a water scrubbing system for removing water-soluble malodorous gases effectively. we could improve the removal efficiency over three times. We investigated long-term stability of biofilter under continuous gas flow(SV=500h-1) for 100 days. The results showed 30 days of microbial retention time. After the days, deodorization efficiency of biofilter was kept steady state. and the removal efficiency was kept over 95% for ammonia and 97% for hydrogen so]fide. respectively. The electric consumption of the biofilter, which could treat malodorous gas of 100$\textrm{m}^3$/min, applied in the compost factory was evaluated about 80u0day and water consumption was 80~100$\ell$/day. These results concluded that the biofilter is a excellent deodorization technology as well as cost-effective for removing malodorous gas produced in a compost factory.