• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.136-143
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• 2013

In this study, both transient behaviors of a biofilter system with improved design and a conventional biofilter were observed to perform the treatment of waste air containing malodor and volatile organic compound (VOC). Their behaviors of removal efficiency and treated concentration of malodor and VOC were compared each other. During 1st~7th stages of improved biofilter system operation it was observed that the order of treated ethanol concentration at each sampling port was switched due to the difference of microbe-population-distribution in spite of the difference of biofilter effective height. However, at 8th stage of its operation, the order of treated ethanol concentration at each sampling port was consistent to the order of biofilter effective height at each sampling port. The same was applied to the case of hydrogen sulfide, even though the difference of switched treated-hydrogen sulfide-concentrations was less than that of switched treated-ethanol-concentrations. The ethanol-removal efficiency of the biofilter system with improved design was ca. 96%, which was greater by 2% than that of the conventional biofilter. The transient behavior of treated hydrogen sulfide concentration of both biofilters were similar to each other. However, the concentration of hydrogen sulfide treated by the biofilter system with improved design was observed lower than that by the conventional biofilter. The hydrogen sulfide-removal efficiency of the biofilter system with improved design was higher by ca. 2% than that of the conventional biofilter. Therefore, the hydrogen sulfide-removal efficiency of the biofilter system with improved design was observed to be enhanced by the same as its ethanol-removal efficiency.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.127-135
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• 2013

In this study, both pressure drop and microbe-population-distribution were observed while running a novel biofilter system with improved design in which the biofilter system is composed of two, upper and lower biofilters with both equal feed-rates of up-flow and down-flow, respectively. Then they were compared with the pressure drop and microbe-population-distribution observed in a conventional biofilter of the same effective volume with unidirectional flow. The pressure drop-value of biofilter system with improved design turned out to be less at the incipient stage of run or steady-state long term operation by more than 40~80% of that of the conventional biofilter. The microbe-population-distribution was observed to be lower and higher at higher and lower column of biofilter, respectively, for both the conventional biofilter and the biofilter system with improved design. The microbe-media of waste-tire crumb showed much greater CFU counts than GAC. In the biofilter system with improved design, the $bottom{\rightarrow}up$ feeding of waste air showed greater microbe-population growth than the $top{\rightarrow}down$ feeding for both the microbe-media of waste-tire crumb and GAC. However, it was more prominent for the former than the latter. Comparing the microbe-population-distributions of both of the conventional biofilter and the biofilter system with improved design, the microbe-population of latter was distributed ca. 15 and 2.5 times more evenly for GAC and the media of waste-tire crumb, respectively, than that of former.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.763-769
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• 2007

This study compared the performance of a bioscrubber, a biofilter, and a combined system of bioscrubber and biofilter employed being operated at the laboratory-scale. for the removal of hydrogen sulfide. The bioscrubber maintained 100% removal of hydrogen sulfide up to inlet load of $56\;g-S/m^3{\cdot}hr$, while the removal efficiency was decreased with the increase of inlet load. The biofilter showed 100% removal efficiency up to inlet load of $126\;g-S/m^3{\cdot}h$ and the maximum elimination capacity of $126\;g\;S/m^3{\cdot}h$ for the inlet load of $224\;g-S/m^3{\cdot}h$. On the other hand, the combined system of bioscrubber and biofilter showed 100% removal for an inlet hydrogen sulfide load of up to $85\;g-S/m^3{\cdot}h$ and the maximum elimination capacity of $153\;g-S/m^3{\cdot}h$ for inlet loads of $224\;g-S/m^3{\cdot}h$.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.179-194
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• 2021

Background and objective: Plant-based biofilter system has become a promising candidate for improving indoor air quality due to its eco-friendly and sustainable nature. However, it remains controversial whether indoor air purification using a biofilter is effective. Methods: This study used the one-group pre- and post-test design to analyze the effects of the operation of the plant-based biofilter system on indoor air quality, students' perception of indoor air quality, health effects, and subjective and objective attentiveness. Results: Results of this study show that the application of the plant-based biofilter system changed the air environment in the classroom. The operation of the plant-based biofilter system significantly decreased PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ and slightly increased temperature and humidity. Satisfaction with air quality and subjective attentiveness were significantly improved but objective attentiveness and health effects were not improved. Conclusion: Further studies need to be conducted for improving indoor air quality of schools and evaluating the health effects and attention of occupants to present the objective performance of the plant-based biofilter system.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.7-16
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• 1999

The objective of this study is to recover the contaminated ditch by using a biofilter filled up with waste-concrete media and vegetation bed. Two systems were tested for elimination of organic compounds, turbidity, nitrogen and phosphate. System 1 is three-stage system which consisted of one biofilter and two vegetation bed, system 2 has three-stage system consisted of one biofilter, one vegetation bed (four bed), and one media trench operated in series. In system 1, HRT of biofilter was 4 hour, and Oenanthe javanica was planted in two vegetation bed. In system 2, HRT of biofilter was varied 2 hours and Persicaria chinensis was planted on the top of the biofilter. And Oenanthe javanica, Hydrocharis asiatica, Salvinia natans were planted in four bed of a vegetation bed and the second vegetation bed of system 1 was rebuilt to a media trench bed. The elimination rate of BOD and turbidity was over 90% in both systems. The mean elimination rates 40~50%(system 1), 30~40%(system 2) for T-N and 40~50% (system 1), 30~40%(system 2)for T-P. T-N and T-P elimination performance of system 1 was a little higher(10%) than that of system 2. Results showed that vegetation bed are not efficient in reducing T-N and T-P. It was considered that HRT of vegetation bed of both systems was much lower(1~2hr) than that of conventional system(5~20days).

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.310-315
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• 1999

The feasibility of an absorbent biofilter system was examined for rural wastewater treatment. Hydraulic loading rates varied from 50 to 250 cm/day. Effluent of the septic tank was fed into the absorbent biofilter, and small ventilation fan was provided to supply air at the rate of 250 L/min to aerate the biofilter. The biofilter system demonstrated high removal rates for $BOD_5$ and TSS at the loading rate of 150 cm/day, generally meeting the Korean effluent water quality standard of 20 mg/L applicable to both. The nutrient removal was less satisfactory than the results of $BOD_5$ and TSS, but it was within the expected range of biological treatment processes. Considering the abnormally high influent concentration of nutrients during the experiment, better performance results could have been obtained if ordinary domestic wastewater was used. The system performance was not significantly affected by the hydraulic loading up to 150 cm/day, which is far more than the loading limit of the sand filter systems. Maintenance requirement was minimal, and no problems with noise, odor, flies or sludge arose. Since the biofilter system can be operated at a distance, operation in remote rural area and multi-system connected to one control office might be advantageous to the rural area. Overall, considering the cost-effectiveness, stable performance, and minimum maintenance, the biofilter system was thought to be a competitive alternative to treat wastewater in Korean rural communities.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.1209-1216
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• 2020

Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the performance of odor abatement by using two different ventilation-biofilter systems with recycled stablized swine wastewater. Methods: The performance of odor removal efficiency was evaluated using two different ventilation-biofilter-recycled wastewater arrangements. A recirculating air-flow ventilation system connected to a vertical biofilter (M1) and a plug-flow ventilation system connected to a horizontal biofilter (M2) were installed. Water dripping over the surface of the biofilter was recycled at a flow rate of 0.83 L/h in summer and 0.58 L/h in winter to reduce odorous compounds and particulate matter (PM). The experiments were performed for 64 days with M1 and M2 to investigate how these two ventilation-biofilter systems influenced the reduction of odor compounds in the model houses. Odorous compounds, NH₃ and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were analyzed, and microclimatic variables such as temperature, humidity, and PM were monitored. Results: Ammonia concentration inside M1 was about 41% higher on average than that in M2. PM and total suspended particles (TSPs) inside M1 were about 62.2% and 69.9%, respectively, higher than those in M2. TSPs in the model house were positively correlated with the concentration of NH₃ and VOCs. Conclusion: M2 emitted lower concentration of odorous compounds than M1. Moreover, M2 could maintain the optimum temperature condition for a swine house during the cooler season. The plug-flow ventilation-horizontal biofilter system could be used for pig houses to minimize air pollution produced by swine farming activities and maintain optimum microclimate conditions for pigs.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.115-120
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• 2002

Biofiltration is a bioprocess treating volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in order to convert the VOCs to harmless products. This review on biofiltration is intended to provide an engineering concept such as removal efficiency, maximum load, elimination capacity and so on. Besides, modeling concept of biofilter is also supplied for designing biofilter system. Quantitative data generated in our research group is shown to explain the engineering concept as well as the modeling idea.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.373-382
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• 2013

In this study, a biological odor treatment system was proposed to remove odor(foul smell) materials causing several problems in the closed sewage treatment plant. This odor treatment system was composed of a two-step biofilter system in one reactor. The two-step biofilter reactor was constructed with natural purification layer in upper part and artificial purification layer in lower part. The reed grasses of water purification plants were planted in the surface area and mixed porous ceramic media were filled with the lower part of biofilter reactor. By using the above experimental apparatus, the ammonia gas removal efficiency was attained to 98.3 % and the hydrogen sulfide gas removal efficiency was appeared more than 97.7 % which shows more effective than the conventional odor removal process.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.253-259
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• 2008

In this paper an optimum design of a lab-scale biofilter for absorbing ammonia has been proposed and analyzed. This biofilter is using pine chaff and wood shaving as filter materials. It is assumed that the biofilter can be used as a storage tank of swine manure slurry or swine stall. To evaluate the biofilter performance, the ammonia, mainly offensive odor ingredient, was measured. Swine compost was mixed with filter materials in ratio of 1:1 on weight base. Each test continued for 20 days. The ammonia emissions were reduced by 97.9% and 98.3% in case of using biofilter filled with pine chaff and compost, and wood shaving and compost, respectively. The system was tested with and without adding compost. It was found that the biofilter with wood shaving and compost has an ammonia removal efficiency of 94.1%, while biofilter with wood shaving only has 85.3%. The biofilter with wood shaving and compost showed 8.8% higher removal efficiency than that of wood shaving only. By mixing the compost, the number of microorganism was found to be about 2.3 times more than that of wood shaving only. Therefore it can be concluded that adding compost has a positive effect on the formation of microorganism.