• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.820-825
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• 2007

Earthworm casting was the natural fertilizer that contained high concentrations of nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphate and potassium and of over $10^8$ CFU/ml of microorganisms. Greater than 80% of feed was excreted through the fermentation by the intestinal enzyme, after worm had eaten feeds such as fallen leaves and rotten roots under the ground. Also, the soil structure of casting was known to be very efficient in the aspects of the porosity, the water permeability, and deodorizing activities. In this research, the biofilter packed with a biomedia made of casting and waste polyurethane foam, a binder, which helped to improve the durability and perpetuity of casting, was investigated to degrade malodorous hydrogen sulfide gas. The biomedia had no need of extra supply of nutrients and of microbial inoculations. On the beginning of the operations, it showed 100% removal of hydrogen sulfide gas without lag phase. At SV of 50 $h^{-1}$, hydrogen sulfide gas from the outlet of the biofilter was not detected, when inlet concentration increased to 450 ppmv. After that, removal efficiency decreased as increasing inlet hydrogen sulfide concentration. Hydrogen sulfide removal was maintained at almost 93% until inlet concentration was increased up to 950 ppmv, at which the elimination capacity of $H_2S$ was 61.2 g $S{\cdot}m^{-3}{\cdot}h^{-1}$. Maximum elimination capacity guaranteing 90% removal was 61.2, 65.9, 84.7, 89.4 g $S{\cdot}m^{-3}{\cdot}h^{-1}$ at SV ranging from 50 $h^{-1}$ to 300 $h^{-1}$, but was 59.3 g $S{\cdot}m^{-3}{\cdot}h^{-1}$ at SV of 400 $h^{-1}$. The results calculated from Michaelis-Menten equation revealed that $V_m$ increased from 66.04, 88.96, 117.35, 224.15, to 227.54 g $S{\cdot}m^{-3}{\cdot}h^{-1}$ with increasing space velocity in the range of 50 $h^{-1}$ to 400 $h^{-1}$. However, saturation constant$(K_s)$ decreased from 79.97 ppmv to 64.95 and 65.37 ppmv, and then increased to 127.72 and 157.43 ppmv.