• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.37 no.12
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• pp.689-695
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• 2015

A biofilm filtration for the removal of gaseous pollutants has been recognized as a process with a complex interaction between the gas flow characteristics and the process operating variables. This study aims to develop an one dimensional dynamic numerical model which can be utilized as a tool for the analysis of biofilm filtration process operated in plug flow mode. Since, in a plug flow system, minor environmental changes in a gaseous unit process cause a drastic change in reaction and the interaction between the pollutants is an influencing factor, plug flow system was generalized in developing the model. For facilitation of the model development, dispersion was simplified based on the principles of material balance. Several reactions such as competition, escalation, and control between the pollutants were included in the model. The applicability of the developed model was evaluated by taking the calibration and verification steps on the experimental data performed for the removal of BTX at both low and high flow concentration. The model demonstrated a correlation coefficient ($R^2$) greater than 0.79 under all the experimental conditions except for the case of toluene at high flow condition, which suggested that this model could be used for the generalized gaseous biofilm plug flow filtration system. In addition, this model could be a useful tool in analyzing the design parameters and evaluating process efficiency of the experiments with substantial amount of complexity and diversity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.1028-1033
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• 2009

In this study, the dynamics of living cells (LC) and dead cells (DC) in a laboratory-scale biofilm membrane bioreactor for waste gas treatment was examined. Toluene was used as a model pollutant. The bacterial cells were enumerated as fluoromicroscopic counts during a 140 operating day period using BacLight nucleic acid staining in combination with epifluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CSLM). Overall, five different phases could be distinguished during the biofilm development: (A) cell attachment, (B) pollutant limitation, (C) biofilm establishment and colonization, (D) colonized biofilm, and (E) biofilm erosion. The bioreactor was operated under different conditions by applying different pollutant concentrations. An optimum toluene removal of 89% was observed at a loading rate of 14.4 kg $m^{-3}d^{-1}$. A direct correlation between the biodegradation rate of the reactor and the dynamics of biofilm development could be demonstrated. This study shows the first description of biofilm development during gaseous toluene degradation in MBR.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.157-175
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• 2007

The membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR) creates a natural partnership of a membrane and biofilm, because a gas-transfer membrane delivers a gaseous substrate to the biofilm that grows on the membrane's outer wall. $O_2$-based MBfRs (called membrane aerated biofilm reactors, or MABRs) have existed for much longer than $H_2$-based MBfRs, but the $O_2$-based MBfR is a versatile platform for reducing oxidized contaminants in many water-treatment settings: drinking water, ground water, wastewater, and agricultural drainage. Extensive bench-scale experimentation has proven that the $H_2$-based MBfR can reduce many oxidized contaminant to harmless or easily removed forms: e.g., ${NO_3}^-$ to $N_2$, ${ClO_4}^-$ to $H_2O$ and $Cl^-$, ${SeO_4}^{2-}$ to $Se^0$, and trichloroethene (TCE) to ethene and $Cl^-$. The MBfR has been tested at the pilot scale for ${NO_3}^-$ and ${ClO_4}^-$ and is now entering field-testing for many of the oxidized contaminants alone or in mixtures. For the MBfR to attain its full promise, several issues must be addressed by bench and field research: understanding interactions with mixtures of oxidized contaminants, treating waters with a high TDS concentration, developing modules that can be used in situ to augment pre-denitrification of wastewater, and keeping the capital costs low.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.188-193
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• 2006

A new type of biofilter, a rotating drum biotrickling filter(RDBF), was developed and operated for the removal of styrene from industrial waste gas. The porous polyurethane foam sheet was used as a packing materials for the RDBF and a pure culture of Gram-positive bacterium Brevibacillus sp. SP1 was used as an inoculum. The reactor showed a short start-up period of 18 days, during which uniform biofilms were developed on the packing. During a steady operation at an incoming styrene concentration of $200ppm_v$ and a retention time of 0.5 min, a high and stable removal of styrene over 95% was observed. The maximum elimination capacity was estimated to be $125g/m^3{\cdot}hr$. The outstanding performance was attributed to an efficient gas-liquid mass transfer and the appropriate supply of nutrient solution to the biofilm microorganisms on the packing by the rotation of the drum.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.789-797
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• 2008

This study was conducted to investigate removal characteristics of gaseous trimethylamine(TMA) through biofilter packed with waste tire-chips. The sludge in this experiment was collected from an activated sludge operated in a wastewater treatment facility treating malodorous pollutants. The nominal amount of collected sludge was inoculated through packing materials in the filter. The removal efficiencies for varying concentrations and SVs(Space velocity) were assessed based on TMA, COD$_{Cr}$, NO$_3{^-}$-N, NO$_2{^-}$-N, NH$_4{^+}$-N and EPS(Extracellular Polymeric Substances) in leachate, since biofilter had been steady-stately operated. The influent concentration of 10 ppm of TMA was removed to approximately 95% regardless of changing SV at 120 and 180 hr$^{-1}$, but it was lowered to 80 to 90% at SV 240 hr$^{-1}$. As influent concentration was gradually increased from 5 to 55 ppm, the removal efficiencies of TMA were initially high for 95% in the range of 5 to 10 ppm, but lowered to 80% for 10 to 30 ppm. As a part of kinetic study for TMA decomposition, V$_m$(maximum substrate removal rate) and $K_s$(substrate infinity coefficient) were 14.3 g$\cdot$m$^{-3}$$\cdot$h$^{-1}$ and 0.043 g$\cdot$m$^{-3}$, respectively while adapted period was shown in the range of 100 to 150 hr. Also, the EPS concentration was consistently observed from the leachate showing 100 to 200 ppm, which indicates that biofilm has been continuously formed and sustained throughout tire-chips packed reactor.