• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.741-750
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• 2011

A pilot-scale biofilter was constructed to discover degradation characteristics of the complex odor discharged from Ansan wastewater treatment plant. Candida tropicalis for volatile organic compounds, sulfur oxidizing bacteria(SOB) for hydrogen sulfide, and bacteria extracted from feces soil were immobilized on a polymer gel media. According to this study, the EBCT was varied from 36 sec to 18 sec. Toluene was removed as 80% along the variations, but it was recovered as 100% within 1 week. All benzene and xylene were removed during the operation while the efficiency of hydrogen sulfur was temporary decreased at 18 sec of EBCT, thereafter it was recovered to 100% within a week. The maximum elimination capacities of the benzene, toluene, xylene, and hydrogen sulfur were 6.6 g/$m^{3}$/hr, 31.7 g/$m^{3}$/hr, 7.8 g/$m^{3}$/hr, and 133.6 g/$m^{3}$/hr, respectively. There were merits on removal both organic and inorganic complex odor using the pilot-scale biofilter embedded with microorganisms immobilized on polymer gel media.

• Clean Technology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.209-215
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• 2012

The performance and removal efficiencies of a pilot scale biofilter were estimated by using ammonia and hydrogen sulfide as the odorous gases. Expanded polyurethane foam coated with powdered activated carbon and zeolite was used as a biofilm supporting medium in the biofilter. Odorous gases from the sludge thickener of a municipal wastewater treatment plant were treated in the biofilter for 10 months and the inlet ammonia and hydrogen sulfide concentrations were 0.1-1.5 and 2-20 ppmv, respectively. The removal efficiencies reached about 100% at the empty bed retention time (EBRT) of 3.6-5 seconds except for the adaptation periods. The pressure drop of the biofilter caused by the gas flow was also low that the maximum attained was 31 mm $H_2O$ during the operation. Its stability was confirmed in the long term due to the fact that the biofilter and the polyurethane medium had a minimum plugging and compression. The microbial community on the medium is critical for the performance of the biofilter especially the distribution of ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and sulfur oxidizing bacteria (SOB). The distribution of Nitrosomonas sp. (AOB) and Thiobacillus ferroxidans (SOB) was confirmed by FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) analysis. The longer the operation time, the more microbial population observed. Also, the medium close to the gas inlet had more microbial population than the medium at the gas outlet of the biofilter.