• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.9 no.5
• /
• pp.415-422
• /
• 2000

In this study the removal possibility of nutrients of T-P, NH3-N, NO3-N and T-N is examined through a positive experimental study using submerged biofilter of media packing channel method. From the analysis of nutrients removal efficiency for each run of the collected sample following results are obtained. Firstly the result of N/P surveying for inflow shows serious value that excess the limit value of 20 as the values are in the range of 12.0~42.7 and the average is 25.73. Secondly the highest concentration of the incoming NH3-N reaches double of the standard since the concentrations of NH3-N and NO3-N for inflow shows 0.06mg/$\ell$ and 2.5~3.8mg/$\ell$ respectively and the average removal rate which passed the submerged biofilter adopted in this study is a satisfactory level. Next the average removal rate of T-P of 51.5% shows the possiblity of entrophication removal since the removal rate of T-P of 66.8~68.8% in relative low temperature period of RUN 1~2 appeared higher than in RUN 3~6 and T-N shows relatively poor result with the average removal rate of 34.1% And it is known that the bigger BOD/P and BOD/N are the more removal rate increases from the examination result of the relation between BOD/P and BOD/N and the treatment water T-P and T-N to decide the relation with the concentration of organic matters and though that the appropriate proportion is necessary for effective removal of nitrogen and phsophorus.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.73-80
• /
• 2009

Biofilters use porous solid media to support microorganisms and allow access to the contaminants in the airflow. The characteristics of media used in biofilters vary greatly, and therefore it is important to select the appropriate media in order to obtain a large enough surface attachment area and uniform pore. This study was performed to compare hydrogen sulfide ($H_2S$) removal efficiencies of three biofilter media; coconut fiber, ceramic, and polyurethane. The biofilter packed with coconut fiber showed stable removal activity when inlet loading was changeable, and was restored rapidly when the moisture content decreased. However, the coconut fiber suffered from low durability. To cope with this problem a media of fibrinous polypropylene was developed to strengthen the durability of the coconut fiber. Biofilter column experiments using the fibrinous polypropylene media demonstrated over 99% of removal efficiencies at pH as low as 3 and 6 seconds of EBRT (empty bed gas residence time). Due to its superior physical characteristics, it is expected that the $H_2S$ treatment performance will increase when the new fibrinous polypropylne media is applied in commercial biofilter systems.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.265-270
• /
• 2004

To select a promising technologies for removal of odorous gases emitted from a wastewater pump station, four methods such as activated carbon (A/C) adsorption, chemical absorption (acid and alkali scrubber), and two biofilters (polyurethane (PU) and worm cast) were investigated. The average odor removal efficiencies in the PU biofilter and A/C column was over 98%, but in a worm cast biofilter and chemical absorption were below 60-80%. The removal efficiency of PU biofilter was very stable (about 98-99%) in the range of retention times of 4-36s, and a maximum elimination capacity was $1.6${\times}$10^{ 7}$ $OUm^{-3}$$h^{-1}$ Deodorization costs for an activated carbon adsorption and a biofiltration method were investigated. With increasing odor intensity, the operating cost of the A/C column increased linearly, but the operating cost of the biofilteration increased slightly. The capital cost in a biofilter is about two times higher than that in an A/C column, but the operating cost is very lower than that of in A/C column. In conclusion, the biofiltration was evaluated one of the most promising technologies to control odor in a wastewater pump station.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
• /
• v.23 no.5
• /
• pp.599-608
• /
• 2009

This manuscript covers the results of field investigation and lab-scale experiments to design a double-layered biofilter system to control urban storm runoff. The biofilter system consisted of a coarse soil layer (CSL) for filtration and fine soil layer (FSL) for adsorption and biological degradation. The variations of flow rate and water quality of runoff from a local expressway were monitored for seven storm events. Laboratory column experiments were performed using seven kinds of soil and mulch to maximize pollutants removal. The site mean concentration (SMC) of storm runoff from the drainage area (runoff coefficient: 0.92) was measured to be 203 mg/L for SS, 307 mg/L for $TCOD_{Cr}$, 12.3 mg/L for TN, 7.3 mg/L for ${NH_4}^+-N$, and 0.79 mg/L for TP, respectively. This study employed a new design concept, to cover the maximum rainfall intensity with one month recurrence interval. Effective storms for last ten years (1998-2007) in seoul suggested the design rainfull intensity to be 8.8 mm/hr Single layer soil column showed the maximum removal rate of pollutants load when the uniformity coefficient of CSL was 1.58 and the silt/clay contents of FSL was virtually 7%. The removal efficiency during operation of double layer soil column was 98% for SS and turbidity, 75% for TCODCr, 56% for ${NH_4}^+-N$, 87% for TP, and 73-91% for heavy metals. The hydraulic conductivity of the soil column, 0.023 cm/sec, suggested that the surface area of the biofilter system should be about 1% of the drainage area to treat the rainfall intensity of one month recurrence interval.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.47-52
• /
• 2009

A pilot-plant biofilter (1750 mm W ${\times}$ 2750 mm L ${\times}$ 2000 mm H) packed with polyurethane foam (20 mm W ${\times}$ 20 mm L ${\times}$ 20 mm H) was installed in an fine chemical plant emitting gas streams containing ethyl alcohol, ethyl acetate, and dichloromethane. The biofilter was successfully operated for 30 days under highly fluctuating incoming concentrations (maximum 3500 ppm) at a residence time of 36 and 60 sec. Both ethyl alcohol and ethyl acetate were removed more than 95%, but dichloromethane removal was less than 50%. Malodor was also removed more than 90% from 17 days after start up.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.371-378
• /
• 2011

Juvenile red seabream (mean body weight 29.0 g) were reared in recirculating culture systems with three different biofilter media, sand (SF), polystyrene microbeads (PF), and Kaldnes beads (KF). The efficiencies of the three different biofilter media were also tested. The SF was fluidized, and the PF and KF were trickled. All treatments were duplicated. The volumetric removal rates of total ammonia nitrogen by SF, PF, and KF were 193.8, 183.9, and 142.6 g $m^{-3}day^{-1}$, respectively, and those of nitrite nitrogen ($NO_2$-N) were 113.4, 105.9, and 85.8 g $m^{-3}day^{-1}$, respectively. The TAN and $NO_2$-N removal rates of KF were lower than those of SF and PF (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in these rates between SF and PF (P > 0.05). Among the biofilters used, only KF showed total suspended solid (TSS) removal capacity. The TSS removal efficiencies of SF and PF were negative. The growth rates of fish in SF were significantly higher than those in KF but not higher than those in PF. There was no difference in growth rate between fish in PF and KF. The specific growth rate and feed conversion efficiency of red seabreams in KF were lower than those in SF and PF, but there were no significant differences between SF and PF. These results indicate that sand and polystyrene microbeads are recommended for red seabream culture in a recirculating system.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.250-257
• /
• 2006

The objective of this study is to propose an alternative process for the small sewage treatment plants in rural communities. A biofilter has been used for biological wastewater treatment, which is becoming the alternative to the conventional activated sludge system. The proposed process used in this study, which is packed with floating media (i.e. expanded polystylene), has advantages of biofilter system and alternative flow system and they are incorporated into one process. Pilot and bench scale studies were performed using domestic wastewater. In the results of pilot plant study, it was observed that the stable effluent water quality was achieved and it met the present effluent criteria of suspended solid (SS), organic matters, T-N and T-P. In the study for determination of the cycle of backwashing, it was observed that the cycle of backwashing depended on BOD loading rates of influents. In the BOD loading rates of $0.5kg\;BOD/m^3{\cdot}day$ and $1.0kg\;BOD/m^3{\cdot}day$, the backwashing cycle of 28 hour and 16 hour were needed, respectively. The optimum backwashing time was 120~80 seconds at the media expansion rate of 50%. In the removal of SS, organic matters, T-N and T-P, SS removal was rather achieved by physical filtration than biological mechanism and the removal of organic matters except for SS, T-N and T-P were mainly rather achieved by biological mechanism than physical filtration. In bench-scale study, the effects of recirculation rate was investigated on removal of SS, TCOD, T-N and T-P. It was observed that the recirculation made removal efficiencies of SS, TCOD, T-N and T-P increased. Especially, in T-N removal, the increase of T-N removal efficiency of 40% was observed in the reicirculation rate of 1Q compared with 0Q.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
• /
• v.47 no.6
• /
• pp.73-82
• /
• 2005

This study was performed to evaluate the need for heating wastewater to enhance treatment efficiency of organic matter (BOD, SS) during cold winter in newly developed Absorbent Biofilter System (ABS) which was established in the Suwon Campus of the Seoul National University. Treatments consisted of non-heating (2000 year) and heating(2001, 2002 year), and sampled data were analyzed during cold winter period as well as post winter period to investigate the influence of heating after winter season. Even the average air temperature showed only $0.4^{\circ}C$ difference between two experimental years, the difference in the average effluent temperature during cold winter period between heating and non-heating experiment was approximately $11^{\circ}C$. The average effluent concentration of organic matter in non-heating treatment exceeded the Korean standards for water quality of discharged effluent in riparian area (BOD and SS 10 mg/L); however, the standards were met in case of heating treatment during both winter and post winter period. Therefore, the need fur heating wastewater during cold winter season in ABS was justified. On the other hand, there was no improvement of treatment efficiency in T-N and T-p, but we observed the more activated nitrification as increasing the wastewater temperature. Because the average underground temperature was $5^{\circ}C$ higher than the average air temperature during cold winter period, we recommend that the ABS can be established in the underground rather than on-ground for saving the heating cost.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.18 no.6
• /
• pp.448-454
• /
• 2003

We studied on the removal of toluene vapors in a lab-scale biofilter. There are three biofilters packed with reticulated polyurethane foams of different porosities of 15, 25, 45 PPI (Pore Per Inch) as media. A toluene-degrading strain (Pseudomonas Putida KCCM 11348, ATCC 12633) was naturally immobilized on the filter media by circulating the culture media. Three biofilters were operated under different sets of continuous experiments, varying both the design and operation parameters such as the inlet toluene concentration and the flow rate. Maximum elimination capacity of 115.5g/㎥hr of biofilter packed with foams of 25 PPI was obtained for toluene degradation. The effect of operating conditions such as flow rate, inlet toluene concentration and porosity on the performance of the biofilter was investigated.

• Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.203-209
• /
• 2017

Innovations in the biofiltration process can provide effective solutions to overcome crucial water pollution problems. The elimination of pollutants is a result of the combined effects of biological oxidation, adsorption and filtration processes. This research aims to evaluate the performance of quartz sand biofiltration for removing total suspended solids, turbidity, color, organic matter, and ammonium from polluted river water and develop an empirical model for designing quartz sand biofilters for the treatment of polluted river water. Experiments were conducted using two biofilter units filled with quartz sand as filter media. A set of experiments were performed to evaluate the effect of hydraulic retention time on biofilter performance in removing water contaminants. The kinetics of organic matter removal were also determined to describe the performance of the biofilter. The results show that biofiltration can significantly remove river water pollutants. Removal efficiency depends on the applied hydraulic retention time. At a hydraulic retention time of two hours, removal efficiencies of total organics, ammonium and total suspended solids were up to 78%, 82%, and 91%, respectively. A model for designing quartz sand biofiltration has been developed from the experimental data.