• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.19-27
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• 2008

Simultaneous removal of ternary gases of $NH_3$, $H_2S$ and toluene in a contaminated air stream was investigated over 180 days in a biofilter. A commercially available inorganic/polymeric composite chip with a large void volume (bed porosity > 0.80) was used as a microbial support. Multiple microorganisms including Nitrosomonas and Nitrobactor for nitrogen removal, Thiobacillus thioparus (ATCC 23645) for $H_2S$ removal and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 15692), Pseudomonas putida (ATCC 17484) and Pseudomonas putida (ATCC 23973) for toluene removal were used simultaneously. The empty bed residence time (EBRT) ranged from 60 - 120 seconds and the inlet feed concentration was $0.0325\;g/m^3-0.0651\;g/m^3$ for $NH_3$, $0.0636\;g/m^3-0.141\;g/m^3$ for $H_2S$, and $0.0918\;g/m^3-0.383\;g/m^3$ for toluene, respectively. The observed removal efficiency was 2% - 98% for $NH_3$, 2% - 100% for $H^2S$, and 2% - 80% for toluene, respectively. Maximum elimination capacity was about $2.7\;g/m^3$/hr for $NH_3$, > $6.4\;g/m^3$/hr for $H_2S$ and $4.0\;g/m^3$/hr for toluene, respectively. The inorganic/polymeric composite carrier required 40 - 80 days of wetting time for biofilm formation due to the hydrophobic nature of the carrier. Once the surface of the carrier was completely wetted, the microbial activity became stable. During the long-term operation, pressure drop was negligible because the void volume of the carrier was two times higher than the conventional packing materials.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.222-228
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• 1998

The characteristics of cometabolic removal of xylenes by Alcaligenes xylosoxidans Y234 were investigated. m-Xylene was found to be degraded while ο- and p-xylene were biotransformed into cresols in the presence of benzene or toluene. A lower level of benzene was required than that of toluene to remove the same amount of xylenes, which suggested benzene was a more effective primary substrate than toluene. ο-Xylene was found to be the most toxic to Alcaligenes xylosoxidans Y234 followed by p-xylene and m-xylene. Rates of cell decay during cometabolic removal of ο-, m-, or p-xylene were decreased by up to $76\%$ when benzene-adapted cells were inoculated. Xylenes were removed efficiently using benzene-adapted cells.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.57-64
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• 2018

The biodegradation of toluene vapor was investigated using a new type of biofilter equipped with a laboratory-scale evaporative cooler model packed with wood wool fibers (area: $360cm^2$). For the purpose of this study, the biofilter system was inoculated with Pseudomonas sp. RSST (MG 279053). The performance of this biofilter, assessed in terms of toluene removal efficiency (and elimination capacity), was as high as 99 % at a loading rate of $6g/h{\cdot}m^2$. The toluene removal efficiency decreased in an exponential manner with the increase in the loading rate. The cooler model-based biofilter was able to remove more than 99 % of toluene using Pseudomonas sp. RSST (MG 279053) as an effective inoculum. This biofilter is designed to operate under batch conditions for the removal of toluene in confined environments (e.g., automotive plants, boiler rooms in manufacturing facilities, and offshore drilling platforms).

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.179-182
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• 2000

Toluene-degrading bacterium, Microbacterium esteraromaticum CS3-1 was isolated from the biofilter for the removal of BTEX. Microbacterium esteraromaticum CS3-1 was shown to utilize toluene as a primary carbon and energy source. Effect of mixed BTEX gases on toluene degradation rate by M. esteraromaticum CS3-1 was investigated in this study. Toluene degradation rate was 2.26(only toluene), 2.06(toluene+benzene), 2.57(toluene+ethylbenzene), and 4.74(toluene+xylene) mmole $toluene\;{\cdot}\;g-DCW^{-1}\;{\cdot}\;h^{-1}$. Toluene degradation rate was 2.26(only toluene), 1.23(toluene+benzene+ethylbenzene), 1.52 (toluene+ethylbenzene+xylene), and 1.76(toluene+benzene+ethylbenzene+xylene) mmole $toluene\;{\cdot}\;g-DCW^{-1}\;{\cdot}\;h^{-1}$. The presence of BTEX compounds over three mixtures had a negative effect on toluene degradation rate. Toluene degradation rates were enhanced by the presence of ethylbenzene or xylene, whereas the presence of benzene had a negative effect on toluene degradation rate in comparison with toluene degradation rate when only toluene is existent.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.37-46
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• 2007

This study developed composition-plastic media with woodchips and plastic as main materials, and examined the performance of media. Compared to the existing commercial media, the media had similar performance in removal efficiency and microbes attaching characteristic, and was evaluated that they are distinguished from economic side. Performance test of media was conducted to examine the removal capacity of toluene and hydrogen sulfide in a gas stream by using a lab-scale biotrickling filter systems packed with them. At a volumetric loading of $1.5\;m^3/hr$ with inlet concentration 260 ppm and empty bed residence time (EBRT) 42s, the toluene removal efficiency was shown over 90%, and the maximum elimination capacity of toluene in the biotrickling filter was $77g/m^3{\cdot}hr$. Effective co-treatments of $H_2S$ and Toluene were observed in the lab-scale biotrickling filters. The maximum elimination capacity of $H_2S$ was $100\;g-S/m^3{\cdot}hr$. Up to 100 ppm, the concentration of $H_2S$ did not have an effect on toluene removal efficiency, but the removal efficiency of toluene decreased with increasing inlet $H_2S$ concentration.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.31-35
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• 2000

A suitable packing material for biofiltration of monoaromatic solvent vapors was selected among various types of packing materials such as peat, bark chips, vermiculite, and Hydroballs. A previously isolated strain, Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes BTXO2, which could utilize toluene, m-and p-xylene as carbon and energy sources was used as a biofilter inoculum. Four glass biofilters (6 cm dia. x 60 cm) were individually packed with each of the packing materials and solvent vapors were passed through the columns. During three weeks of peat biofilter operation, average removal efficiencies of toluene, m-and p-xylene were 90.4%, 95.3%, and 82.1%, respectively. With the other packings, the efficiencies were in the range of 10.1 to 58.6％ which were significantly lower than those of the peat biofilter. The peat biofilter was continually operated for approximately nine months and the biofilter sustained its degradation activity during the operation period with minimal maintenance. At steady state, average removal rates of toluene, m- and p-xylene vapors were estimated as 14.2, 5.5, and 8.1 g m$\^$-3/ packing h$\^$-1/, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.336-342
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• 2013

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a widely used substance in commercial and industrial applications, yet it must be removed from the contaminated soil and groundwater environment due to its toxic and carcinogenic nature. We investigated bacterial community structure, dominant bacterial strain, and removal efficiency in a TCE contaminated groundwater treatment system using immobilized carrier. The microbial diversity was determined by the nucleotide sequences of 16S rRNA gene library. The major bacterial population of the contaminated groundwater treatment system was belonging to BTEX degradation bacteria. The bacterial community consisted mainly of one genus of Pseudomonas (Pseudomonas putida group). The domination of Pseudomonas putida group may be caused by high concentration of toluene and TCE. Furthermore, we isolated a toluene and TCE degrading bacterium, named Pseudomonas sp. DHC8, from the immobilized carrier in bioreactor which was designed to remove TCE from the contaminated ground water. Based on the results of morphological and physiological characteristics, and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain DHC8 was identified as a member of Pseudomonas putida group. When TCE (0.83 mg/L) and toluene (60.61 mg/L) were degraded by this strain, removal efficiencies were 72.3% and 100% for 12.5 h, respectively. Toluene removal rate was 2.89 ${\mu}mol/g$-DCW/h and TCE removal rate was 0.02 ${\mu}mol/g$-DCW/h. These findings will be helpful for maintaining maximum TCE removal efficiency of a reactor for bioremediation of TCE.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.317-322
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• 2015

The photocatalytic decomposition characteristics of toluene, acetone, and methyl mercaptan (MM) by UV reactor installed with $TiO_2$-coated perforated plane were studied. The removal efficiency of single toluene, acetone, and MM vapor was increased with increasing oxygen concentration, but decreased with increasing inlet concentration. Elimination capacity of single toluene, acetone, and MM vapor was obtained to be $628g/m^3{\cdot}day$, $1,041g/m^3{\cdot}day$, and $2,158g/m^3{\cdot}day$, respectively. Also, the photocatalytic decomposition of binary vapor consisted of toluene and acetone, toluene and MM, acetone and MM were observed. Elimination capacity of toluene mixed with acetone, toluene mixed with MM, acetone mixed with toluene, acetone mixed with MM, MM mixed with toluene, and MM mixed with acetone was $327g/m^3{\cdot}day$, $512g/m^3{\cdot}day$, $128g/m^3{\cdot}day$, $266g/m^3{\cdot}day$, $785g/m^3{\cdot}day$ and $883g/m^3{\cdot}day$, respectively. The inhibitory effect of acetone was higher than MM in photocatalytic decomposition of toluene, the inhibitory effect of toluene was higher than MM photocatalytic decomposition of acetone, and the inhibitory effect of toluene was higher than acetone in photocatalytic decomposition of MM.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.519-525
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• 2008

Biodegradation of toluene, styrene and hydrogen sulfide as model compounds of volatile organic compounds and odor from waste gas was investigated experimentally in a biotrickling filter. This study focussed on the description of experimental results with regard to operating conditions. The effect of varying $H_2S$ load rate and inlet concentration was investigated under autotropic and mixotropic environmental conditions. The $H_2S$ removal efficiencies of greater than 99% were achieved at $H_2S$ loads below $10g/m^3{\cdot}hr$ for each environment. It was observed that the maximum elimination capacity of mixotrophic filter was achieved a little greater than the one of autotrophic filter. The biofiltration of toluene and styrene in trickling bed was examined under different gas flow rates, load rates, and inlet concentrations. Below $40g/m^3{\cdot}hr$ of toluene loading, the elimination capacity and loading were identical and it was completely destroyed. In high loading of toluene, the biotrickling filter was operated at its maximum elimination capacity. In the inlet concentration of 0.2, 0.5, and $1.0g/m^3$, the maximum elimination capacity of toluene showed 40, 45, and $60g/m^3{\cdot}hr$, respectively. After a short adaptation period, it was demonstrated that the results of styrene in originally toluene adapted bioreactor was similar with the ones of toluene. However, the performance of filer for styrene is generally a little lower than for toluene. The operating conditions (including liquid flow rate etc.) allowing the highest removal efficiency should be determined experimentally for each specific case.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.1121-1129
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• 2008

A series of steady-state and short-term experiments on a three-phase circulating-bed biofilm reactor (CBBR) for removing toluene from gas streams were conducted to investigate the effect of macroporous-carrier size (1-mm cubes versus 4-mm cubes, which have the same total surface area) on CBBR performance. Experimental conditions were identical, except for the carrier size. The CBBR with 1-mm carriers (the 1-mm CBBR) overcame the performance limitation observed with the CBBR with 4-mm carriers (the 4-mm CBBR): oxygen depletion inside the biofilm. The 1-mm CBBR consistently had the superior removal efficiencies of toluene and COD, higher than 93% for all, and the advantage was greatest for the highest toluene loading, $0.12\;M/m^2-day$. The 1-mm carriers achieved superior performance by minimizing the negative effects of oxygen depletion, because they had 4.7 to 6.8 times thinner biofilm depths. The 1-mm carriers continued to provide protection from excess biomass detachment and inhibition from toluene. Finally, the 1-mm CBBR achieved volumetric removal capacities up to 300 times greater than demonstrated by other biofilters treating toluene and related volatile hydrocarbons.