Biotrickling filtration of airborne styrene: A comparison of filtration media

Figures & data

Figure 1. Schematics of the experimental system.

Table 1. Characteristics of the fern chips and their packed bed (Chou and Li 2009).

Parameter	Value
pH	5.11
Bed bulk density (12% moisture content)	115 kg m^−3
Bed bulk density (60% moisture content)	286 kg m^−3
Bed void fraction (60% moisture content)	0.74
Bed specific surface area (a) (60% moisture content)	1090 ± 270 m^2 m^−3
Chip length (x)	41.2 ± 10.7 mm
Chip diameter (d)	1.02 ± 0.25 mm
Chip material	Wood- and bark-like nature

Table 2. Characteristics of the plastic chips and turnings, and the mixed medium.

Parameter	Chips	Turnings	Mixed medium
Bed bulk density (kg m^−3)	123	82	103
Specific surface area (m^2 m^−3)	420 ± 20	800 ± 70	610 ± 50
Length (mm)	122 ± 10	90 ± 8
Width (mm)	—	10 ± 1
Diameter (mm)	0.20	—
Thickness (mm)	—	0.35 ± 0.03
Void fraction of the packed space	0.79	0.86	0.83

Figure 2. Experimental biotrickling filter (BF) and fern chips.

Figure 3. Plastic media.

Table 3. Nutrition rates.

Nutrient	Rate (g m^−3 day^−1)
CO(NH2)2	70
(NH4)2SO4	300
Na2HPO4	2.25
NaCl	5.00
K2SO4	0.18
CaCl2	0.010
MgSO4.7 H2O	0.100
FeCl3.6 H2O	0.025
High-fructose corn syrup*	690
Milk	570

*Water 25% and sugar 75% (90% fructose, 5% glucose, 5% other reducing sugars).

Sources: Bina et al. 2004; Chou, Chang, and Perng 2008; Chou and Li 2009, 2010; Dion St-Pierre, Ramirez, and Heitz 2009; Novak et al. 2008.

Figure 4. (a and b) Measured THC levels for the influent and effluent gases to and from the fern-chip bed.

Figure 5. (a and b) Measured THC levels for the influent and effluent gases to and from the plastic-chip bed.

Figure 6. (a) Time variations of SM concentrations in the gases influent to and effluent from the fern-chip medium. (b) Variation of the volumetric SM elimination capacity (K) with its loading (L) to the fern-chip medium. K/L = 0.86 indicates an average SM removal efficiency of 86% with L < 200 g m⁻³ hr^−1.

Figure 7. (a) Time variations of SM concentrations in the gases influent to and effluent from the plastic medium. (b) Variation of the volumetric SM elimination capacity (K) with its loading (L) to the plastic medium. K/L = 0.85 indicates an average SM removal efficiency of 86% with L < 350 g m⁻³ hr^−1.

Table 4. Removal of SM in laboratory biotrickling filters or biofilters.

Medium	EBRT (sec)	K (g m^−3 hr^−1)	Reference
Fungi on perlite		80	Cox, Doddema, and Harder 1993
Peat		12	Arnold et al. 1997
Perlite		62	Cox et al. 1997
Blast-furnace slag (size 20–40 mm)	120	30	Chou and Hsiao 1998
Celite pellets (size 6 mm)	40	56	George et al. 1998
A novel biomass filter material	26	141	Jerio, Bibeau, and Heitz 2000
Composted wood bark and yard waste		69–118	Juneson, Ward, and Signh 2001
Perlite		140	Paca et al. 2001
Perlite	24	145	Weigner et al. 2001
Yard waste compost and shredded hard plastics	60	50–67	Bina et al. 2004
Ceramic		81	Jang, Hirai, and Shoda 2004
Peat mixed with ceramic		170	Jang, Hirai, and Shoda 2004
Yard waste compost and shredded hard plastics	60	39	Dehghanzadeh et al. 2005
Yard waste compost and shredded hard plastics	30	27	Dehghanzadeh et al. 2005
Peat and ceramic		126	Jang, Hirai, and Shoda 2005
Lava lock	23	32	Webster, 2005
Polypropylene Pall rings (diameter 25 mm)	13–53	11.3	Novak et al. 2008
Confidential inorganic material (size 5 mm)	55	105	Dion St-Pierre, Ramirez, and Heitz 2009
Fern chips	21	170	Present study
Plastic chips and turnings	21	300	Present study

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