Performance evaluation of a slow-release packing material-embedded functional microorganisms for biofiltration.

A composite packing material (CM-5) was prepared in this study, mainly consisting of compost with functional microorganisms, calcium carbonate (CaCO3), perlite, cement and plant fiber. To get stronger compressive strength, mass ratios of these components were optimized based on single factor experiments, and finally adding amounts of perlite, cement, plant fiber, CaCO3, compost and binder at 18%, 18%, 7%, 13%, 17% and 27%, respectively. According to the optimum proportion, CM-5 was extruded in cylindrical shape (12 mm in diameter and 20 mm in length) with a bulk density of 470 kg m-3, a moisture retention capacity of 49% and the microbial counts of × 105 CFU g-1 of packing material. The cumulative release rates of total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) from CM-5 were 3.1% and 6.5%, respectively, after 19 times extraction in distilled water. To evaluate the H2S removal capacity, CM-5 was compared with an organic (corncob) and an inorganic (ceramsite) packing material in three biofilters. The results showed that CM-5 had higher H2S removal capacity compared with corncob and ceramsite. CM-5 could avoid the large fluctuation of pH value and pressure drop during the operation. The maximum H2S removal capacity of CM-5 was 12.9 g m-3 h-1 and the removal efficiency could maintain over 95.4% when the inlet H2S loading rate was lower than 11.3 g m-3 h-1 without any addition of nutrients and pH buffer substances. Besides, only 2-3 days were needed for the recovery of biofiltration performance after about two weeks of idle period.

Efficiency of biological activator formulated material (BAFM) for volatile organic compounds removal--preliminary batch culture tests with activated sludge.

During biological degradation, such as biofiltration of air loaded with volatile organic compounds, the pollutant is passed through a bed packed with a solid medium acting as a biofilm support. To improve microorganism nutritional equilibrium and hence to enhance the purification capacities, a Biological Activator Formulated Material (BAFM) was developed, which is a mixture of solid nutrients dissolving slowly in a liquid phase. This solid was previously validated on mineral pollutants: ammonia and hydrogen sulphide. To evaluate the efficiency of such a material for biodegradation of some organic compounds, a simple experiment using an activated sludge batch reactor was carried out. The pollutants (sodium benzoate, phenol, p-nitrophenol and 2-4-dichlorophenol) were in the concentration range 100 to 1200 mg L(-1). The positive impact of the formulated material was shown. The improvement of the degradation rates was in the range 10-30%. This was the consequence of the low dissolution of the nutrients incorporated during material formulation, followed by their consumption by the biomass, as shown for urea used as a nitrogen source. Owing to its twofold interest (mechanical resistance and nutritional supplementation), the Biological Activator Formulated Material seems to be a promising material. Its addition to organic or inorganic supports should be investigated to confirm its relevance for implementation in biofilters.