Interactions of hydrophobic and hydrophilic solvent component degradation in an air‐phase biotrickling filter reactor

Abstract

Abstract Interactions amongst the degradation rates of toluene, xylenes, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), and n‐butyl acetate (n‐BA) were investigated. Experiments were performed in a biotrickling filter reactor packed with polypropylene Pall rings in a counter‐current air–water mode of operation. Under pseudo‐steady‐state conditions, the removal efficiency (RE) of the individual components in the middle of and at the effluent above the reactor bed was evaluated. By using a mixed microbial culture as the biocatalyst, the results revealed that an increased loading of toluene and xylene had a competitive effect on the RE of MIBK. After reaching a saturation point of the overall catabolic capacity of the biocatalyst, variations of RE were observed for the different components. This was most pronounced under conditions of overloading with the water‐soluble components mixture. Despite such variations, the system was able to efficiently degrade this complex pollutant mixture for a period of 1 yr. © 2006 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 2006