Affiliation:
1. Green Technology Research Group, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Aplicadas Universidad de los Andes Chile
2. Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Tecnología del Medio Ambiente Universidad de Valladolid Valladolid Spain
3. Departamento de Ingeniería Química Universidad de la Frontera Temuco Chile
4. Laboratory of Thermal Engineering, Energy and Processes (LaTEP) – IPRA Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour/E2S UPPA Pau France
Abstract
AbstractBACKGROUNDIndoor air pollution is a growing problem worldwide that causes a series of health issues in the population. Effective devices for abatement of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are currently restricted to adsorption systems based on active carbon. The objective of this study was to evaluate the operation of a new design of radial‐flow biopurifier using a model mixture of toluene, benzo(α)pyrene (BaP) and formaldehyde, initially inoculated with the filamentous fungus Fusarium solani and the bacterium Rhodococcus erythropolis.RESULTSThe results show that, under the range of inlet load tested and under continuous operation, the biopurification system achieved removal efficiencies above 90%, translating into a purifier air refreshment capacity of 0.62, 2.5 and 0.8 h−1 for BaP, formaldehyde and toluene, respectively.CONCLUSIONThe system was operated for 8 months, without a decrease in the single‐pass removal efficiency, and withstood up to 15 days starvation periods with a marginal effect on its air refreshment capacity once the feeding of pollutants was restarted. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
Funder
Fondo de Fomento al Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico
Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico
Subject
Inorganic Chemistry,Organic Chemistry,Pollution,Waste Management and Disposal,Fuel Technology,Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment,General Chemical Engineering,Biotechnology