Biofiltration of Waste Gas Containing Cyclohexanol, Cyclohexanone and Butanol

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine the efficiency of a biofilter treating waste gas containing a mixture of cyclohexanol (CHXOH), cyclohexanone (CHXO) and butanol (BL) and to assess the impact of the process parameters on the microorganisms and their enzymatic activities. The biofilter was packed with compost made from green waste mixed with compost made from municipal wastes and polyethylene carriers with immobilized biomass of bacteria. A linear correlation between pollutant loading rate and biofilter elimination capacity was obtained. At a hydraulic load of the biofilter bed of 127.3 m3/(m3 × h), the average elimination capacities were 14.6 g CHXOH/(m3 × h), 3.6 g CHXO/(m3 × h) and 3.8 g BL/(m3 × h). The microbiological and enzymatic analyses of the biofilter bed indicated that high loading rates of pollutants can have significant effects on microbial growth and enzymatic activity.