An Investigation on the Efficiency of Air Purification Using a Biofilter with Activated Bed of Different Origin

• Authors: Alvydas Zagorskis , Rasa Vaiškūnaitė
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Recent studies in the area of biological air treatment in filters have addressed fundamental key issues, such as a biofilter bed of different origin composed of natural zeolite granules, foam cubes and wood chips. When foam and zeolite are mixed with wood chips to remove volatile organic compounds from the air, not only biological but also adsorption air purification methods are accomplished. The use of complex purification technologies helps to improve the efficiency of a filter as well as the bed service life of the filter bed. Investigations revealed that microorganisms prevailing in biological purification, can also reproduce themselves in biofilter beds of inorganic and synthetic origin composed of natural zeolite and foam. By cultivating associations of spontaneous microorganisms in the filter bed the dependencies of the purification efficiency of filter on the origin, concentration and filtration time of injected pollutants were determined. The highest purification efficiency was obtained when air polluted with acetone vapour was supplied to the equipment at 0.1 m/s of superficial gas velocity. When cleaning air from volatile organic compounds (acetone, toluene and butanol), under the initial pollutant concentration of ~100 mg/m3, the filter efficiency reached 95 %.

Keywords

EN

biofilter; volatile organic compounds; biodegradation; zeolite; microorganisms

• Publisher: De Gruyter Open
• Journal: Chemical and Process Engineering
• Year: 2014
• Volume: 35
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 435-445

Dates

published

1 - 12 - 2014

online

17 - 12 - 2014

revised

18 - 3 - 2014

accepted

24 - 7 - 2014

received

30 - 9 - 2012

Contributors

author

Alvydas Zagorskis

• Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Department of Environment Protection, Saulėtekio al. 11, LT-10223, Vilnius, Lithuania

author

Rasa Vaiškūnaitė

• Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Department of Environment Protection, Saulėtekio al. 11, LT-10223, Vilnius, Lithuania

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Identifiers

DOI

10.2478/cpe-2014-0033