Application of trickle-bed reactors to biopurification of air from volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

Kurzfassung

A Polish institute offers technology for biodegradation of volatile pollution. Air used in the research is characterised by low investment capital and low operational costs as well as ecological purity of the processes carried out. It has a high productivity of above 90%. It offers the possibility of selection and adaptation of bacteria to volatile air pollution to carry out the full process at laboratory scale and to work out a solution for pilot or industrial installation.

Details

The main benefits of the proposed solutions are as follows:
Investment and operating costs are lower than the costs of the conventional methods, which are achieved owing to mild conditions of biological processes (low pressure and temperature). Additionally, biodegradation does not shift the pollution problem towards another environmental protection field (gas into solid, solid into water etc.). Moreover, there is little secondary emission, which is not the case with incineration, adsorptive techniques, and chemical scrubbing. The currently utilised biological purification systems are biofilters, bioscrubbers and trickle bed bioreactors. Trickle bed bioreactors combine the advantages of biofilter with bioscrubber systems while most of the disadvantages are avoided. The process of biodegradation carried out in the trickle bed bioreactors is about three times quicker than the process that is carried out in the bioscrubber.

Innovative Aspects:
Selection, production (and/or adaptation to the pollutants) of new strains of microorganisms capable of mineralising toxic compounds under various conditions, as well as use of this microorganisms in specific technology and facilities in order to develop an effective and economical biopurification method, are an important approach to protection of the environment and major components of the strategy of sustainable development. Biodegradation of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) in trickle bed bioreactor is preferable for purification of large volumes of air containing low concentration of VOCs. The main advantages of microbiological purification of air from VOCs, with comparison to traditional methods such as catalytic combustion and absorption, are:
- Low capital investment and operating costs (functioning at normal temperature and pressure, significantly lower energy consumption, considerable work resource, no need for regeneration of the elements responsible for purification).
- Ecological purity, the absence of secondary contaminants.
- Favourable attitude of public and administration.