BIOLOGICAL WASTE-GAS CLEANING WITH CONTRO LLED BIOMASS REMOVAL IN A PERIODICALLY BACKFLUSHED BIOTRICKLINGFILTER

A new process for biological degradation of waste gas was developed in laboratory scale. Compared with conventional biotricklingfilters or b iofilters the new process provides a substantial higher elimination ca pacity and it is possible to remove the biomass out of the reactor. Th e degradation rate of this system is higher than 300 g(Toulene)/(m(R)( 3) . h). The elmination performance of the reactor is correlated with the Toluene load instead of the Toluene concentration. In order to min imize the mass transfer resistance, a timed sprinkler is used to moist en the microorganisms. When activated carbon is used as packed bed mat erial, the adsorption of the contaminant takes place in the beginning only. The packed bed is cleaned by using a new backflushing technique when the pressure drop gets higher than 10 mbar to 20 mbar. For two ye ars, it has been possible to prevent the clogging of the reactor by re moving the biomass.