FEASIBILITY TESTING OF BIOFILTRATION TECHNOLOGY FOR REMEDIATING AIR CONTAMINATED BY A BOAT MANUFACTURING FACILITY

This research investigated and compared the use of both bench- and pil ot-scale biofilters to determine the effectiveness of controlling styr ene, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), and acetone emissions from an industri al gas waste stream. Critical operating parameters, including contamin ant loading rate, temperature, and empty bed contact time, were manipu lated in both the laboratory and field. At steady-state conditions, th e bench and pilot-scale biofilters showed a 99% removal efficiency for styrene when the contaminant loading rate was less than 50 g m(-3)hr( -1) and 40 g m(-3)hr(-1), respectively. Although few data points were collected in the pilot-scale reactor where the styrene load was greate r than 40 g m(-3)hr(-1), the total organic contaminant load including both MEK and acetone typically ranged between 50 g m(-3)hr(-1) and 80 g m(-3)hr(-1). Greater than 99% removal efficiencies were observed for acetone and MEK in the pilot-scale biofilter at all evaluated loading rates. Also studied were biofilter acclimation and re-acclimation per iods. In inoculated bench and pilot biofilter systems, microbial accli mation to styrene was achieved in less than five days. In comparison, no MEK degrading microbial inoculum was added, so during the first mon ths of pilot-scale biofilter operation, MEK removal efficiencies lagge d behind those noted with styrene.