This aim of study was to compare the performance of a biofilter (BF) and trickle bed reactor (TBR) under increased styrene loading with a constant acetone load, 2 gc/m3/h. At styrene loading rates up to 30 gc/m3/h, the BF showed higher styrene removal than TBR. However, the BF efficiency started to drop beyond this threshold loading and could never reach steady state, whereas the TBR continued to yield a 50% styrene removal. The acetone removal remained constant (93-98%) in both the reactors at any styrene loading. Once the overloading was lifted, the BF recovered within 26 min, whereas the TBR efficiency bounced back only to 95%, gradually returning to complete removal only in 10 h.

Kinetics of phenol biodegradation using suspended biomass of Comamonas testosteroni Pb50 (monoculture) was measured under conditions of nutrient abundance, limitation, and prolonged cell starvation in a fed-batch reactor, with phenol being the sole carbon and energy source. The pre-washed cells were applied for measurement of the phenol and oxygen uptake rates at varied starting phenol concentrations with the kinetic parameters calculated using the Haldane model. The results revealed that nutrient limitation significantly suppressed the maximum value of exogenous respiration rate while the endogenous respiration rate, affinity and tolerance to phenol increased. By contrast, cell starvation resulted in a drop of both the exogenous and endogenous respiration rates by an order of magnitude.

The aim of this work was the study a trickling biofilter, where water was circulated throughout the bed. In the first steady state experiment, the packing materials used were 25mm Pall rings. The airflow rate was increased gradually and the concentration of styrene in the air stream was held constant. In the second experiment, 15mm Pall rings were used. In this case, the feed contained both styrene and a small amount of acetone. The concentration of acetone and the air flow rate were kept constant, but the styrene inlet concentration was increased. The concentrations were measured at the input, and also at an intermediate and the outlet position in the biotrickling filter to determine the concentration profile along the reactor. Using the values of coefficient of determination (R²) and the coefficient of variation of the fitted constant as criteria, a zero order model with diffusional limitation was chosen as the best representation of the data. Then a further, third, set of experiments were done at unsteady state, using step changes of the inlet concentration levels of both styrene and acetone at a steady air flow-rate . Inlet and outlet concentrations were measured as a function of time and the results were adequately described using a simple first order model.

The objective of this work was to evaluate toluene degradation in a trickle bed reactor when the loading was carried out by changing the air flow rate. The biofiltration system was inoculated with a mixed microbial population, adapted to degradation of hydrophobic compounds. Polypropylene high flow rings were used as a packing material. The system was operated for a period of 50 days at empty bed residence times ranging from 106s to 13s and with a constant inlet concentration of toluene of 100 mg.m-3. The reactor showed high removal efficiency at higher contact times and increasing elimination capacity with higher air-flow rates. The highest EC value reached was 9.8 gC.m-3.h-1 at EBRT = 13s. During the experiment, the consumption of NaOH solution was also measured. No significant variation of this value was found and an average value of 3.84 mmol of NaOH per gram of consumed carbon was recorded.

The objective of this work was to determine the influence of microbial inoculation on degradation efficiency. Three biofilters were used for the treatment of waste gas. A mixture of compost and perlite (8:2) served as the packing material. One biofilter was inoculated with a constructed microbial population. The second remained uninoculated, having the natural population present in the compost. The third biofilter was uninoculated and the packing material was sterilized. The degradation ability of the uninoculated biofilter started to drop after 18 days, while the removal efficiency of inoculated biofilter was stable. The sterile biofilter proved to have no removal efficiency. Moisture content of the packing and ability of the packing to keep moisture was tested. The results showed a significant dependence of the degradation efficiency on the packing moisture content, with highest removal efficiency observed at 70 % moisture content.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a influência da inoculação microbiana na eficiência da degradação. Três biofiltros foram utilizados no tratamento do gás residuais. Uma mistura de composto e perlite na proporção (8:2) serviu como o material de empacotamento dos biofiltros. Um biofiltro foi inoculado com uma população microbial selecionada. O segundo permaneceu inoculado com a população microbiana natural presente no composto. O terceiro biofiltro foi inoculado com microrganismos selecionados com o material de empacotam previamente esterilizado. A capacidade de degradação do biofiltro não inoculado começou a se reduzir após 18 dias, enquanto que a eficiência da remoção do biofiltro se manteve estável. O biofiltro estéril não apresentou nenhuma eficiência na remoção dos compostos tóxicos. O grau de umidade do material e a característica do empacotamento foi avaliado. Os resultados mostraram uma dependência significativa da eficiência de degradação com o teor de umidade do material de empacotamento , a maior elevada remoção foi observada com 70 % de índice de umidade.

The objective of this work was to determine the influence of microbial inoculation on degradation efficiency. Three biofilters were used for the treatment of waste gas. A mixture of compost and perlite (8:2) served as the packing material. One biofilter was inoculated with a constructed microbial population. The second remained uninoculated, having the natural population present in the compost. The third biofilter was uninoculated and the packing material was sterilized. The degradation ability of the uninoculated biofilter started to drop after 18 days, while the removal efficiency of inoculated biofilter was stable. The sterile biofilter proved to have no removal efficiency. Moisture content of the packing and ability of the packing to keep moisture was tested. The results showed a significant dependence of the degradation efficiency on the packing moisture content, with highest removal efficiency observed at 70 % moisture content.

Candida tropicalis pode utilizar fenol como única fonte de carbono e de energia. O fermentador foi operado em um sistema ''batelada-alimentada'' e controle oxidativo. Em condições limitantes de nutrientes e excesso de oxigênio a atividade respiratória das células foi suprimida e o calor do metabolismo pode ser formado. Uma acumulação desses produtos inibiu o crescimento das células em condições aeróbicas. Outro impacto foi um decréscimo da atividade fenol hidroxilase como enzima chave da degradação do fenol no final da atividade respirométrica. Essa redução está relacionada com os fatos acima mencionados. A morte da célula estudada por sonda de fluorescência ocorreu lentamente após a perda da atividade respiratória. O ''stress'' celular induziu um aumento na taxa de respiração endógena devido à oxidação fenólica.

Candida tropicalis can use phenol as the sole carbon and energy source. Experiments regarding phenol degradations from the water phase were carried out. The fermentor was operated as a fed-batch system with oxistat control. Under conditions of nutrient limitation and an excess of oxygen the respiration activity of cells was suppressed and some color metabolites (black-brown) started to be formed. An accumulation of these products inhibited the cell growth under aerobic conditions. Another impact was a decrease of the phenol hydroxylase activity as the key enzyme of the phenol degradation pathway at the end of the cell respiration activity. This decrease is linked with the above mentioned product inhibition. The cell death studied by fluorescent probe proceeded very slowly after the loss of the respiration activity. The starvation stress induced an increase of the endogenous respiration rate at the expense of phenol oxidation.