Evaluation of co-metabolic removal of trichloroethylene in a biotrickling filter under acidic conditions
Dhawal Chheda , George A. Sorial
DOI:10.1016/j.jes.2016.12.008
Received August 06, 2016,Revised December 05, 2016, Accepted December 06, 2016, Available online December 29, 2016
Volume 29,2017,Pages 54-61
This study investigated the removal of hydrophobic trichloroethylene (TCE) in the presence of methanol(co-metabolite)inabiotricklingfilter,whichwasseededwithfungiatpH 4.Starvation was chosen as the biomass control strategy. Two systems, Biofilter I (methanol:TCE 70:30) and Biofilter II (methanol:TCE 80:20) were run in parallel, each with varying composition ratios. The TCE loading rates for both biofilters ranged from 3.22 to 12.88 g/m 3 /hr. Depending on the ratio,methanol concentrations varied from 4.08 to 27.95 g/m 3 /hr. The performance of the systems was evaluated and compared by calculating removal kinetics,carbon mass balance, efficiencies and elimination capacities. Methanol was observed to enhance TCE removal during the initial
loading rate. However, methanol later inhibited TCE degradation above 6.44 g TCE/m 3 /hr (BiofilterI)and3.22 gTCE/m 3 /hr(BiofilterII). Conversely, TCE didnotimpedemethanolremoval because over 95% methanol elimination was consistently achieved. Overall, Biofilter I was able to outperform Biofilter II due to its greater resistance towards methanol competition.
