Biodegradation of toluene vapor by evaporative cooler model based biofilter

Abstract

The biodegradation of toluene vapor was investigated using a new type of biofilter equipped with a laboratory-scale evaporative cooler model packed with wood wool fibers (area: 360 cm(2)). For the purpose of this study, the biofilter system was inoculated with Pseudomonas sp. RSST (MG 279053). The performance of this biofilter, assessed in terms of toluene removal efficiency (and elimination capacity), was as high as 99 % at a loading rate of 6 g/h.m(2). The toluene removal efficiency decreased in an exponential manner with the increase in the loading rate. The cooler model-based biofilter was able to remove more than 99 % of toluene using Pseudomonas sp. RSST (MG 279053) as an effective inoculum. This biofilter is designed to operate under batch conditions for the removal of toluene in confined environments (e.g., automotive plants, boiler rooms in manufacturing facilities, and offshore drilling platforms).