Biodegradation of BTEX in a fungal biofilter: influence of operational parameters, effect of shock-loads and substrate stratification.

The effect of relative humidity (RH: 30% to >95%) of a gas-phase mixture composed of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and para-, meta- and ortho-xylenes (BTEX), inlet concentrations (0.2-12.6 g m(-3)), and empty bed residence times (EBRTs) (48-144 s) was tested in a fungi-dominant biofilter. A maximum elimination capacity (EC(max)) of 244.2 gBTEX m(-3) h(-1) was achieved at a total inlet loading rate (ILR(T)) of 371.2 gBTEXm(-3) h(-1) (RH: 65%). The transient-state response was tested by increasing the ILR(T), in two steps, from ~50 to 850 gm(-3) h(-1) and from ~50 to 320 g m(-3) h(-1), at a constant EBRT of 41.7s. Increasing the ILR(T) reduced the total BTEX removal efficiency (RE(T)) from >97% to 35%, and from >90% to 60% during medium and high shock-load, respectively. When subjected to short (4d) and long-term (7d) shut-down periods, the biofilter was able to recover high EC(max) of, respectively, 200 and 72 gBTEX m(-)3 h(-1) after resuming operation.