Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Modeling the effects of biomass accumulation on the performance of a biotrickling filter packed with PUF support for the alkaline biotreatment of dimethyl disulfide vapors in air

  • Environmental biotechnology
  • Published:
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

An Erratum to this article was published on 01 February 2015

Abstract

Excess biomass buildup in biotrickling filters leads to low performance. The effect of biomass accumulation in a biotrickling filter (BTF) packed with polyurethane foam (PUF) was assessed in terms of hydrodynamics and void space availability in a system treating dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) vapors with an alkaliphilic consortium. A sample of colonized support from a BTF having been operating for over a year was analyzed, and it was found that the BTF void bed fraction was reduced to almost half of that calculated initially without biomass. Liquid flow through the examined BTF yielded dispersion coefficient values of 0.30 and 0.72 m2 h−1, for clean or colonized PUF, respectively. 3D images of attached biomass obtained with magnetic resonance imaging allowed to calculate the superficial area and the biofilm volume percentage and depth as 650 m2 m−3, 35 %, and 0.6 mm respectively. A simplified geometric approximation of the complex PUF structure was proposed using an orthogonal 3D mesh that predicted 600 m2 m−3 for the same biomass content. With this simplified model, it is suggested that the optimum biomass content would be around 20 % of bed volume. The activity of the microorganisms was evaluated by respirometry and the kinetics represented with a Haldane equation type. Experimentally determined parameters were used in a mathematical model to simulate the DMDS elimination capacity (EC), and better description was found when the removal experimental data were matched with a model including liquid axial dispersion in contrast to an ideal plug flow model.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alonso C, Suidan MT, Sorial GA, Smith FL (1996) Gas treatment in trickle-bed biofilters: Biomass, how much is enough? Biotechnol Bioeng 54(6):583–594

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alonso C, Suidan MT, Kim BR, Kim BJ (1998) Dynamic mathematical model for the biodegradation of VOCs in a biofilter: Biomass accumulation study. Environ Sci Technol 32:3118–3123

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Arellano-García L, González-Sánchez A, Van Langenhove H, Kumar A, Revah S (2012) Removal of odorant dimethyl disulfide under alkaline and neutral conditions in biotrickling filters. Water Sci and Technol 66(8):1641–1646

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bonilla WC (2013) Uso de respirometrías heterogéneas para estimar coeficientes de transferencia de masa interfaciales y parámetros biocinéticos en biofiltros de lecho escurrido. Dissertation, UAM Iztapalapa, Mexico

    Google Scholar 

  • De Beer D, Stoodley P (2006) Microbial biofilms. In: Dwarkin E, Falkow S, Rosenberg E, Schleifer KH, Stackebrandt E (eds) The prokaryotes, 3rd edn. Springer, New York, pp 904–937

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Delgado JMPQ (2006) A critical review of dispersion in packed beds. Heat Mass Transfer 42(4):279–310

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Deshusses MA, Cox HHJ, Miller DW (1998) The use of CAT scanning to characterize bioreactors for waste air treatment. Paper 98-TA20B.04. In: Proceedings Annual Meeting and Exhibition of the Air and Waste Management Association, San Diego, CA, USA

  • Dorado AD, Lafuente J, Gabriel D, Gamisans X (2012) Biomass accumulation in a biofilter treating toluene at high loads. Part 2: Model development, calibration and validation. Chem Eng J 209:

  • Estrada JM, Kraakman NJR, Lebrero R, Munoz R (2012) A sensitivity analysis of process design parameters, commodity prices and robustness on the economics of odour abatement technologies. Biotechnol Adv 30:1354–1363

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gianetto A, Specchia V (1992) Trickle-bed reactors: State of art and perspectives. Chem Eng Sci 47(13):3197–3213

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • González-Sánchez A, Revah S, Deshusses MA (2008) Alkaline biofiltration of H2S odors. Environ Sci Technol 42:7398–7404

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Granada C, Revah S, Le Borgne S (2009) Diversity of culturable bacteria in an alkaliphilic sulfur-oxidizing microbial consortium. Adv Mat Res 71:137–140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herskowitz M, Smith JM (1983) Trickle bed reactors: a review. AICHE J 29(1):1–18

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Iliuta I, Bildea SC, Iliuta MC, Larachi F (2002) Analysis of trickle bed and packed bubble column bioreactors for combined carbon oxidation and nitrification. Braz J Chem Eng 19(1):69–88

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Integrated Computer Aided System (ICAS), Educational Version. Computer Aided Process Engineering Center. Technical University of Denmark

  • Jiménez B, Noyola A, Capdeville B (1988) Selected dyes for residence time distribution evaluation in bioreactors. Biotechnol Tech 2(2):77–82

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim S, Deshusses MA (2003) Development and experimental validation of a conceptual model for biotrickling filtration of H2S. Environ Prog 22(2):119–128

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kim S, Deshusses MA (2005) Understanding the limits of H2S degrading biotrickling filters using a differential biotrickling filter. Chem Eng J 113(2):119–126

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Levenspiel O (1998) Chemical reaction engineering. John Wiley & Sons, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewandowski Z, Stoodley P, Altobelli S (1995) Experimental and conceptual studies on mass transport in biofilms. Wat Sci Tech 31(1):153–162

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neu TR, Manz B, Volke F, Dynes JJ, Hitchcock AP, Lawrence JR (2010) Advanced imaging techniques for assessment of structure, composition and function in biofilm systems. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 72(1):1–21

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Picioreanu C, van Loosdrecht MCM, Heijnen JJ (2000) A theoretical study on the effect of surface roughness on mass transport and transformation in biofilms. Biotechnol Bioeng 68(4):355–369

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ramírez M, Fernández M, Granada C, Le Borgne S, Gómez JM, Cantero D (2011) Biofiltration of reduced sulphur compounds and community analysis of sulphur-oxidizing bacteria. Bioresource Technol 102:4047–4053

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharvelle S, McLamore E, Banks MK (2008a) Hydrodynamic characteristics in biotrickling filters as affected by packing material and hydraulic loading rate. J Environ Eng-ASCE 134:346–352

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sharvelle S, Arabi M, McLamore E, Banks MK (2008b) Model development for biotrickling filter treatment of graywater stimulant and waste gas. I J Environ Eng-ASCE 134:813–825

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Silva J, Morales M, Cáceres M, Morales P, Aroca G (2012) Modelling of the biofiltration of reduced sulphur compounds through biotrickling filters connected in series: Effect of H2S. Electron J Biotechn 15(3):1–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Smet E, Van Langenhove H (1998) Abatement of volatile organic sulfur compounds in odorous emissions from the bio-industry. Biodegradation 9:273–284

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smith N, Kelly DP (1988) Isolation and physiological characterization of autotrophic sulphur bacteria oxidizing dimethyl disulphide as sole source of energy. J Gen Microbiol 134:1407–1417

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater (1998) 20th edn, American Public Health Association/American Water Works Association/Water Environment Federation, Washington, DC, USA

  • Trejo-Aguilar G, Revah S, Lobo R (2005) Hydrodynamic characterization of a trickle bed air biofilter. Chem Eng J 113:145–152

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wan S, Li G, An T, Guo B (2011) Co-treatment of single, binary and ternary mixture gas of ethanethiol, dimethyl disulfide and thioanisole in a biotrickling filter seeded with Lysinibacillus sphaericus RG-1. J Hazard Mater 186:1050–1057

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zarook SM, Shaikh AA, Azam SM (1998) Axial dispersion in biofilters. Biochem Eng J 1(1):77–84

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Conacyt for financing this project (I0017-166451) and the scholarship of LAG. To AECID for granting the funds for LAG internship in the UPC-Barcelona through project A2/037075/11. And to Rafael Lara and the Ci3M center for MRI analysis.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ingeniería de Procesos e Hidráulica, UAM Iztapalapa, San Rafael Atlixco 186, Col. Vicentina, Iztapalapa, Mexico City, 09340, Mexico

    Luis Arellano-García

  2. Departamento de Ingeniería Minera y Recursos Naturales, UPC, Av. Bases de Manresa 61-73, 08242, Manresa, Barcelona, Spain

    Antonio D. Dorado & Xavier Gamisans

  3. Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica, UAM Iztapalapa, San Rafael Atlixco 186, Col. Vicentina, Iztapalapa, Mexico City, 09340, Mexico

    Axayacatl Morales-Guadarrama & Emilio Sacristan

  4. Centro Nacional de Investigación en Imagenología e Instrumentación Médica, UAM Iztapalapa, San Rafael Atlixco 186, Col. Vicentina, Iztapalapa, Mexico City, 09340, Mexico

    Axayacatl Morales-Guadarrama & Emilio Sacristan

  5. Departamento de Procesos y Tecnología, UAM Cuajimalpa, Artificios 40, Col. Hidalgo, Álvaro Obregón, Mexico City, 01120, Mexico

    Sergio Revah

Authors
  1. Luis Arellano-García
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Antonio D. Dorado
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Axayacatl Morales-Guadarrama
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Emilio Sacristan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Xavier Gamisans
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Sergio Revah
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sergio Revah.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

ESM 1

(PDF 6 kb)

(MPG 46008 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Arellano-García, L., Dorado, A.D., Morales-Guadarrama, A. et al. Modeling the effects of biomass accumulation on the performance of a biotrickling filter packed with PUF support for the alkaline biotreatment of dimethyl disulfide vapors in air. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 99, 97–107 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-014-5929-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-014-5929-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation