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Effect of pH and loading manner on the start-up period of peat biofilter degrading xylene and toluene mixture

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Abstract

Laboratory-scale biofilters packed with a mixture of peat, bark and wood were used for xylene and toluene removal from waste air. Two kinds of peat, which differed in the resulting pH of the leachate, were chosen for degradation of the pollutants by a mixed culture. Using peat with the lower pH value, the feasibility of single and multiple pollutant loading during the start-up period and augmentation withPseudomonas putida strains were characterized. The lower pH value of the bed resulted in higher efficiency of toluene degradation from the mixture of pollutants. At higher pH values better degradation of both pollutants was achieved. Regarding the manner of loading during the start-up period, the best results were obtained using toluene as a single pollutant in the initial phase of operation.Pseudomonas strains demonstrated a high ability to degrade both pollutants; more efficient degradation for xylene than for toluene was observed at high loading rates.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Fermentation Chemistry and Bioengineering, University of Chemical Technology, 166 28, Prague, Czechia

    J. Marek, J. Páca & M. Halecký

  2. Department of Gas, Coke and Air Protection, University of Chemical Technology, 166 28, Prague, Czechia

    B. Koutský

  3. Institute of Microbiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 142 20, Prague, Czechia

    M. Sobotka

  4. Biotechnology Department, School of Biosciences, University of Westminster, W1M 8JS, London, UK

    T. Keshavarz

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  1. J. Marek
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  2. J. Páca
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  3. M. Halecký
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  4. B. Koutský
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  5. M. Sobotka
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  6. T. Keshavarz
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Correspondence to J. Páca.

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Marek, J., Páca, J., Halecký, M. et al. Effect of pH and loading manner on the start-up period of peat biofilter degrading xylene and toluene mixture. Folia Microbiol 46, 205–209 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02818534

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02818534

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