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A bioactive foamed emulsion reactor for the treatment of benzene-contaminated air stream

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Abstract

An adapted bioactive foamed emulsion bioreactor for the treatment of benzene vapor has been developed. In this reactor, bed clogging was resolved by bioactive foam as a substitute of packing bed for interfacial contact of liquid to gaseous phase. The pollutant solubility has been increased using biocompatible organic phase in liquid phase and this reactor can be applied for higher inlet benzene concentration. Experimental results showed a benzene elimination capacity (EC) of 220 g m−3 h−1 with removal efficiency (RE) of 85% for benzene inlet concentration of 1–1.2 g m−3 at 15 s gas residence time in bioreactor. Assessment of benzene concentration in liquid phase showed that a significant amount of transferred benzene mass has been biodegraded. By optimizing the operational parameters of bioreactor, continuous operation of bioreactor with high EC and RE was demonstrated. With respect to the results, this reactor has the potential to be applied instead of biofilter and biotrickling filters.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Institute of Public Health Research, Tehran University of Medical Science, Enghelab Street, 16 Azar Ave, PB 14155-6446, Tehran, Iran

    Farshid Ghorbani Shahna, Faride Golbabaei & Seyed Jamaleddin Shahtaheri

  2. Division of Microbiology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Tehran, Enghelab Street, Tehran, Iran

    Javad Hamedi

  3. Department of Biostatics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Centre of Health Research, Hamadan University of Medical Science, Mahdieh Street, Shahid Fahmide Blv, PB 4171, Hamadan, Iran

    Hossein Mahjub

  4. Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Institute of Iran, Km 17 Tehran-Karaj Freeway, Pajoohesh Blv, PB 14335-186, Tehran, Iran

    Hossein Reza Darabi

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  1. Farshid Ghorbani Shahna
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  2. Faride Golbabaei
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  3. Javad Hamedi
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  4. Hossein Mahjub
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  5. Hossein Reza Darabi
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  6. Seyed Jamaleddin Shahtaheri
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Correspondence to Faride Golbabaei.

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Ghorbani Shahna, F., Golbabaei, F., Hamedi, J. et al. A bioactive foamed emulsion reactor for the treatment of benzene-contaminated air stream. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 33, 219–226 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-009-0315-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-009-0315-z

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