Removal Characteristics of Ethyl Acetate and 2-Butanol by a Biofilter Packed with Jeju Scoria

Removal Characteristics of Ethyl Acetate and 2-Butanol by a Biofilter Packed with Jeju Scoria

The removal characteristics of ethyl acetate and 2-butanol were investigated in a bench-scale down-flow biofilter packed with Jeju scoria medium. Various inlet concentrations and gas flow rates were tested. The adaptation times of microorganisms to the change of the influent concentration of ethyl acetate and 2-butanol gas were found to be about 3 days. At the inlet concentration of 300 ppmv and empty bed contact time (EBCT) of 15 see, the removal efficiencies of the biofilter for ethyl acetate and 2-butanol were above $99.9\%$. The maximum removal capacity of the biofilter for ethyl acetate was $316-318\;g/m^3/h$ and that for 2-butanol was $245-251\;g/m^3/h$. Overall, the removal capacity of the biofilter for ethyl acetate was $50-70\;g/m^3/h$ larger than that for 2-butanol. During the operation of 65 days, the pressure drop through the biofilter column was maintained below $13\;mmH_{2}O/m$. Although the pH in the drain water decreased from 7.2 to 5.0, the pH drop did not affect the removal of the gases. From the above results, the biofilter using Jeju scoria as a packing material seemed to very effectively treat waste gases such as ethyl acetate and 2-butanol.