A new approach to kinetics of purifying waste gases containing volatile organic compounds (VOC) in low concentration by using the biological method

The kinetic mechanisms of purifying waste gas containing toluene in low concentrations were investigated by using a biological trickling filter packed with biofilm packing-material. The type of biochemical reaction, the overall controlling factors, and the function of the biofilm were examined. The purifying process was described as a process of 'adsorption-biochemical reaction', with the biofilm acting as the effective adsorbing surface, and the bacterial bodies being the activating points of the biochemical reactions. An 'Adsorption-Biofilm Theory' and associated kinetic model were established, and the model was verified using experimental data. The correlation coefficients between calculated data and experimental data were 0.95-0.96. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.