Analysis and assessment of biofilter packed with different wood waste charges for toluene removal

Abstract

Biological treatment of the polluted air stream holds promise for removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and odors, thereby not only potentially reducing the overall toxicity of the waste air emitted during various production processes, but also improving the life quality of residents living near the industrial areas companies. The main aim of this work was the analysis and assessment of toluene removal from air using biofilter packed with a mixture of wood waste. The results of this work show that the small–scale biofilter with various coniferous and deciduous wood waste charges is capable of efficiently removing toluene from the polluted air stream. The removal efficiency up to 92% was determine when treating the polluted air stream with the initial pollutant concentration of 5–20 mg/m3 when using biofilter packed with 10–20 mm fraction size wood waste charge composed of 70% coniferous wood, 30% deciduous wood. The measured porosity of this charge was equal to 46%.