Treatment of 1,3-butadiene in an air stream by a biotrickling filter and a biofilter

This paper presents results obtained from a performance study on the biotreatment of 1,3-butadiene in an air stream using a reactor that consisted of a two-stage, in-series biotrickling filter connected with a three-stage, in-series biofilter. Slags and pig manure-based media were used as packing materials for the biotrickling filter and the biofilter, respectively. Experimental results indicated that, for the biotrickling filter portion, the butadiene elimination capacities were below 5 g/m(3)/hr for loadings of less than 25 g/m(3)/hr, and the butadiene removal efficiency was only around 17%. For the biofilter portion, the elimination capacities ranged from 10 to 107 g/m(3)/hr for loadings of less than 148 g/m(3)/hr. The average butadiene removal efficiency was 75-84% for superficial gas velocities of 53-142 m/hr and a loading range of 10-120 g/m(3)/hr. The elimination capacity approached a maximum of 108 g/m(3)/hr for a loading of 150 g/m(3)/hr. The elimination rates of butadiene in both the biotrickling filter and biofilter were mass-transfer controlled for influent butadiene concentrations below about 600 ppm for superficial gas velocities of 29-142 m/hr. The elimination capacity was significantly higher in the biofilter than in the biotrickling filter. This discrepancy may be attributed to the higher mass-transfer coefficient and gas-solid interfacial area offered for transferring the gaseous butadiene in the biofilter.