ENRICHMENT OF FUNGI AND DEGRADATION OF STYRENE IN BIOFILTERS

Experiments were set up in order to enrich styrene-degrading fungi in biofilters under conditions representative for industrial off-gas treatment. From the support materials tested, polyurethane and perlite proved to be most suitable for enrichment of styrene-degrading fungi. The biofilter with perlite completely degraded styrene when amounts ranging between 290 and 675 mg/m3 in the influent gas were present. An elimination capacity of at least 70 g styrene per m3 filter bed per hour was calculated.