A biofiltration system using activated carbon/polyurethane composite as solid support inoculated with Bacillus sp. was developed for treating a gaseous stream containing high concentrations of H2S. The effects of operating condition such as the influent H2S concentration and the empty bed contact time (EBCT) on the removal efficiency of H2S were investigated. The biofilter showed the stable removal efficiencies of over 99 % under the EBCT range from 15 to 60 sec at the 300 ppmv of H2S inlet concentration. When the inlet concentration of H2S was increased, the removal efficiencies decreased, reaching 95 and 74%, at EBCTs of 10 and 7.5 sec, respectively. The maximum elimination capacity in the biofilter packed with activated carbon/polyurethane composite media was 157 g/m3/hr.

The cork have been preferred over the conventional materials, zeolite, ceramics, and lignite as a biofilter medium. During the 6 months of operation, the performance of the cork biofilter was considered good with 150ppm of mixture BTX vapor efficiencies greater than 90% at 60 second of EBCT. It was observed 56 % of removal efficiency under tranisition conditions at first stage, and then the removal efficiency was increased to above 90 %, and the sustainability of removal efficiency was maintained. At second stage, the performance of cork biofilter was not decreased 90 % efficiency with 150 ppm BTX at 30 sec. EBCT. The production of CO2 due to microbial respiration was increased to the 40 % on the operation of cork biofilter

Optical microscope, SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) and fluorescent microscope were used for qualitative and morphological studies of the attached biomass on PE (polyethylene) substratum under anaerobic condition. It was shown by the observation of optical microscope that the initial attachment of biomass began in crevices of the surface of PE. The shape and structure of the attached biofilm could be observed by SEM photographs, but species of bacteria were and methanogens were not classified. A large number of methanogenic bacteria were identified on the surface of PE substratum by fluorescence under 480nm of radiation. It was estimated that methanogenic bacteria was also related to initial attachment of biomass under anaerobic condition.

Wastewater from the pigment industry has high levels of organics and is known as hardly biodegradable. The objective of this study is to evaluate the applicability of aerobic fixed-bed biofilm reactor packed with ceramic support carrier for the pigment wastewater treatment. Orange 2(widely used azo pigment) adsorption experiment onto biofilm and activated sludge, and continuous treatment experiments were performed. In batch adsorption experiment, maximum adsorption quantity of biofilm was at least two times higher than that of activated sludge. In continuous experiment using aerobic fixed-bed biofilm reactor, the influent concentration of COD and Orange 2 were 75∼500㎎/ℓ(0.45∼3.00㎏ COD/㎥.day), 5∼50㎎/ℓ (0.03-0.30㎏ Orange 2/㎥.day), respectively. At a COD loading rate of 2.5㎏ COD/㎥.day and Orange 2 loading rate of 0.18㎏ Orange 2/㎥.day, removal efficiency of COD and Orange 2 were over 95%, 97%, respectively.

In order to develop of support media for biofilm reactor, physicochemical properties and attachability of surface of activated carbon, clay mineral, non-clay mineral, and waste mold sand were examined. Measured physicochemical properties of materials were surface roughness, mean particle size, surface area, hydrophobicity, and surface charge. At a tested materials, activated carbon was the best attachable material and microorganisms were attached 20.1 × 10^7 CFU/㎠ at surface, compared with diatomaceous earth which were attached of 9.2 × 10^7 CFU/㎠. In our research, surface area and hydrophobicity showed more influence than any other factor on attachment of microorganisms.

This paper discussed effect of the surface roughness and the hydrophobicity of support material on the microbial attachment in a rotating biological contactor. The hydrophobicity of each support material was determined by the measurement of contact angle of water and the surface roughness was measured by the surface roughness instrument. Microorganisms have well attached on the surface of more hydrophilic support material like Nylon6 than that of the hydrophobic support material like PE. When the relatively hydrophilic surface was roughen, the microbial attachment was increased but when the relatively hydrophobic surface was roughen, the attachment was slightly increased because the hydrophobicity of support material was increased by roughening the hydrophobic surface. Although both variables, the surface hydrophobicity and the surface roughness, have influenced the microbial attachment, the influence of the surface roughness overruled that of the surface hydrophobicity. Support material whose surfaces were roughened about l㎛, 6㎛ and 11㎛ were allowed for attached 3, 7 and 24hr, but the differences of maximum and minimum attachment of each material gave nearly constant values and similar trend with time.

This study was conducted to use oyster shell as media for biological wastewater treatment. The comparison between the removal efficiencies of the activated sludge and the submerged biofilm process with oyster shell media (5% of reactor volume) for domestic sewage treatment was made. The contaminant removal efficiencies of the submerged process were higher than that of the activated sludge process. And the removal efficiencies of the submerged biofilm process with oyster shell media of 10% and 18% were investigated at various loading rate. The removal efficiencies of 10% were higher than that of the 18% during the experimental period. The effluent concentration from the submerged biofilm process using oyster shell media was prediceted by the Stover-Kincannon model.