A lab-scale biofilter with fungal growth has been studied to investigate the removal of gas-phase hydrogen sulfide. The biofilter inoculated initially with the aerobic activated sludge was operated for 100 days under acidic condition, and 0.36 L/d of the buffered nutrient with 0.05 g/L Chloramphenicol and Gentamicin was injected into the biofilter. The critical removal capacity of hydrogen sulfide was up to 22 g/m³/h. The pH of the effluent liquid was stable at pH 1.5-2, corresponding to the volatile suspended solids of 20-50 mg/L. In microbial analysis through the plate count method, it was found that fungi were dominant over bacteria. The fungi isolated from biomass in the bilfilter were identified as Acidomyces acidophilus and Aspergillus fumigatus. Sulfate and thiosulfate were also detected in liquid samples, as a result of the biological sulfur oxidation in the biofilter bed. For the analysis of sulfur mass balance, the accumulated mass of sulfate and thiosulfate reached up to 67.5% of inlet sulfur. Sulfur was also detected on the biomass collected from the biofilter through Scanning electron microscopy/Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.

본 실험은 SCB(slurry composting and biofiltration) 액비의 방울 토마토(Solanum lycopersicum L. ‘Unicon’) 수경재배 이용가능성을 알아보기 위해 실시 되었다. 배양액처리 대조구로는 방울 토마토 전용 배양액(Control 1N)을 사용하였고, 이 배양액의 질소량(218.32mg · L−1) 을 기준으로 시판양액 1N(CNS 1N), SCB 1/2N, SCB 1N, SCB 2N을 타이머 제어에 의해 하루에 440~520mL 을 공급하였다. 31일 동안 재배한 후 지상부 생체중과 건물중, 엽면적, 초장, 줄기직경, SPAD값, 마디수를 조사하였으며, 그 후 주 1회 총 7번의 과실을 수확하여 총 생산량과 상품성 과실 비율, 과실중, 당도와 산도, 과실 의 총 페놀 농도 및 항산화도, 배꼽썩음병 발생률을 조사하였다. 그 결과 SCB처리 중에는 SCB 1/2N은 지상부 생체중·건물중, 엽면적, 줄기직경, 마디수 및 SPAD 값에서 Control 1N 및 CNS 1N과 유의적 차이를 보이지 않으면서 우수한 생육을 유도하였다. SCB는 질소 농도가 증가하면서 점차로 생육의 저해현상을 보였다. 과실의 총 생산량은 Control 1N에서 가장 높았으며, SCB 처리중 생장이 가장 좋았던 SCB 1/2N 처리구는 Control 1N 총 생산량의 47%를 기록하였다. 상품성 과실 비율도 SCB 1N과 SCB 1/2N 처리구는 약 57~58%로 낮게 나타났다. 당도와 산도, 총 페놀 농도와 항산화도에서는 SCB 2N에서 가장 높은 수치를 보였고, 나머지 처리구와 대조구에서는 유의적으로 차이를 보이지 않았다. 배꼽썩음병은 Control 1N, CNS 1N에서는 발생하지 않았지만, SCB 2N, 1N, 1/2N 처리구는 각각 약 7, 13, 19%의 발생률을 나타내었다. 결론적으로 SCB 1/2N 처리는 Control 1N와 CNS 1N과 비교해서 방울토마토의 영양생장에는 양호한 결과를 보였지만, 과실의 수량과 품질을 유지하지는 못했다. 따라서 SCB 액비는 방울토마토 시설 수경 재배에서 배양액으로의 가능성은 확인하였지만, 과실의 생산량과 상품성을 고려한다면 개화기 및 과실 비대기에 추가적인 무기 양분의 공급이 필요할 것으로 판단되었다.

The final goal of this research is to develop a botanical biofiltration system, which combines green interior, biofiltering, and automatic irrigation, which can purify indoor air pollutants according to indoor space and the size of biofilter. The biofilter used in this experiment was designed as an integral form of water metering pump, water tank, blower, humidifier, and multi-level planting space in order to be more suitable for indoor space utilization. This study was performed to compare indoor air quality between the space adjacent to a botanical biofilter and the space away from the biofilter (control) without generation of artificial indoor air pollutants, and to evaluate plant growth depending on multiple floors within the biofilter. Each concentration of indoor air pollutants such as TVOCs, monoxide, and dioxide in the space treated with the biofilter was lower than that of control. Dracaena sanderiana ‘Vitoria’ and Epipremnum aureum ‘N Joy’ also showed normal growth responses regardless of multiple floors within the biofilter. Hence, it was confirmed that the wall-typed botanical biofilter suitable for indoor plants was effective for indoor air purification.

Adsorption and biodegradation performance of tetracycline antibiotic compounds such as ttetracycline (TC), oxytetracycline (OTC), minocycline (MNC), chlortetracycline (CTC), doxycycline (DXC), meclocycline (MCC), demeclocycline (DMC) on granular activated carbon (GAC) and anthracite-biofilter were evaluated in this study. Removal efficiency of seven tetracycline antibiotic compounds showed 54%∼97% by GAC adsorption process (EBCT: 5∼30 min). The orders of removal efficiency by GAC adsorption were tetracycline, demeclocycline, oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline, doxytetracycline, meclocycline and minocycline. Removal efficiencies of seven tetracycline antibiotic compounds showed 1%∼61% by anthracite biofiltration process (EBCT: 5∼30 min). The highest biodegradable tetracycline antibiotic compound was minocycline, and the worst biodegradable tetracycline antibiotic compounds were oxytetracycline and demeclocycline.

In recent decades, biofiltration has been widely accepted for the treatment of contaminated air stream containing low concentration of odorous compounds or volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In this study, conventional biofilters packed with flexible synthetic polyurethane (PU) foam carriers were operated to remove toluene from a contaminated air stream. PU foams containing various amounts of pulverized activated carbon (PAC) were synthesized for the biofilter media and tested for toluene removal. Four biofilter columns were operated for 60 days to remove gaseous toluene from a contaminated air stream. During the biofiltration experiment, inlet toluene concentration was in the range of 0-150 ppm and EBRT (i.e., empty bed residence time) was kept at 26-42 seconds. Pressure drop of the biofilter bed was less than 3 mm H2O/m filter bed. The maximum removal capacity of toluene in the biofilters packed with PU-PAC foam was in the order of column II (PAC = 7.08%) > column III (PAC = 8.97%) > column I (PAC = 4.95%) > column IV (PAC = 13.52%), while the complete removal capacity was in the order of column II > column I > column III > column IV. The better biofiltration performance in column II was attributed to higher porosity providing favorable conditions for microbial growth. The results of biodegradation kinetic analysis showed that PU-PAC foam with 7.08% of PAC content had higher maximum removal rate (Vm = 14.99 g toluene/kg dry material/day) than the other PU-PAC foams. In overall, the performance of biofiltration might be affected by the structure and physicochemical properties of PU foam induced by PAC content.