Biofiltration of BTEX in a Mixture Bed of Bagasse

Biodegradation of a mixture of benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and o-xylene (BTEX) was studied in a two-bed biofilter. The packing material was a mixture of sugarcane bagasse and granulated activated carbon. Aspergillus Brasiliensis and Aspergillus Niger fungi were inoculated in the biofilter, separately. The effects of BTEX concentration, Empty Bed Residence Time (EBRT) and temperature on the biofilter efficiency have been studied. The results indicate that in the biofilter with Aspergillus Brasiliensis fungus, the removal efficiency approaches to 100% for the inlet load of 71.5 g.m-3h-1 and EBRT of 2.7 min while total removal efficiency in the biofilter with Aspergillus Niger fungus is obtained for the inlet load of 140.3 g.m-3h-1 and EBRT of 1.3 min. The maximum elimination capacity for this biofilter at inlet load of 223.08 g.m-3h-1 and EBRT of 0.9 min is 188.95 g.m-3h-1.