Abstract

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are among the major anthropogenic sources of N2O, a major greenhouse gas and ozone-depleting agent. We recently devised a zero-energy zero-carbon biofiltration system easily applicable to activated sludge-type WWTPs and performed lab-scale proof-of-concept experiments. The major drawback of the system was the diminished performance observed when fully oxic gas streams were treated. Here, a serial biofiltration system was tested as a potential improvement. A laboratory system with three serially positioned biofilters, each receiving a separate feed of artificial wastewater, was fed N2O-containing gas streams of varied flow rates (200-2000 mL·min-1) and O2 concentrations (0-21%). Use of the serial setup substantially improved the reactor performance. Fed fully oxic gas at a flow rate of 1000 mL·min-1, the system removed N2O at an elimination capacity of 0.402 ± 0.009 g N2O·m-3·h-1 (52.5% removal), which was approximately 2.4-fold higher than that achieved with a single biofilter, 0.171 ± 0.024 g N2O·m-3·h-1. These data were used to validate the mathematical model developed to estimate the performance of the N2O biofiltration system. The Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency indices ranged from 0.78 to 0.93, confirming high predictability, and the model provided mechanistic insights into aerobic N2O removal and the performance enhancement achieved with the serial configuration.

Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.