Biological fluidized bed treatment of ethylene and propylene glycols

Abstract

The bioremediation of ethylene and propylene glycols using the aerobic biological fluidized bed (BFB) technology is evaluated. Under the steady-state conditions tested, the BFB reactors are capable of achieving good TOC removal (i.e., >96%) at empty bed HRTs as short as 1.7 hrs and at TOC loadings as high as 0.88 g/L-day. In addition, the BFB reactors are also capable of sustaining good TOC removal (i.e., >87%) during single-pulse loadings with a 10-fold increase in pulse magnitude and pulse durations as long as 7 hrs. The observed BFB process efficiency and stability are attributable to the high immobilized biomass inventories attained in reactors by using porous media particles for cell immobilization and retention.