Biotechnological Removal of Ethene from Waste Gases

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter presents preliminary results regarding ethene removal from waste gases with a conventional trickling filter. It also discusses the possibility of adding an organic solvent as an ethene vector to increase the sorption of ethene. Biological waste-gas treatment can be an alternative for physico-chemical treatment, but the use of biological systems may become critical, as the organic compound becomes less water soluble. Experiments are carried out in a continuously operated lab-scale trickling filter. The trickling filter consists of a rectangular shaped plexi-glass column. The preliminary results show that the biomass growth on the packing material could be enhanced by loading the trickling filter with a secondary ordinary carbon source through the liquid circuit. The use of a solvent to increase the sorption of ethene is probably not possible, because ethene shows a low solubility in organic solvents. In addition, the use of a solvent to increase the sorption of ethene is probably not possible, because ethene shows also a low solubility in organic solvents.