Biofiltration is an evolving technology for treating gas-phase volatile organic compounds

(VOCs), Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs), and odorous contaminants by utilizing

naturally-occurring bacteria, immobilized on surface biofilms. Biofilms exist in naturally
bioactive materials, such as soil, peat, and compost, and can also be formed on
synthetic materials, such as plastic and metal.

Here are some related literatures in lined with the topic biofiltration of volatile
compounds

 Biofiltration of Volatile Organic Compounds and Polycyclic Aromatic

Hydrocarbons
Moreno-Casas et. al. (2020), stated that numerous studies at the
laboratory system have arrived on the degradation of VOCs using
biofiltration systems, treated with bacteria, fungi, or microbial
consortiums. Among them, the utilization of
styrene, toluene, methyl ethyl ketone, α-pinene, n-hexane,
compounds of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene (BTEX), and
ethanol can be highlighted. Most studies use an individual volatile
organic mixture preferably than a mixture of contaminants. This can be
described by the complexity of generating volatile organic compound
mixtures in a controlled method and with the complications associated
with the excerpt of microbial communities that may able to metabolize
such mixtures.
 Biofiltration of Volatile Compounds (VOCs)

According to Chandrajit et. al. (2011), volatile organic compounds

exerted to the environment are highly receptive to ecological and health
hazard. Some of the standard methods have been generated for the
waste air treatment in the recent past. Fortunately, biological waste air
treatment processes have gained high approval due to its cost-
effectiveness and environment-friendly technologies.

Recently, evidences are rapidly growing to show the potential health hazards
associated with VOCs and their involvement with global climate change and few VOCs
species were shown to be highly toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic. Apart from
potential health impacts of VOCs, they are also involved in photochemical reactions
leading to the formation of oxidants, which have serious deleterious effects on human
health, agricultural crops, trees, natural vegetation, buildings, materials, etc.
With that, there are various technologies, which have been currently used for the
treatment or elimination of VOCs. Physicochemical and biological treatment methods
are available for the removal of VOCs by recovery method or destruction method.
Biological treatment techniques are designed on the capability of microorganisms to
degrade the organic pollutants under aerobic conditions through oxidative and reductive
reactions to water vapor, carbon dioxide, inorganic products and organic biomass. ...

 Biofiltration in Volatile Organic Compound Decontamination

As stated by Svondo, 2015, bio filter’s main duty is to produce

microorganisms into connection with pollutants included in an
airstream. The biofilm that lives in a thin layer of moisture envelope the
particles that produce filter media. During the bio-filtration method, the
polluted airstream is gradually drawn through the bio-filter and the
pollutants are consumed into the filter media. The contaminated gas is
dispersed in the bio-filter and adsorbed on the biofilm. This enables the
microorganisms to degrade the pollutants and to generate energy and
metabolic by-products in the formation of water and carbon dioxide.

 Biofilter System Equipped with Inlet Load Equalizer for Removing

Volatile Organic Compounds

In line with the study of Park et. al. (2004), disclosed is a biofilter
system for separating volatile organic compounds. It is produced from
numerous industrial facilities like petrochemical plants, refining plants,
and paint plants, and environmental facilities including sewage
treatment plants. The biofilter system develops a volatile organic
compound content standardizing portion, a volatile organic compound
comprising contaminated air transferring portion, a bio filtering portion,
and a storing portion for adjusting pH and nutrients in the bio filtering
portion. By using this system, an offensive odor and volatile organic
compound emerged from several industrial facilities and environmental
facilities that can be efficiently managed. Besides, even in production
processes and storage facilities at which high volatile organic
compound concentration managing materials are discontinuously
discharged, the volatile organic compound can be adequately
extracted.

The present invention pertains, in general, to a biofilter system equipped with an inlet
load-equalizer for removing volatile organic compounds. More specifically, the present
invention is directed to a biofilter system for biologically removing high concentrations of
volatile organic compounds (for example, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene,
styrene and so on) discharged from various industrial facilities, such as petrochemical
plants, refining plants and paint plants, and environmental facilities including sewage
treatment plants.

It is further object of the present invention to provide a biofilter system which shows
stable treatment efficiency even after long term operation.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a biofilter system including a load-equalizer and a
biofiltering portion . FIG. 2 a is a schematic diagram of a one-stage load-equalizer , and
FIG. 2b is a schematic diagram of a two-stage load-equalizer .

With reference to FIG. 1, there is schematically shown the inventive biofilter system, in
which a load-equalizer that allows an air containing high concentrations of VOC
introduced discontinuously to be discharged continuously at low concentrations is
mounted to the front of the system. FIGS. 2 a and 2 b shows embodiments of the load-
equalizer.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, a load-equalizer 2 in the biofilter system according to one

embodiment of the present invention comprises porous carrier layer 3, a VOC-
containing air inlet placed under the porous carrier layer, a load-equalizing solvent
storage tank 4, a load-equalizing solvent circulation unit, and a load-equalized air outlet
placed above the porous carrier layer. The circulation unit is equipped with a circulatory
pump 5 and a spray nozzle of the load-equalizing solvent 6.