Treatment of methyl tert-butyl ether vapors in biotrickling filters. 2. Analysis of the rate-limiting step and behavior under transient conditions
Published
Journal Article
Detailed experiments were performed with gas phase biotrickling filters treating vapors of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), a gasoline additive of great environmental concern. A particular emphasis was placed on the analysis of the rate-limiting step, and it was found that the process was mostly limited by the biological reaction rather than by mass transfer. Further experiments involved the study of the dynamic behavior of the biotrickling filters under simulated field conditions. In all cases, the biotrickling filters adapted rapidly to the new conditions, and new steady states were obtained within hours. The relevance of the results and the implications as far as implementation of biotrickling filters for field MTBE treatment are discussed.
Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Fortin, NY; Deshusses, MA
Published Date
- September 1, 1999
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 33 / 17
Start / End Page
- 2987 - 2991
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
- 0013-936X
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1021/es981338k
Citation Source
- Scopus