It is difficult to solve the pollution of volatile organic compound (VOCs) from the production and purification of penicillin. In this study, biotrickling filter was used to treat waste gases (VOCs) which were made up of Butyl acetate, n-Butyl alcohol and Phenylacetic acid and were volatilized from the raffinate in the penicillin workshop. The field pilot experiment was carried out continuously
... [Show full abstract] for more than three months. The results showed that when waste gases were discharged normally and inlet flow was monitored to 7.5 m/h, removal efficiency of Butyl acetate, n-Butyl alcohol and Phenylacetic acid were 95%, 92% and 100% in the case of their maximum inlet concentrations of 2000 mg/m3, 2400 mg/m3 and 370mg/m3, respectively. And meanwhile, the concentration of VOCs was less than 6800 mg/m3 and its removal efficiency was more than 94%. Furthermore, when pollution materials were appended factitiously in order to achieve higher loading, removal efficiency of Butyl acetate, n-Butyl alcohol and Phenylacetic acid were all more than 90% in the case of their maximum inlet loading of 373.4 g/(m · h), 317.2 g/(m · h) and 209.5 g/(m · h), respectively. The biotrickling filter had abundant microorganism colony and stronger ability to resist shock of high inlet loading. Therefore, the biotrickling filter could be operated easily and steadily for long-term. It was a potential technology for removing VOCs and easy to realize industrialization.
