Recent advances in two-phase partitioning bioreactors for the treatment of volatile organic compounds

• Published in: Biotechnology advances 2012-11, Vol.30 (6), p.1707-1720
• Main Authors: Muñoz, Raúl, Daugulis, Andrew J., Hernández, María, Quijano, Guillermo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: air pollution; Biodegradation; Biological; Biological and medical sciences; Biological gas treatment; Bioreactor configuration; Bioreactors; Biotechnology; Biotechnology - instrumentation; Biotechnology - methods; case studies; cost effectiveness; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gases - isolation & purification; hydrophobicity; Mass transfer; Mathematical models; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; Microbiology; Models, Theoretical; Organic compounds; Partitioning; Phase Transition; pollution control; Two-phase partitioning bioreactor; uptake mechanisms; Various methods and equipments; Volatile organic compounds; Volatile Organic Compounds - isolation & purification
• ISSN: 0734-9750; 1873-1899
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2012.08.009

Biological processes are considered to be the most cost-effective technology for the off-gas treatment of volatile organic compounds (VOC) at low concentrations. Two-phase partitioning bioreactors (TPPBs) emerged in the early 1990s as innovative multiphase systems capable of overcoming some of the key limitations of traditional biological technologies such as the low mass transfer rates of hydrophobic VOCs and microbial inhibition at high VOC loading rates. Intensive research carried out in the last 5years has helped to provide a better understanding of the mass transfer phenomena and VOC uptake mechanisms in TPPBs, which has significantly improved the VOC biodegradation processes utilizing this technology platform. This work presents an updated state-of-the-art review on the advances of TPPB technology for air pollution control. The most recent insights regarding non-aqueous phase (NAP) selection, microbiology, reactor design, mathematical modeling and case studies are critically reviewed and discussed. Finally, the key research issues required to move towards the development of efficient and stable full-scale VOC biodegradation processes in TPPBs are identified. ► State of the art of TPPBs for gas treatment: breakthroughs over the last 5years. ► Elucidation of VOC mass transfer and uptake mechanisms. ► Optimization of organic phase selection, bioreactor design and modeling. ► Potential of confining biocatalytic activity in the organic phase. ► Discussion on the main limitations and research niches for scale-up.