Development of Novel Combined Treatment Technologies for Decontaminating Polluted Air

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0229135 Sorial The passage of the 1990 Amendments to the Clean Air Act significantly heightened the interest in the development of innovative technologies for solving current pollution problems and preventing new ones. This study will focus on development of a combined treatment scheme (PSA/TBAB) that is adaptable to any particular contaminant or mixture of contaminants. A pressure swing adsorption (PSA) unit followed by a trickle bed air biofilter (TBAB) unit is proposed for yielding an effluent stream complying with emission regulations during adverse conditions of industrial operations. The objectives of this research study are: 1) to study the influence of fluctuating contaminant concentration, periods of non-use, and change of contaminant on the performance of the TBAB; 2) to investigate the mechanism of single solute and competitive equilibrium adsorption on different types of adsorbents for the contaminants of concern; and 3) to investigate the operating pressurization, and de-pressurization cycles for the PSA unit that will yield constant loading conditions on the biofilter and will provide contaminant removal above 99%. The PSA unit can serve a number of purposes, such as periodic cycles of adsorption and desorption, to dampen the impact of fluctuating contaminant concentration to the biofilter; or as an adsorption cycle only for a contaminant removal during off-times of the biofilter; or a desorption cycle only to act as a contaminant feed to the biofilter during shut down periods such as weekends or holidays.The development of a combined PSA/TBAB technology will be of significant benefit to the chemical industry where off-gas treatment is necessary for complying with the Clean Air Act. It is anticipated that effluent treatment cost will be significantly reduced by enhancing the performance of the biofiltration process. Furthermore, the results obtained in this study will be disseminated by presentations at national and international conferences and by publication in peer refereed journals for enhancing scientific and technological understanding of the combinedscheme.The combined treatment technology of this research provides excellent case studies for both the undergraduate and graduate classes. Research experience gained in the laboratory will be replicated in the classroom by developing discovery-based teaching modules, so the experience can be shared by all of the students. Problem-based learning, undergraduate research and research-based education will help students develop critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork and communication skills.