BIOFILTER FOR THE PURIFICATION OF AIR CONTAMINATED WITH TRYETHYLAMINE (TEA)

Bio-filtration is a method of pollution control in which pollutants are biologically degraded using microorganisms. Biofilters are being developed and effectively used for a wide variety of industries etc. Biofilters are cost-effective .Triethylamine(TEA) is a Volatile organic compound widely used as a catalyst for polymerization reactions and a solvent and corrosion inhibitor in industry and it is also used as an intermediate in the production of various chemicals, including pesticides. It is necessary to remove TEA from water and gas in the environment. In the present work, studies are being carried out on biofilter contaminated with TEA. The contaminated gas is passed through a packed bed where TEA compound is absorbed into the biofilm in which diffusion and aerobic biodegradation occur simultaneously in a complex set of physical, chemical and biological interactions. Therefore, selection of suitable microbial consortia and biofilter configuration is very important from commercial perspective. The present study is isolation and identification of TEA degrading microorganisms by selective media, biochemical tests, understand the microbial bio-degradation pathway of TEA, physical-chemical characteristics and adsorption studies of biofilter bed material, investigate the performance of biofiltration system in treating TEA under various conditions of inlet concentration, moisture content, pH etc are being carried out.