Fungal co-culture improves the biodegradation of hydrophobic VOCs gas mixtures in conventional biofilters and biotrickling filters

Milena Marycz; Anna Brillowska-Dąbrowska; Sara Cantera; Jacek Gębicki; Raúl Muñoz

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.137609

Fungal co-culture improves the biodegradation of hydrophobic VOCs gas mixtures in conventional biofilters and biotrickling filters

Chemosphere. 2023 Feb:313:137609. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.137609. Epub 2022 Dec 22.

Authors

Milena Marycz¹, Anna Brillowska-Dąbrowska², Sara Cantera³, Jacek Gębicki⁴, Raúl Muñoz⁵

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Sustainable Processes, Universidad de Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina S/n, 47011, Spain; Department of Process Engineering and Chemical Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdansk University of Technology, 11/12 G. Narutowicza Street, 80-233, Gdansk, Poland.
² Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Microbiology, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdansk University of Technology, 11/12 G. Narutowicza Street, 80-233, Gdansk, Poland.
³ Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE, Wageningen, Netherlands.
⁴ Department of Process Engineering and Chemical Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdansk University of Technology, 11/12 G. Narutowicza Street, 80-233, Gdansk, Poland.
⁵ Institute of Sustainable Processes, Universidad de Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina S/n, 47011, Spain. Electronic address: mutora@iq.uva.es.

PMID: 36566789
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.137609

Abstract

The present study systematically evaluated the potential of Candida subhashii, Fusarium solani and their consortium for the abatement of n-hexane, trichloroethylene (TCE), toluene and α-pinene in biofilters (BFs) and biotrickling filters (BTFs). Three 3.2 L BFs packed with polyurethane foam and operated at a gas residence time of 77 s with an air mixture of hydrophobic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were inoculated with C. subhashii, F. solani and a combination of thereof. The systems were also operated under a BTF configuration with a liquid recirculating rate of 2.5 L h^-1. Steady state elimination capacities (ECs) of total VOCs of 17.4 ± 0.7 g m^-3 h^-1 for C. subhashii, 21.2 ± 0.8 g m^-3 h^-1 for F. solani and 24.4 ± 1.4 g m^-3 h^-1 for their consortium were recorded in BFs, which increased up to 27.2 ± 1.6 g m^-3 h^-1, 29.2 ± 1.9 g m^-3 h^-1, 37.7 ± 3.3 g m^-3 h^-1 in BTFs. BTFs supported a superior biodegradation performance compared to BF, regardless of the VOCs. Moreover, a more effective VOC biodegradation was observed when C. subhashii and F. solani were grown as a consortium. The microbial analysis conducted revealed that the fungi initially introduced in each BF represented the dominant species by the end of the experiment, with C. subhashii gradually overcoming F. solani in the system inoculated with the fungal consortium.

Keywords: Biofiltration; Candida subhashii; Fungi consortium; Fusarium solani; Mixed VOCs.

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants* / analysis
Biodegradation, Environmental
Bioreactors
Coculture Techniques
Filtration
Gases
Volatile Organic Compounds* / analysis

Substances

Volatile Organic Compounds
Gases
Air Pollutants