Paper Title
Alternatives For Biofilter Bed Configuration and Co-Packing Materials

Abstract
The successful biotreatment of polluted air by biofiltration relies on the robustness of the bed configuration, as the packing materialĀ“s properties and lifespan determine biofilter performance. This study assessed the start-up operation of two biofilters packed with mixed organic/inorganic materials. One biofilter bed was composed of an organic compost material and black slag, and the other one was composed of the same organic compost, but with zeolite, and starch as a binder. The additional novelty of the bed is that tea bags were used to hold the mixed packing materials, whereby compaction was minimized. Nutrient irrigation was used to help the quick start-up of both biofilters for degrading toluene. The strategy of feeding one biofilter module solely with clean humidified air and the consecutive one with the contaminated air meant a shorter activation period for the former when the two modules were swapped. The humidified module started degrading toluene immediately after replacement. Thus, the two-module configuration used in this study provides an alternative for the implementation of a simultaneous system for acclimation and biodegradation. Keywords- Biofiltration, fixed bed bioreactor, packing material, toluene.