The biological air treatment method is based on the biological destruction of organic compounds by employing certain cultures of microorganisms. This method is simple and may be applied in many branches of industry.
An air treatment biofilter with an adsorbing zeolite layer was used for an experimental study. The highest air treatment efficiency was achieved upon charging the device with an activated packing material composed of a mixture of wood chips, barks, zeolite and foam cubes. The device’s treatment efficiency reached up to 98 ± 1% at the airflow rate of 0.1 m/s fed to the biofilter and the initial acetone vapour concentration 305 ± 30 mg/m³. A higher air treatment efficiency of the biofilter was achieved when supplying the filter with air polluted with pollutant vapour of a higher concentration – 12 ± 45 mg/m³.
To extend the useful life of a packing material, air treatment by applying a mixture of fir barks and wood chips, zeolite granules and foam cubes is recommended. The obtained results show that upon using these packing materials for biological air treatment, the biofilter treatment efficiency changes insignificantly, and the useful life of the packing material is extended. The chamber with the adsorbing zeolite layer, equipped before the biofilter, reduces by about 20% the concentration of the pollutant vapour supplied to the biofilter up to 20 ± 4%.

Keywords: biofilter, biodestruction, acetone, microorganisms