Elimination of phenols, ammonia and cyanide in wash water from biomass gasification, and nitrogen recycling using planted trickling filters

Graber, Andreas; Skvarc, Robert; Junge, Ranka

doi:10.2166/wst.2009.728

Publication type:	Article in scientific journal
Type of review:	Peer review (publication)
Title:	Elimination of phenols, ammonia and cyanide in wash water from biomass gasification, and nitrogen recycling using planted trickling filters
Authors:	Graber, Andreas Skvarc, Robert Junge, Ranka
DOI:	10.2166/wst.2009.728
Published in:	Water Science and Technology
Volume(Issue):	60
Issue:	12
Page(s):	3253
Pages to:	3259
Issue Date:	2009
Publisher / Ed. Institution:	IWA Publishing
ISSN:	0273-1223 1474-3876
Language:	English
Subjects:	Phenols; Ornamental plants; Trickling filter
Subject (DDC):	363: Environmental and security problems
Abstract:	Trickling filters were used to treat wash water from a wood gasifier. This wash water contained toxic substances such as ammonium, cyanide, phenols, and PAH. The goal was to develop a system that degraded toxic substances, and achieved full nitrification of ammonia. A 1 kW model wood gasifier plant delivered wash water for the experiments, which was standardized to a conductivity of 3 mS/cm by dilution. Toxicity was assessed by bacterial luminescence detection, germination test with cress (Lepidium sativum), and pot plants cultivated in a hydroponic setup irrigated continuously with the wastewater. Treatment experiments were done both in planted and unplanted trickling filters. Plant yield was similar to conventional hydroponic production systems. The trickling filters achieved complete detoxification of phenol, PAH and cyanide as well as full nitrification. The specific elimination rates were 100 g m-3 Leca d-1 for phenols and 90 g m-3 Leca d-1 for ammonium in planted systems. In unplanted trickling filters circulated for 63 h, phenol concentration decreased from 83.5 mg/l to 2.5 mg/l and cyanide concentration from 0.32 mg/l to 0.02 mg/l. PAH concentrations were reduced from 3,050 µg/l to 0.89 µg/l within 68 days. The assays demonstrated the feasibility of using the technique to construct a treatment system in a partially closed circulation for gasifier wash water. The principal advantage is to convert toxic effluents from biomass gasifiers into a non-toxic, nitrogen-rich fertilizer water, enabling subsequent use in plant production and thus income generation. However, the questions of long-term performance and possible accumulation of phenols and heavy metals in the produce still have to be studied.
URI:	https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/2657
Fulltext version:	Published version
License (according to publishing contract):	Licence according to publishing contract
Departement:	Life Sciences and Facility Management
Organisational Unit:	Institute of Natural Resource Sciences (IUNR)
Appears in collections:	Publikationen Life Sciences und Facility Management

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Graber, A., Skvarc, R., & Junge, R. (2009). Elimination of phenols, ammonia and cyanide in wash water from biomass gasification, and nitrogen recycling using planted trickling filters. Water Science and Technology, 60(12), 3253–3259. https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2009.728

Graber, A., Skvarc, R. and Junge, R. (2009) ‘Elimination of phenols, ammonia and cyanide in wash water from biomass gasification, and nitrogen recycling using planted trickling filters’, Water Science and Technology, 60(12), pp. 3253–3259. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2009.728.

A. Graber, R. Skvarc, and R. Junge, “Elimination of phenols, ammonia and cyanide in wash water from biomass gasification, and nitrogen recycling using planted trickling filters,” Water Science and Technology, vol. 60, no. 12, pp. 3253–3259, 2009, doi: 10.2166/wst.2009.728.

GRABER, Andreas, Robert SKVARC und Ranka JUNGE, 2009. Elimination of phenols, ammonia and cyanide in wash water from biomass gasification, and nitrogen recycling using planted trickling filters. Water Science and Technology. 2009. Bd. 60, Nr. 12, S. 3253–3259. DOI 10.2166/wst.2009.728

Graber, Andreas, Robert Skvarc, and Ranka Junge. 2009. “Elimination of Phenols, Ammonia and Cyanide in Wash Water from Biomass Gasification, and Nitrogen Recycling Using Planted Trickling Filters.” Water Science and Technology 60 (12): 3253–59. https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2009.728.

Graber, Andreas, et al. “Elimination of Phenols, Ammonia and Cyanide in Wash Water from Biomass Gasification, and Nitrogen Recycling Using Planted Trickling Filters.” Water Science and Technology, vol. 60, no. 12, 2009, pp. 3253–59, https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2009.728.