Abstract

The growing importance placed on air quality by environmental regulations and public opinion necessitate the minimization and removal of volatile organic compound emissions (VOCs), including odours. The removal of hydrophobic VOCs from the air by biological methods remains a major technical challenge (despite its importance in the shift to green engineering). A potential solution to this challenge is the use of fungi in biofiltration. The aim of this PhD dissertation was to develop a hydrophobic VOC air deodorization system from biofilters inhabited by various species of microorganisms. The content of the dissertation was based on six articles published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Based on a literature review and the author's own research, (i) Candida subhashii isolate, which had not been used in biofiltration before, was isolated from peat, and its effectiveness in carbon assimilation from selected hydrophobic VOCs was confirmed at a level comparable to Fusarium solani, the fungus most often used for this purpose. (ii) It was confirmed that fungal biotrickling filtration is among the most effective biological methods of removing hydrophobic VOCs during air purification. (iii) Methods of both immobilizing fungi species on the surface of biofilter packing materials, and testing the diversity and viability of fungi in the biofiltration process were developed.

Author (1)