FAQ

There are no special conditions. There is an experience of operating the scrubber at a temperature of -35°C. Bioreactor can be located in any room (for example, basement), where the temperature is above +5°С. You can also use some of your underground reservoirs, if they are not used currently, or parts of the cleaning facilities.

This applies to biofilters and similar installations. Our technology is completely different. A contaminant is first transferred from the air to the aqueous solution, and it undergoes biodegradation in the aqueous medium. 0.5-1.0 m³ of recirculating water per 1000 m³/h of the gas to be purified is needed for normal functioning of our biotechnology.

Absence of waste to be recycled is one of the advantages ABU offers as an air purification unit. Harmful organic substances decompose to water and carbon dioxide. Since an aero tank with a fibrous fixed bed is used, any active sludge is almost completely removed. Airlift removes suspended substances from the ventilation air in the slurry section.

1. Phenol and formaldehyde have practically unlimited solubility in water. When they are gaseous, and the temperature is below the substance boiling point, the equilibrium is also shifted towards the liquid phase.
2. Absorption mechanisms using industrial water in an ABU and those using an alkaline solution in an «acidic» scrubber are the same: phenol is first dissolved in water (due to the difference in the partial pressures of phenol in the gas phase and at the gas-water interface), and then reacts, for example, with NaOH, to form phenolate in an «acidic» scrubber, or is degraded by microorganisms in the ABU.

ABU uses water as an absorbent, so there is no fire hazard. In ABU operating experience, there were cases when air combustion from technological high-temperature equipment was stopped, preventing the open flame from reaching the building roof. In addition to that, it is guaranteed that the atmospheric emission temperature would not exceed 350°С.

The unit is put on standby. No activities are required up to 2 weeks of downtime. Then, it is recommended to introduce a pollutant (formalin, ammonia) into the unit, in order to support the vital activity of microorganisms. However, even if you completely «forget» about the unit, let’s say for half a year, some of the microorganisms will still remain there (in the state of anabiosis) and re-launching the unit will simply take more time (up to 2 weeks).

No. Theoretically, their death can be caused by factors that destroy protein or inhibit its growth. Two such factors are well-known: overheating over 50°C and strong antibiotics getting into the absorbent. Under normal conditions of ABU operation, such conditions do not occur, so it is not necessary to worry about the death of microorganisms.

Mineral salts (in the form of standard agricultural fertilizers) containing ammonium and phosphate ions are used as biogenic consumables for ABU.

The consumed amount is 0.1-0.2 kg per day (30-50 kg per year).

Yes. To prepare the absorbent for hardly soluble pollutants (oily substances, non-polar VOCs, etc.), surfactants in the form of detergents are used in the amount of 0.01-0.02% of the recirculating liquid volume (20-40 kg per year).

If there is carbon black and fine dust in the ventilation air, then coagulants and flocculants are used as modifying agents to increase the effect of sorption of suspensions, to clear the absorbent and to facilitate sludge removal. The amount of such additives is not high: 20-30 mg per 1000 m³/h.

Absorption solution is prepared and brought to the required condition only once during the ABU launch. Subsequently, water is added to the ABU to compensate for loss of steam and moisture. The consumption varies depending on the ABU operating temperature and can be within the range of 0.1 - 3.0 m³ per day.

Changing the microorganisms is not required during the entire ABU life cycle. If new pollutants emerge (as a result of change in production technology), additional cultures of microorganisms may be added to re-adapt the existing biocoenosis to new conditions, which practically does not affect the ABU operation costs.

ABU can easily adapt to new operating conditions. Additional strains of microorganisms are used to re-adapt the bioreactor.

It is practically impossible to compare these methods, because in most cases, the efficiency of the filters deteriorates during several working shifts because of resinous, oily, paraffinic and other condensation substances present in the air flow.