Resumo

VERGARA-FERNANDEZ, A.; SAN MARTIN-DAVISON, J.; DIAZ-ROBLES, L.A.  e  SOTO-SANCHEZ, O.. Effect of initial substrate/inoculum ratio on cell yield in the removal of hydrophobic vocs in fungal biofilters. Rev. Mex. Ing. Quím [online]. 2014, vol.13, n.3, pp.749-755. ISSN 1665-2738.

Different kinetic models have been proposed to describe the elimination of hydrophobic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by fungal biofiltration. In this process the ratio of the initial substrate concentration (C^p_b0) to the initial biomass (X₀) has been shown to influence the cell yield. This papers presents a study of the efect of the C^p_b0/X₀ ratio on observed cell yield (Y_obs) in a fixed bed batch system (microcosm) using a gaseous carbon source, as an approximation to its application in the fungal biofiltration of hydrophobic VOCs. Essays were carried out in fixed-bed microcosms using the filamentous fungus Fusarium solani as a biological agent and n-pentane as a carbon and energy source. The results indicated that Y_obs in the gas phase is inversely proportional to the C^p_b0/X₀ ratio, with values of 0.9 to 0.35 g_biomass g^-1_pentane being obtained when the C^p_b0/X₀ ratio is changed from 0.1 to 1.0 g_pentane g^-1_biomass. The results indicate that more than 60% of n-pentane was consumed due to energy spilling, and that strong dissociation of catabolism from anabolism occurred at higher C_b0/X₀ ratios.

Palavras-chave : hydrophobic VOCs; fungal biofiltration; substrate/inoculum ratio; growth yield.