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ABSTRACT Cells grow on high area foam and, when a screen is put around the foam, it is made heavier so it can be fluidized. When foam is rotated in a half full RBC (rotary biological contactor), drops are formed and mass transfer of oxygen to drops is much faster. Most fungi and some mammalian cells need oxygen. Corrugated fibers with holes in the valleys also produce drops. White rot fungus needs oxygen and it degrades many chlorine compounds, azo dyes, PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), and TNT. Old cardboard boxes are readily available and when buried in soil, oxygen is entrapped. In a lake, the boxes expose high area. Celite entrapped in fibers provides even more area. Fibers have high surface area for immobilizing cells and, when the fibers are rotated, fast reactions occur, converting one chemical to another. Sugar has been fermented to alcohol in 10-15 minutes. Ethanol has high octane and does not need lead. Old cars and trucks still use lead, and high levels have been found in the drinking water of several large cities. Bacteria on fibers can remove lead in a few seconds. When an RBC of plain fiber discs is rotated and a light shone in the top, the light hits a thin moving film to degrade chlorine compounds and sterilize water. Titania can be fused to the fiberglass discs. Microbes and light remove sulfur from oil. Calcium magnesium acetate is a non-corrosive road deicer. Salt on roads causes millions of dollars damage to bridges and cars.
KEYWORDS: Zymomonas, lead, cesium, oxygen, sponge
This paper is from the Proceedings of the HSRC/WERC Joint Conference on the Environment, May 1996, published in hard copy and on the Web by the Great Plains/Rocky Mountain Hazardous Substance Research Center.
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