Date of Award

4-1997

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

Department

Paper Science and Engineering

Abstract

The central focus of this thesis was to study the possibility of and carry out an experiment dealing with biological oxidation of hydrogen sulfide. The biological reactor was to be a 5 inch in diameter, 14 inch tall PVC pipe filled with pine chips as a growth medium. The growth medium was to be seeded with thiobacillus thioxidans, a strain of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. Hydrogen sulfide gas at approximately 50 parts per million was to be introduced into the reactor at a rate of 1.8 L/min, resulting in a retention time of approximately 60 seconds. Inlet and outlet gas samples were to be taken from the reactor every 20 minutes with subsequent H2S analysis to be carried out by way of colorimetry. With an acclimation period to hydrogen sulfide of only 3 days for the bacteria, the experiment was expected to produce nearly complete hydrogen sulfide oxidation within the reactor once the experiment began. Unfortunately the acclimation period was closer to about 3 weeks and, due to poor scheduling, the reactor phase of the experiment was never run. Once acclimated, however, the bacteria did oxidize the hydrogen sulfide to apparent completion.

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