# Toluene-Containing Gas Stream Treatment by Persulfate-Based Oxidation: Process Variables Affecting Mass Transfer

## TL;DR

This study examines how to efficiently remove toluene from gas using a chemical process, focusing on factors like reactor design and water type.

## Contribution

The study identifies optimal reactor and diffuser configurations for efficient toluene removal using persulfate oxidation.

## Key findings

- Bubble column reactors with high-porosity diffuser plates improve toluene degradation.
- The type of water (distilled vs. tap) does not significantly affect treatment performance.
- Reactor configuration and diffuser design are critical for efficient mass transfer.

## Abstract

A toluene-containing gas stream was treated through the
application
of an activated persulfate-based advanced oxidation process (AOP).
As in this type of AOP pollutant degradation is carried out in the
liquid phase, the gas-to-liquid mass transfer process is a crucial
step to which great attention should be paid, this being the main
goal of the present study. A careful analysis of the impact of some
parameters on toluene’s degradation was performed, investigating
(i) the effect of reactor configuration (bubble reactor vs. bubble column reactor with different aspect ratios), (ii) the influence
of the type of diffuser (aquarium diffusers, with different geometric
shapes, vs. diffuser plates, with different porosities,
i.e., with different pore sizes), and (iii) the impact of the water
matrix (distilled water vs. tap water). The best
treatment performance was achieved when the bubble column reactor
and the diffuser plate with higher porosity were used, being indifferent
to the type of liquid phase selected, which, from the practical point
of view, brings important advantages as tap water can be used without
affecting process performance.