Microbial succession in a compost-packed biofilter treating benzene-contaminated air

In the present work we used a polyphasic approach for the study of the microbial ecology of a laboratory-scale compost biofilter, aiming to evaluate the succession of microbial species under different conditions of biofiltration. By using cultivation-dependent and independent approaches we studied the changes of the structure and diversity of the microbial community in a biofilter treating air polluted with benzene, a highly toxic volatile compound included in the polluted priority lists of most environmental protection agencies.