BACKGROUNDStudies on the removal of styrene from airstreams carried out in pilot-scale biotrickling filters (BTF) are still scarce thus making its industrial application difficult. Moreover, it seems necessary to develop a comprehensive description of the phenomena occurring in the bioreactor that could be used as a tool for BTF design and performance prediction. RESULTSThe removal of styrene from airstreams in a pilot-scale biotrickling filter (BTF) inoculated with Pseudomonas sp. E-93486 bacteria was investigated (operational parameters: = 0.2-1g(-3), EBRTs=41-62s, T=303K). The experiments performed during a period of more than 120days confirmed high effectiveness of the examined process; RE=78-94.2% was obtained for all the sets of operational parameters. The experimental database was exploited to validate the three mathematical models of the process. All the tested models approximate very well the experimental data; the mean percentage error of the RE value prediction did not exceed 3%. CONCLUSIONThe formulated approximate simple one-substrate model (SOSM) described the investigated process with excellent accuracy (e(Y)=2.72%) and was numerically relatively simple. Therefore, this model was recommended as a useful tool for modelling the biodegradation processes of moderately hydrophobic compounds carried out in a BTF. (c) 2018 Society of Chemical Industry