Modeling Biofilms on Gas-Permeable Supports: Concentration and Activity Profiles
This article has a reply.
VIEW THE REPLYPublication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 126, Issue 3
Abstract
Several investigators have shown that membrane oxygenation provides a number of advantages in biological treatment. These include operational flexibility, reduced energy requirements, and less stripping of volatile compounds. Membranes have also been observed to provide a support surface for microbial growth. This steady-state model study investigates the microbial uptake of oxygen and a carbon-source substrate for aerobic, heterotrophic biofilms on gas permeable membrane- and impermeable solid-supported surfaces. The model predictions indicate that very different concentration and activity profiles may be found in biofilms grown on solid surfaces and gas permeable membranes. For a solid-supported biofilm the highest concentrations of oxygen and substrate and the greatest microbial activity are located on the outside of the biofilm. For a membrane-supported film, the oxygen and substrate are never present at the same location in their maximum concentrations, and the location of maximum biological activity in the biofilm can occur at other locations within the film. These differences may lead to significant differences in the microbial ecology and populations of biofilms and, in turn, in biofilm morphology.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Ahmed, T., and Semmens, M. J. (1992). “Use of sealed end hollow fibers for bubbleless membrane aeration: Experimental studies.” J. Membrane Sci., 69, 11–20.
2.
Beyenal, H., and Tanyolac, A. (1994). “A mathematical model for hollow fiber biofilm reactors.” Chemical Engrg. J., 56, B53–B59.
3.
Bishop, P. L., Zhang, T. C., and Fu, Y. (1995). “Effects of biofilm structure, microbial distributions and mass transport on biodegradation processes.” Water Sci. and Technol., 31(1), 143–152.
4.
Brindle, K., and Stephenson, T. (1996). “The application of membrane biological reactors for the treatment of wastewaters.” Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 49, 601–610.
5.
Bryers, J. D., and Banks, M. K. ( 1990). “Assessment of biofilm ecodynamics.” Physiology of immobilized cells, J. A. M. de Bont, J. Visser, B. Mattiasson, and J. Tramper, eds., Elsevier Science, Amsterdam, 49–61.
6.
Chang, H. T., Rittmann, B. E., Amar, D., Heim, R., Ehrlinger, O., and Lesty, Y. (1991). “Biofilm detachment mechanisms in a liquid fluidized bed.” Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 38, 499–506.
7.
Chen, G. H., Ozaki, H., and Terashima, Y. (1989). “Modelling of the simultaneous removal of organic substances and nitrogen in a biofilm.” Water Sci. and Technol., 21, 791–804.
8.
Costerton, J. W., Lewandowski, Z., Caldwell, D. E., Korber, D. R., and Lappin-Scott, H. M. (1995). “Microbial biofilms.” Annu. Rev. of Microbiology, 49, 711–745.
9.
Cote, P., Bersillon, J. L., and Huyard, A. (1989). “Bubble-free aeration using membranes: Mass transfer analysis.” J. Membrane Sci., 47(1–2), 91–106.
10.
Cote, P. L., Bersillon, J. L., Huyard, A., and Haup, J. M. (1988). “Bubble-free aeration using membranes: Process analysis.” J. Water Pollution Control Fed., 60(11), 1986–1992.
11.
Egli, T. (1995). “The ecological and physiological significance of the growth of heterotrophic microorganisms with mixtures of substrates.” Advances in Microbial Ecology, 14, 305–386.
12.
Essila, N. J. ( 1997). “Contrasting behavior of biofilms grown on gas permeable membranes with those grown on solid surfaces: A model study,” MS thesis, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
13.
Furumai, H., and Rittmann, B. E. (1992). “Advanced modeling of mixed populations of heterotrophs and nitrifiers considering the formation and exchange of soluble microbial products.” Water Sci. and Technol., 26(3–4), 493–502.
14.
Furumai, H., and Rittmann, B. E. (1994a). “Evaluation of multiple-species biofilm and floc processes using a simplified aggregate model.” Water Sci. and Technol., 29(10–11), 439–446.
15.
Furumai, H., and Rittmann, B. E. (1994b). “Interpretation of bacterial activities in nitrification filters by a biofilm model considering the kinetics of soluble microbial products.” Water Sci. and Technol., 30(11), 147–156.
16.
Ilias, S., and Schimmel, K. A. (1995). “Membrane bioreactor model for removal of organics from wastewater.” J. Air and Waste Mgmt. Assn., 45, 615–620.
17.
Kim, B. R., and Suidan, M. T. (1989). “Approximate algebraic solution for a biofilm model with the Monod kinetic expression.” Water Res., 23(12), 1491–1498.
18.
Lee, K. M., and Stensel, H. D. (1986). “Aeration and substrate utilization in a sparged packed-bed biofilm reactor.” J. Water Pollution Control Fed., 58(11), 1066–1072.
19.
Li, S., and Chen, G. H. (1994). “Modeling the organic removal and oxygen consumption by biofilms in an open-channel flow.” Water Sci. and Technol., 30(2), 53–61.
20.
Livingston, A. G. (1993). “A novel membrane bioreactor for detoxifying industrial wastewater: I. Biodegradation of phenol in a synthetically concocted wastewater.” Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 41, 915–926.
21.
Patankar, S. V. ( 1980). Numerical heat transfer and fluid flow. Hemisphere Publishing Corp., Washington, D.C., 30–31, 48–54.
22.
Pavasant, P., Frietas dos Santos, L. M., Pistikopoulos, E. N., and Livingston, A. G. (1996). “Prediction of optimal biofilm thickness for membrane-attached biofilms growing in an extractive membrane bioreactor.” Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 52, 373–386.
23.
Rittmann, B. E. (1982). “Comparative performance of biofilm reactor types.” Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 24, 1341–1370.
24.
Rittmann, B. E., and Manem, J. A. (1992). “Development and experimental evaluation of a steady-state, multispecies biofilm model.” Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 39, 914–922.
25.
Semmens, M. J., Johnson, D. W., Schwarz, S., and Rieth, M. (1995). “Bubble free aeration using hollow fiber membranes.” Proc., WEF Conf.
26.
Stewart, P. S., Murga, R., Srinivasan, R., and de Beer, D. (1995). “Biofilm structural heterogeneity visualized by three microscopic methods.” Water Res., 29(8), 2006–2009.
27.
Suidan, M. T. (1986). “Performance of deep biofilm reactors.”J. Envir. Engrg., ASCE, 112(1), 78–93.
28.
Suidan, M. T., and Wang, Y. (1985). “Unified analysis of biofilm kinetics.”J. Envir. Engrg., ASCE, 111(5), 634–646.
29.
Tijhuis, L., Benthum, W. A. J., van Loosdrecht, M. C. M., and Heijnen, J. J. (1994). “Solids retention time in spherical biofilms in airlift reactors.” Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 44, 867–879.
30.
Tijhuis, L., Huisman, J. L., Hekkelman, H. D., van Loosdrecht, M. C. M., and Heijnen, J. J. (1995). “Formation of nitrifying biofilms on small suspended particles in airlift reactors.” Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 47(5), 585–595.
31.
Trulear, M. G., and Characklis, W. G. (1982). “Dynamics of biofilm processes.” J. Water Pollution Control Fed., 54(9), 1288–1301.
32.
van Loosdrecht, M. C. M., Eikelboom, D., Gjaltema, A., Mulder, A., Tijhuis, L., and Heijnen, J. J. (1995). “Biofilm structures.” Water Sci. and Technol., 32(8), 35–43.
33.
Vayenas, D. V., and Lyberatos, G. (1994). “A novel model for nitrifying trickling filters.” Water Res., 28(6), 1275–1284.
34.
Vieira, M. J., Melo, L. F., and Pinhiero, M. M. (1993). “Biofilm formation: Hydrodynamic effects on internal diffusion and structure.” Biofouling, 7, 67–80.
35.
Wanner, O., Debus, O., and Reichert, P. (1994). “Modeling the spatial distribution and dynamics of a xylene-degrading microbial population in a membrane-bound biofilm.” Water Sci. and Technol., 29(10–11), 243–251.
36.
Wanner, O., and Gujer, W. (1986). “A multispecies biofilm model.” Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 28, 314–328.
37.
Williamson, K., and McCarty, P. L. (1976). “A model of substrate utilization by bacterial films.” J. Water Pollution Control Fed., 48(1), 9–24.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 126 • Issue 3 • March 2000
Pages: 250 - 257
History
Received: Mar 23, 1998
Published online: Mar 1, 2000
Published in print: Mar 2000
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.