Substrate Removal Mechanism of Trickling Filters

A mechanistic model was formulated for substrate removal in a trickling filter with plastic media of the film-flow type by considering the basic physical and biological processes occurring in an elemental volume of slime. It was found that the model developed could be adequately represented by an existing mathematical model. The model was verified in a study using a laboratory-scale filter reproducing the expected hydraulic regime of full-scale units and a waste with glucose as the sole carbon source. It is anticipated that the laboratory and data analysis procedures developed can be used to provide basic design and performance relationships for full scale trickling filters.