Jean-Pierre Arcangeli

Toluene biodegradation and biofilm growth in an aerobic fixed-film reactor

SummaryAerobic biodegradation of toluene in a biofilm system was investigated. Toluene is easily biodegradable, like several other aromatic compounds. The degradation was first order at bulk concentrations lower than 0.14 mg/l and zero order above 6–8 mg/l. An average yield coefficient of 1 mg biomass/mg toluene degraded was found. A chemical oxygen demand balance relative to three biofilm growth scenarios showed that only a minor fraction of the carbon in the influent accumulated as biomass in the reactor. Of this accumulated biomass only a small fraction was active biomass, about 5% protein. A characterization of the carbon fractions leaving the reactor showed a significant production of soluble polymers and formation of suspended biomass. The latter was probably due to the detachment of filamentous bacteria. A decrease in toluene degradation was observed when the oxygen concentration was increased from 5 to about 20 mg/l. Future studies must show if this effect was due to inhibition.

Modelling the growth of a methanotrophic biofilm: Estimation of parameters and variability

This article discusses the growth of methanotrophic biofilms. Several independent biofilm growths scenarios involving different inocula were examined. Biofilm growth, substrate removal and product formation were monitored throughout the experiments. Based on the oxygen consumption it was concluded that heterotrophs and nitrifiers co-existed with methanotrophs in the biofilm. Heterotrophic biomass grew on soluble polymers formed by the hydrolysis of dead biomass entrapped in the biofilm. Nitrifier populations developed because of the presence of ammonia in the mineral medium. Based on these experimental results, the computer program AQUASIM was used to develop a biological model involving methanotrophs, heterotrophs and nitrifiers. The modelling of six independent growth experiments showed that stoichiometric and kinetic parameters were within the same order of magnitude. Parameter estimation yielded an average maximum growth rate for methanotrophs, μm, of 1.5 ± 0.5 d−1, at 20 °C, a decay rate, bm, of 0.24 ± 0.1 d−1, a half saturation constant,

Cometabolic transformation ofo-xylene in a biofilm system under nitrate reducing conditions

{\text{K}}_{{\text{S(CH}}_{\text{4}} {\text{)}}}

A Membrane De-Oxygenator for the Study of Anoxic Processes

, of 0.06 ± 0.05 mg CH4/L, and a yield coefficient,

Biodegradation rates of aromatic contaminants in biofilm reactors

Y_{CH_4 }

Growth of an aerobic and an anoxic toluene-degrading biofilm - a comparative study

, of 0.57 ±: 0.04 g X/g CH4. In addition, a sensitivity analysis was performed on this model. It indicated that the most influential parameters were those related to the biofilm (i.e. density; solid-volume fraction; thickness). This suggests that in order to improve the model, further research regarding the biofilm structure and composition is needed.