EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF A MODEL FOR COMETABOLISM - PREDICTION OF SIMULTANEOUS DEGRADATION OF TRICHLOROETHYLENE AND METHANE BY A METHANOTROPHIC MIXED CULTURE

A model for cometabolism is verified experimentally for a defined meth anotrophic mixed culture. The model includes the effects of cell growt h, endogenous cell decay, product toxicity, and competitive inhibition with the assumption that cometabolic transformation rates are enhance d by reducing power obtained from oxidation of growth substrates. A th eoretical transformation yield is used to quantify the enhancement res ulting from growth substrate oxidation. A systematic method for evalua ting model parameters independently is described. The applicability of the model is evaluated by comparing experimental data for methanotrop hic cometabolism of TCE with model predictions from independently meas ured model parameters. Propagation of errors is used to quantify error s in parameter estimates and in the final prediction. The model succes sfully predicts TCE transformation and methane utilization for a wide range of concentrations of TCE (0.5 to 9 mg/L) and methane (0.05 to 6 mg/L). (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.