PARAMETER-ESTIMATION FOR BIOFILM PROCESSES IN BIOLOGICAL WATER-TREATMENT

This paper provides a technique for estimating kinetic parameters (k, K-s and. S-min) and average diffusivity (If) of Assimilable Organic Ca rbon (AOC) For biofilm processes used in water treatment. A beach scal e column containing glass beads operated in the recycle mode was used as a steady-state bioreactor and fed either synthetic or ozonated natu ral water. The error-in-variables algorithm was employed for parameter estimation. The jackknife technique was used to obtain confidence int ervals for the parameters. The estimates for k, S-min and D were in th e expected range of values, Estimated K-s values were higher than expe cted, but tended to support parameter estimates obtained from a previo us pilot scale study.