FATE PREDICTION OF SPECIFIC ORGANIC-COMPOUNDS IN BIOREACTORS

A systematic review of significant removal processes for specific orga nic compounds (SOCs) in bioreactors was conducted. The processes were quantified in terms of mathematical equations for removal rates and de pendent parameters using a notation consistent with IAWQ nomenclature. Six SOCs, known to be frequent groundwater pollutants, were selected for further evaluation. Model simulations for the fate of these compou nds in urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) were performed and co mpared with the observed removal in the corresponding plants. A good a greement within +/- 15% was found for both the two different mathemati cal models used. Model parameters for process rate constants and parti tion coefficients were obtained, separately, from literature data; no fitting of the data to the monitoring data was performed. Several math ematical models for simulation of SOCs in WWTPs are available. The lim iting step for further progress in this field is considered to be the lack of process rates under typical field conditions, in particular fo r biodegradation. It is recommended to initiate a systematic collectio n, organization and filing of such data within a European or internati onal framework. Copyright (C) 1996 IAWQ.