A PROPOSED TRANSIENT MODEL FOR COMETABOLISM IN BIOFILM SYSTEMS

A dynamic model was developed to describe the behaviour of primary and secondary substrates in a biofilm reactor. The model incorporates str uctured kinetics to describe the generation and consumption of reducin g power in the catabolic and respiratory subsystems, respectively. Sec ondary substrate transformation through oxygenolytic or reductive mech anisms can be modelled under either single or dual limitation of the e lectron donor and electron acceptor substrates. An example simulation of a theoretical biofilm system was performed. (C) 1998 John Wiley & S ons, Inc.