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- Title
Mathematical modeling of competition and coexistence of sulfate-reducing bacteria, acetogens, and methanogens in multispecies biofilms.
- Authors
Mattei, Maria Rosaria; D’Acunto, Berardino; Esposito, Giovanni; Frunzo, Luigi; Pirozzi, Francesco
- Abstract
This work presents an integrated mathematical model able to simulate the physical, chemical, and biological processes prevailing in a sulfate-reducing biofilm under dynamic conditions. The model includes sulfate reduction by complete and incomplete sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB); lactate removal by sulfate reduction and by acetogenic bacteria and acetate consumption via methanogenesis. Numerical integration based on the method of characteristics has been developed. The major problem of sulfate-reducing fixed-growth reactors is the formation of undesired bacterial species, which compete for space and substrate within the biofilm with SRB. The effect of COD/ratio on the reactor performances in terms of bacterial species distribution and substrate diffusion trends in the biofilm has been assessed. The simulation results reveal a stratification of microbial activities in biofilm reflecting the different ecological niches created by substrate gradients.
- Subjects
SULFATE-reducing bacteria; BIOFILMS; NUMERICAL integration; MATHEMATICAL models; ACETATES
- Publication
Desalination & Water Treatment, 2015, Vol 55, Issue 3, p740
- ISSN
1944-3994
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1080/19443994.2014.937764