Modelling of biological phenol removal in draw-fill reactors using suspended and attached growth olive pulp bacteria

Abstract

The kinetics of phenol biodegradation in draw-fill suspended and attached growth reactors by olive pulp bacteria were investigated. The Haldane equation was adopted in order to describe phenol biodegradation in the draw-fill suspended-growth flask reactors. Kinetic constants of the Haldane equation obtained from batch culture experiments with phenol concentration ranging from 13 to 280 mg l −1, were μ max=0.054 h −1, K S=19.23 mg l −1, and K i=36.95 mg l −1. However, in the draw-fill experiments at the packed-bed reactor, phenol inhibitory effects were minimized increasing the inhibitory constant value K i′ at 1571 mg l −1. The model predicted phenol biodegradation in the packed-bed reactor adequately, for all initial phenol concentrations tested, apart from the highest phenol concentration of 1990 mg l −1, where clogging problems and insufficient aeration in the filter prevailed.