Mass transfer limitation of biotransformation: Quantifying bioavailability

Biotransformation is controlled by the biochemical activity of microorganisms and the mass transfer of a chemical to the microorganisms. A generic mathematical concept for bioavailability is presented taking bath factors into account. The combined effect of mass transfer of a substance to the cell and the intrinsic activity of the cell using the substance as primary substrate, is quantified in a bioavailability number (Bn). The concept can easily be extended to secondary substrates. The approach has been applied to explain the observed kinetics of the biotransformation of organic compounds in soil slurries and in percolation columns. The model allowed us to predict threshold concentrations below which no biotransformation is possible. Depending on the environmental system and the chemical involved, predicted threshold concentrations span a range of 11 orders of magnitude from nanograms to grams per liter and match with published experimental data. Mass transfer-and not the intrinsic microbial activity-is in most cases the critical factor in bioremediation.