DEVELOPMENT OF A MATHEMATICAL-MODEL FOR AEROBIC BULKING

A mathematical model that describes the behaviour of facultative aerobic floc-forming, obligate aerobic filamentous and nitrifying microorganisms in the case of aerobic bulking is developed. It is hypothesized that the description of the competition between floc-forming and filamentous organisms requires the distinction of readily biodegradable substrate from the influent and readily biodegradable hydrolysis products, due to the different diffusional resistances. Most of the kinetic parameters of the heterotrophic floc-forming and the nitrifying microorganisms can directly be estimated from different batch-tests. Because obligate aerobic filamentous microorganisms only represent a small fraction of the biocenoses, their kinetic parameters cannot directly be measured, but must be estimated with indirect methods.