In this paper we develop a comprehensive model for the remediation
of contaminated groundwater in a passive, in-ground reactor, generally
known as a biowall. The model is based on our understanding of the component
transport and biokinetic processes that occur as water passes through a
bed of inert particles on which a biofilm containing active microbial degraders,
typically aerobic bacteria, is developing. We give a detailed derivation of the
model based on accepted engineering formulations that account for the mass
transport of the contaminant (substrate) to the surface of the biofilm, its
diffusion into the biofilm to the proximity of a microbe, and its subsequent
destruction within that degrader. The model has been solved numerically and
incorporated in a robust computer code. Based on representative input values,
the results of varying key parameters in the model are presented. The relation
between biofilm growth and biowall performance is explored, revealing that the
amount of biomass and its distribution within the biowall are key parameters
affecting contaminant removal.
Citation: Donna J. Cedio-Fengya, John G. Stevens. Mathematical modeling of biowall reactors for in-situ groundwater treatment[J]. Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering, 2006, 3(4): 615-634. doi: 10.3934/mbe.2006.3.615
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Abstract
In this paper we develop a comprehensive model for the remediation
of contaminated groundwater in a passive, in-ground reactor, generally
known as a biowall. The model is based on our understanding of the component
transport and biokinetic processes that occur as water passes through a
bed of inert particles on which a biofilm containing active microbial degraders,
typically aerobic bacteria, is developing. We give a detailed derivation of the
model based on accepted engineering formulations that account for the mass
transport of the contaminant (substrate) to the surface of the biofilm, its
diffusion into the biofilm to the proximity of a microbe, and its subsequent
destruction within that degrader. The model has been solved numerically and
incorporated in a robust computer code. Based on representative input values,
the results of varying key parameters in the model are presented. The relation
between biofilm growth and biowall performance is explored, revealing that the
amount of biomass and its distribution within the biowall are key parameters
affecting contaminant removal.