Title: Size-dependent microbial substrate uptake kinetics for aerobic granules

Authors: Qi-Shan Liu, Yu Liu, Kuan Yeow Show, Joo-Hwa Tay

Addresses: School of the Built Environment, Singapore Polytechnic, 500 Dover Road, 139651, Singapore. ' School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798, Singapore. ' Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan University, Bandar Barat, 31900 Kampar, Perak, Malaysia. ' Institute of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Innovation Centre, Block 2, Unit 237, 18 Nanyang Drive, 637723, Singapore

Abstract: Biodegradation kinetics of aerobic granules determined by indirect method of resporimetric technique showed that it followed Monod kinetics, and the kinetic behaviour was size-dependent. It was further demonstrated that biodegradation kinetics was a surface reaction associated phenomenon. It shows that the affinity coefficient of biomass to substrate in terms of q_max/K_s ratio (specific maximum biodegradation rate/Monod constant) is linearly related to the specific surface area of granules. Thus, smaller granules with larger surface area had a fast biodegradation rate. This study demonstrated that the biodegradation kinetics of aerobic granules is mainly a surface reaction mechanism.

Keywords: aerobic granules; biodegradation rate; biokinetics; granule size; surface reaction; biodegradation kinetics.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEWM.2011.037366

International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 2011 Vol.7 No.1/2, pp.58 - 66

Published online: 24 Jan 2015 *

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