Title: Influence of the nature of hydrodynamic constraints on aerobic biofilms

Authors: Samuel Talvy, Juan Ochoa, Etienne Paul, Alain Line

Addresses: LISBP, UMR5504, UMR792, Ingenierie des Systemes Biologiques et des Procedes, CNRS, INRA, INSA, F-31400 Toulouse, France. ' LISBP, UMR5504, UMR792, Ingenierie des Systemes Biologiques et des Procedes, CNRS, INRA, INSA, F-31400 Toulouse, France. ' LISBP, UMR5504, UMR792, Ingenierie des Systemes Biologiques et des Procedes, CNRS, INRA, INSA, F-31400 Toulouse, France. ' LISBP, UMR5504, UMR792, Ingenierie des Systemes Biologiques et des Procedes, CNRS, INRA, INSA, F-31400 Toulouse, France

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to relate biofilm detachment to local hydrodynamics. Biofilm was submitted to erosion tests in three devices: a Couette Taylor Reactor (CTR) and two Stirred Reactors (SR) Without Baffles (WOB) and With Baffles (WB). Each device involved different hydrodynamics and different impacts on the biofilm detachment. In CTR, the detachment was significant in one specific zone on the biofilm. In SR WOB, poor detachment was observed. In SR WB, major detachment was observed only on the external face. Baffles in SR induced a transient flow and a temporal non-uniformity of shear stress improving biofilm detachment.

Keywords: aerobic biofilms; hydrodynamics; shear stress distribution; bioreactors; elasticity; biofilm detachment; erosion tests.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEWM.2011.037363

International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 2011 Vol.7 No.1/2, pp.4 - 23

Published online: 24 Jan 2015 *

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