Description:
<jats:p>An activated sludge mathematical model for soluble carbonaceous substrate biosorption has been developed. The model allows the soluble COD fractions in biological reactors of a wastewater treatment plant and/or in batch cultivations to be predicted more precisely than by using conventional models. Special attention was paid to interactions between the biokinetic model structure and population dynamics of microorganisms in activated sludge. The model was developed using observations made on a synthetic wastewater which was dosed to a lab-scale, continuously operated plant with the D-R-D-N configuration. The development of the model advanced through several biokinetic models which resulted in a final version of the biosorption model. The model is constructed on a matrix structure. Adsorption, desorption and hydrolysis kinetics are incorporated into the model. Experimental results from batch cultivations carried out under anoxic and oxic conditions as well as some dynamic tests carried out with the continuously operated system served for the model calibration. Simulations of a wide diversity of kinetic tests demonstrate that the model is able to accurately predict the soluble COD under different cultivation conditions.</jats:p>