A structured metabolic model for anaerobic and aerobic stoichiometry and kinetics of the biological phosphorus removal process

Abstract

A structured metabolic model is developed that describes the stoichiometry and kinetics of the biological P removal process. In this approach all relevant metabolic reactions underlying the metabolism, considering also components like adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and nic-otinamide-adenine dinucleotide (NADH(2)) are describedbased on biochemical pathways. As a consequence of the relations between the stoichiometry of the metabolic reactions and the reaction rates of components, the required number of kinetic relations to describe the process is reduced. The model describes the dynamics of the storage compounds which are considered separately from the active biomass. The model was validated in experiments at a constant sludge retention time of 8 days, over the anaerobic and aerobic phases in which the external oncentrations as well as the internal fractions of the relevant components involved in the P-removal process were monitored. These measurements include dissolved acetate, phosphate, and ammonium; oxygen consumption; poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB); glycogen; and active biomass. The model satisfactorily describes the dynamic behavior of all components during the anaerobicand aerobic phases.(c) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Impact of Thermodynamic Principles in Systems Biology

“…A very nice example is the model for penicillin production [8,16] and the model developed for biological P-removal using mixed cultures in a cyclic process [17]. These black box models show that highly complex biological systems, comprising thousands of reactions, can be effectively modeled with a reduced model containing only about 6-12 parameters.…”

Enhanced biological phosphorus removal and its modeling for the activated sludge and membrane bioreactor processes

“…The classical treatment configuration for the EBPR in the ASP is the introduction of an anaerobic phase in the wastewater/treatment line ahead of the aerobic phase and recycling of sludge through the intermittent anaerobic and aerobic phase (Smolders et al, 1995 Generally, PAOs act differently comparing with other microorganisms. In anaerobic conditions, they mainly take up carbon sources such as volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and store them intracellularly as PHAs.…”

Introduction – A Review of Membrane Reactors

“…In WWTPs, biological P removal is accomplished by introduction of an anaerobic phase in the wastewater treatment line ahead of the aerobic phase and recycling of sludge through the anaerobic and aerobic phase (Smolders 1995). Exposing mixed liquor to an anaerobic/aerobic sequence selects phosphate accumulating microorganisms (PAOs) due to a competition between PAOs and other aerobic organisms.…”