Influence of growth conditions on biofilm development and mass transfer at the bulk/biofilm interface

In a long-term study on heterotrophic biofilms in tube reactors, this investigation focused on mass transfer at the bulk/biofilm interface, biofilm density and substrate conversion rates. Several biofilms were cultivated under different substrate and hydrodynamic conditions. Oxygen concentration profiles were measured with microelectrodes in the biofilm and in the boundary layer directly in the biofilm tube reactors. The thickness of the concentration boundary layer was found to depend on the surface structure of the biofilm. The hydrodynamic conditions and the substrate load during the growth phase of the biofilm in biofilm systems are two key parameters that influence the biofilm growth, particularly the structure, density and thickness. The measured substrate conversion rates, biofilm densities and the boundary layer thickness were used to formulate an equation for the mass transfer in biofilm tube reactors. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.