Role of streambed biofilms in the removal of biodegradable contaminants from shallow streams

Gantzer, Charles J., III; Rittmann, Bruce E.; Herricks, Edwin E.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/90360 Copy

Description

Title

Role of streambed biofilms in the removal of biodegradable contaminants from shallow streams

Author(s)

• Gantzer, Charles J., III
• Rittmann, Bruce E.
• Herricks, Edwin E.

Contributor(s)

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Issue Date

1996-09

Keyword(s)

• Water resource development--Illinois
• Water resource development
• Water quality
• Artificial stream
• Biodegradation
• Biofilms
• Kinetic model
• Mass transport
• Shallow streams
• Simulation
• Water-quality models

Geographic Coverage

Illinois (state)

Abstract

Biological activity in shallow streams is dominated by biofilms which are attached to the surface of the streambed. Although biofilm kinetic models are well developed and are successfully applied to biological treatment process, they cannot be applied directly to predict water quality in shallow streams, because the area and mass-transport aspects of streambed biofilms are complicated and not defined. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to develop area and mass-transport functions for cobble-and gravel-lined streambeds. An artificial stream was used to grow biofilms and conduct kinetic experiments on the biofilm utilization of an easily degraded sugar. Media size (i.e., cobble or gravel) and flow velocity were varied over a wide range of values typical to shallow streams. Water velocity had short-term and long-term effects on the rate of contaminant removal. The short-term effects were related to increased mass-transport kinetics for higher flow velocities, while the long-term effects also included increased surface colonization by biofilm. The cobble streambed was more sensitive to short-term changes in water velocity than was the gravel bed, and it gave faster removal kinetics. Equations to predict the mass transfer coefficients were appropriate for more than one biofilm community, as long as the same medium size was used. The simulations from the water quality models containing the biofilm reaction term were markedly different from the simulations from traditional water-quality models that use only suspended organism kinetics.

Publisher

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Water Resources Center

Type of Resource

text

Language

en

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/90360

Sponsor(s)/Grant Number(s)

• U.S. Department of the Interior
• U.S. Geological Survey

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 1996 held by Charles J. Gantzer, III, Bruce E. Rittmann, Edwin E. Herricks

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