Evaluation of bacterial detachment rates in porous media

The ability of published biomass detachment rate expressions to describe experimental data obtained from porous media reactors usingPseudomonas aeruginosa grown aerobically on glucose was evaluated. A first-order rate expression on attached biomass concentration best reflected effluent substrate concentration for combined data sets. Detachment rate coefficientk _d1 was dependent on initial substrate concentration. Simulation of porous media reactor experiments indicated that responses using higher influent substrate concentrations possessed greater sensitivity to variations ink _d1. Simulations of field bioremediation systems suggest the use of accurate biofilm development kinetics is important in the prediction of well bore biofouling.