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Biofilm processes are potentially important for the removal of trace levels of organic compounds in water reuse schemes as well as in nature. This article describes the mechanism of secondary utilization in controlled biofilm reactors. Secondary utilization is the biodegradation of a secondary substrate, the metabolism of which is inconsequential to sustaining the cells. Trace levels of organics are good examples of secondary substrates because their concentrations are too low to support any significant cell mass. Experiments with five representative compounds (acetate, galactose, alanine, thymine, and phenol) demonstrate that secondary utilization can remove organic compounds from water, even when the input concentrations are low. Experimental and theoretical results show that fractional removals are often increased as the input concentration is reduced. Includes 25 references, tables, figures.

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Edition: Vol. 75 - No. 9 Published: 09/01/1983 Number of Pages: 7 File Size: 1 file , 1.6 MB