Model development with defined biological mechanisms for xenobiotic treatment activated sludge at steady state.

Activated sludge treatment of a xenobiotic organic compound, much different from treatment of biogenic organics, must be modeled with interactions involving a two-part biomass of degrader and nondegrader, which selectively or competitively grow on a two-part substrate of input xenobiotic and its biogenic metabolites. A xenobiotic treatment model was developed which incorporates kinetics of the growth of degrader and nondegrader, the line dividing metabolites into xenobiotic and biogenic, yields of degrader and nondegrader from utilization of their parts of substrates, and kinetics of degrader reversion to nondegrader due to instability of the degradative element degraders carry. Experimental activated sludge operated for treatment of a xenobiotic generated data for calibration of the model. With the input of influent xenobiotic concentration, mean cell and hydraulic residence times, and calibrated parameters, the model readily outputs concentrations of degrader, nondegrader, and effluent biogenic residue that closely match the results obtained from experiments.