Modeling Heavy Metal Sorption and Interaction in a Multispecies Biofilm

Berardino D’Acunto, Luigi Frunzo, Vincenzo Luongo and Maria Rosaria Mattei
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Berardino D’Acunto: Department of Mathematics and Applications, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
Luigi Frunzo: Department of Mathematics and Applications, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
Vincenzo Luongo: Department of Mathematics and Applications, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
Maria Rosaria Mattei: Department of Mathematics and Applications, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy

Mathematics, 2019, vol. 7, issue 9, 1-12

Abstract: A mathematical model able to simulate the physical, chemical and biological interactions prevailing in multispecies biofilms in the presence of a toxic heavy metal is presented. The free boundary value problem related to biofilm growth and evolution is governed by a nonlinear ordinary differential equation. The problem requires the integration of a system of nonlinear hyperbolic partial differential equations describing the biofilm components evolution, and a systems of semilinear parabolic partial differential equations accounting for substrates diffusion and reaction within the biofilm. In addition, a semilinear parabolic partial differential equation is introduced to describe heavy metal diffusion and sorption. The biosoption process modeling is completed by the definition and integration of other two systems of nonlinear hyperbolic partial differential equations describing the free and occupied binding sites evolution, respectively. Numerical simulations of the heterotrophic-autotrophic interaction occurring in biofilm reactors devoted to wastewater treatment are presented. The high biosorption ability of bacteria living in a mature biofilm is highlighted, as well as the toxicity effect of heavy metals on autotrophic bacteria, whose growth directly affects the nitrification performance of bioreactors.

Keywords: multispecies biofilm; biosorption; free boundary value problem; heavy metals toxicity; method of characteristics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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