The New Jersey Institute of Technology's
Electronic Theses & Dissertations Project

Title:	Quantitative studies of an immobilized cell oxidative bioreactor
Author:	Borkowski, Timothy Lance
View Online:	njit-etd1995-034 (xi, 54 pages ~ 2.7 MB pdf)
Department:	Department of Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Environmental Science
Degree:	Master of Science
Program:	Environmental Science
Document Type:	Thesis
Advisory Committee:	Sofer, Samir S. (Committee chair) Trattner, Richard B. (Committee member) Kebbekus, Barbara B. (Committee member)
Date:	1995-01
Keywords:	Bioreactors. Immobilized cells. Organic compounds--Oxidation. Water--Purification--Biological treatment.
Availability:	Unrestricted
Abstract:	The purpose of this work was to determine a suitable method of utilizing dissolved oxygen in reservoir solution data to quantitatively measure the amount of oxygen and substrate consumed for an immobilized cell batch bioreactor in a recirculation configuration. Statistical analysis was performed on multiple phenol injections to determine the mathematical relationship between dissolved oxygen readout and the amount of phenol degraded. Factors considered in the mathematical analysis include amount of substrate degraded, reaction time, recirculation flow rate, measured dissolved oxygen concentration and oxygen consumption, oxygen conversion per pass through the bioreactor during steady state, and vitality of the microorganisms. The recommended method of quantitation was found to be independent of recirculation rate, steady state oxygen conversion and vitality of the microorganisms, and was found to have a predictability error of 20.2%. Additionally, four popular pesticides used in New Jersey: Acephate, Carbaryl, Chlorpyrifos, and Diazinon were tested to determine the capability of the bioreactor to degrade them. These pesticides were injected into the bioreactor to determine the bioreactor's oxidative response.