Mathematical modeling of wastewater decolorization in a trickle-bed bioreactor

This work focuses on mathematical modeling of removal of organic dyes from textile industry waste waters by a white-rot fungus Irpex lacteus in a trickle-bed bioreactor. We developed a mathematical model of biomass and decolorization process dynamics. The model comprises mass balances of glucose and the dye in a fungal biofilm and a liquid film. The biofilm is modeled using a spatially two-dimensional domain. The liquid film is considered as homogeneous in the direction normal to the biofilm surface. The biomass growth, decay and the erosion of the biofilm are taken into account. Using experimental data, we identified values of key model parameters: the dye degradation rate constant, biofilm corrugation factor and liquid velocity. Considering the dye degradation rate constant 1 × 10−5 kg m−3 s−1, we found optimal values of the corrugation factor 0.853 and 0.59 and values of the liquid velocity 5.23×10−3 m s−15.23×10−3 m s−1 and 6.2×10−3 m s−16.2×10−3 m s−1 at initial dye concentrations 0.09433 kg m−3 and 0.05284 kg m−3, respectively. A good agreement between the simulated and experimental data using estimated values of the model parameters was achieved. The model can be used to simulate the performance of laboratory scale trickle-bed bioreactor operated in a batch regime or to estimate values of principal parameters of the bioreactor system.

► We model a laboratory trickle-bed bioreactor for decolorization of textile waste waters by white rot fungi.
► Mathematical model is based on mass balances of a dye present in the water and of a growth substrate.
► The fungal biofilm growth, decay and its hydraulic erosion are taken into account.
► A set of simulation results is presented and values of fundamental model parameters are estimated using experimental data.
► A fair agreement between the model and experimental data is achieved.