KINETICS OF BIOFILM DETACHMENT

In predictive biofilm modeling, the detachment rate coefficient may be the most sensitive variable affecting both the predicted rate and the extent of biofilm accumulation. At steady state the detachment rate must be equal to the net growth rate in the biofilm. In systems where organic carbon is growth-limiting, the substrate carbon utilization rate determines the net biomass production rate and, therefore, the steady state biomass detachment rate. Detachment rates, first order with biofilm thickness, fit the experimental data well, but are not predictive since the coefficients must be determined experimentally.