Thesis (M. Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 1995

A thesis submitted in the partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering

This study was conducted to determine the kinetics parameters and to evaluate the potentiality of TCE treatment under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. There were no significant differences in k values between two process when it was modeled with Lineweaver Burk plot. The aerobic process, modeled with Lineweaver Burk plot and with cometabolic biotranformation model has almost same k value but the Ks value was found higher when it was modeled with Lineweaver Burk plot. In case of aerobic process the rate constant k values was highly affected by HRT and TCE concentration have very insignificant effect. While in anaerobic process HRT and TCE concentration both affects k values. TCE inflow concentration of 8 mg/L or less (effluent concentration of 0.36 to 1.01 mg/L) had little effects on COD removal as well as every other parameters like gas production, volatile fatty acids in anaerobic reactors. Influent TCE concentration up to 8 mg/L had no effect on acidogenic bacteria but had significant effect on methanogenic bacteria. k and Ks value for COD removal for anaerobic reactors varied from 3.75 to 5 (1/d) and 1611.7 to 2170.6 mg/L respectively while for TCE removal 0.14 to 0.35 (1/d) and 7.6 to 2.16 mg/L respectively. The rate constant k value for TCE removal in aerobic reactors was found 0.229 (1 /d) and Ks value 1.54 mg/L from computer program of eometabolic biotranformation model and 0.277 (1/d) and 22.15 mg/L respectively from Lineweaver Burk plot .