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Forms of Biomass

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Book cover Anaerobic Digestion Processes in Industrial Wastewater Treatment

Part of the book series: Biotechnology Monographs ((BIOTECHNOLOGY,volume 2))

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Abstract

Microbial cells exist in a range of sizes, shapes and phases of growth, individually or aggregated into various microstructures. These conditions are of practical significance in anaerobic digestion since the form of the biomass is likely to have a significant effect on organism survival and nutrient transfer, and thus the efficiency of the overall digestion process. In a turbulent system, attached biomass can persist whilst cells in suspension are lost with the effluent [1]. Abiotic suspended particles may be utilised as adhesion sites for bacteria, aiding their persistence by enhanced sedimentation and hence their avoidance of washout in the effluent. Microstructural forms of biomass are shown in Fig. 11; these can be major determinants of mass transfer. Formation of a particular structural aggregate depends on several factors including the size range of cells within the microbial population and the location of each individual cell relative to other cells and the medium, for example at a gas/liquid interface. Non-uniform gradients of organic compounds, ions, enzymes and conductivity (due to bacterial metabolism) exist as the aggregates are non-homogeneous, filamentous forms sometimes predominating.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Public Health Engineering Laboratory, Department of Civil Engineering, Imperial College, SW7 2BU, London, UK

    Sandra M. Stronach, Thomasine Rudd & John N. Lester

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  1. Sandra M. Stronach
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  2. Thomasine Rudd
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  3. John N. Lester
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© 1986 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Stronach, S.M., Rudd, T., Lester, J.N. (1986). Forms of Biomass. In: Anaerobic Digestion Processes in Industrial Wastewater Treatment. Biotechnology Monographs, vol 2. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-71215-9_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-71215-9_3

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-71217-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-71215-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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