Modelling biofilm growth in a porous medium with application in bioremediation

Studies on bioremediation in a porous medium have mainly focused on wastewater treatment. The interest in these investigations has focused on optimising degradation rates and substrate loading. Pore clogging has not been studied thoroughly. When pollutant and nutrient concentrations near the entrance hole become large, biomass growth occurs forming films around porous medium grains; the biofilm can then cause plugging in the regions where nutrient and pollutant concentrations are high. In wastewater treatment, biofilms are used as a method for controlling pollution in aquifers. In such cases the biofilms will be used as biobarriers to limit the spread of contaminants. In bioremediation, the biofilms consume the pollutants to clean the aquifers. In this talk we present a one-dimensional model suitable for the microscale simulation of biofilm activity in a porous medium. A macroscale model is also presented.