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Estimation of the fraction of biologically active methyl tert-butyl ether degraders in a heterogeneous biomass sample

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Abstract

The fraction of biologically active methyl tert-butyl ether degraders in reactors is just as important for prediction of removal rates as knowledge of the kinetic parameters. The fraction of biologically active methyl tert-butyl ether degraders in a heterogeneous biomass sample, taken from a packed bed reactor, was determined using a batch kinetic based approach. The procedure involved modeling of methyl tert-butyl ether removal rates from batch experiments followed by parameter estimations. It was estimated to be 5–14% (w/w) of the measured volatile suspended solids concentration in the reactor.

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded through a PhD scholarship from the Institute of Environment and Resources, Technical University of Denmark.

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Correspondence to Christopher Waul.

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Waul, C., Arvin, E. & Schmidt, J.E. Estimation of the fraction of biologically active methyl tert-butyl ether degraders in a heterogeneous biomass sample. Biotechnol Lett 30, 111–116 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10529-007-9509-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10529-007-9509-0

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