Abstract
Monod's equation adequately described aerobic biodegradation rates of benzene and toluene by the microbial population of a sandy aquifer when these compounds were initially present at concentrations lower than 100 mg/l each. Concentrations higher than 100 mg/l were inhibitory, and no benzene or toluene degradation was observed when these compounds were initially present at 250 mg/l each. The Monod coefficients were calculated as k = 8.3 g-benzene/g-cells/day and Ks = 12.2 mg/l for benzene, and k = 9.9 g-toluene/g-cells/day and Ks = 17.4 mg/l for toluene. Specific first-order coefficients would be 0.68 l/mg.day for benzene and 0.57 l.mg.day for toluene.
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Alvarez, P.J.J., Anid, P.J. & Vogel, T.M. Kinetics of aerobic biodegradation of benzene and toluene in sandy aquifer material. Biodegradation 2, 43–51 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00122424
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00122424