McCarty Kinetics

Rittmann, B.E. and McCarty, P.L., Model of steady-state biofilm kinetics, Biotech. Bioeng., 22, 2343-2357, 1980. 

Smith, A.D., A. Bharath, C. Mallard, D. Orr, L.S. McCarty, and G.W. Ozburn. 1990. Bioconcentration kinetics of some chlorinated benzenes and chlorinated phenols in American flagfish, Jordenella floridae (Goode and Bean). Chemosphere 20 379-386. 

Now we consider situations in which transformation of the organic compound of interest does not cause growth of the microbial population. This may apply in many engineered laboratory and field situations (e.g., Semprini, 1997 Kim and Hao, 1999 Rittmann and McCarty, 2001). The rate of chemical removal in such cases may be controlled by the speed with which an enzyme catalyzes the chemical s structural change (e.g., steps 2, 3 and 4 in Fig. 17.1). This situation has been referred to as co-metabolism, when the relevant enzyme, intended to catalyze transformations of natural substances, also catalyzes the degradation of xenobiotic compounds due to its imperfect substrate specificity (Horvath, 1972 Alexander, 1981). Although the term, co-metabolism, may be used too broadly (Wackett, 1996), in this section we only consider instances in which enzyme-compound interactions limit the overall substrate s removal. Since enzyme-mediated kinetics were characterized long ago by Michaelis and Menten (Nelson and Cox, 2000), we will refer to such situations as Michaelis-Menten cases. 

Direct oxidation of the lesser chlorinated ethenes, ethanes, polychlorinated benzenes, and chlorobenzene has been reported. Wiedemeier et al. [25] summarize a number of studies that report direct aerobic oxidation of vinyl chloride (VC), 1,2-dichloroethane, the three dichlorobenzene isomers, 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene, and 1,2,4,5-tetrachlorobenzene. Bradley [33] reports that DCE has served as a primary substrate for energy production with oxygen as the electron acceptor, though use of DCE as a sole carbon source has not been demonstrated. Rittmann and McCarty [29] also report that the two least chlorinated methanes (dichloromethane and chloromethane) as well as chloroethane can be directly oxidized under aerobic conditions. Direct oxidation of the chlorinated compounds is typically modeled using either first-order or Monod kinetics [29,31]. 

McCarty, P. L., "Kinetics of Waste Assimilation in Anaerobic Treatment, ... 

MCCARTY Energetics and Kinetics of Treatment Various Half-Reactions... 

In anaerobic treatment, failure of this type is usually evidenced by the near cessation of methane production and decreased COD removal. Several investigators (5, 16, 17) have reported that kinetic failure is also characterized by a build-up in the concentration of long and short chain fatty acids, the predominate precursors of methane. McCarty (7) and O Rourke (3), in laboratory digestion studies on primary sewage sludge conducted at 35 °C, confirmed the fact that the fermentation of short and... 

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