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Parameter sensitivity analysis of CBC model of BTEX bioremediation

Benzene, toulene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX) belong to the group of monoaromatic hydrocarbons. Due to their great mobility in the environment, their presence in natural waters and soils is a serious environmental problem. Bioremediation of BTEX primarily relays on the biodegradation activity of microorganisms naturally occurring in soils and water [1], [2]. For the purpose of better understanding the complex chemical and biochemical processes that occur during BTEX degradation, a Coupled Biological and Chemical Model (CBC) was developed which includes the basic microbiological and chemical reactions that affect the presence and the concentration of intermediates [3]. In this research, the analysis of coupled CBC model for BTEX bioremediation was performed. The kinetic model describes the microbiological BTEX degradation, decay of biomass, methanogenesis, and oxidation of the organic fermentation products. Model contains 16 differential equations and 54 kinetic parameters and suggests that time change of each metabolite concentration is a difference between the rate of formation and consumption of individual molecules. The aim of this research was to determinate the key parameters of CBC model for BTEX bioremediation by applying FAST (Fourier Amplitude Sensitivity Test) method. FAST algorithm provides sensitivity on high and simultaneous changes in the overall set of model parameters. The obtained results indicted the key points of bioremediation process and enable the planning of future experiments.

CBC model; BTEX; FAST algorithm

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