A new approach for the evaluation of the maximum specific growth rate in nitrification

Monitoring the generation of oxidized nitrogen concentration in batch reactors is the preferred approach for the assessment of the maximum specific growth rate for autotrophic biomass. The simplifying assumptions associated with the currently available methods are not always justifiable and may lead to misleading results. This paper provides a critical appraisal of the relevant conceptual basis and proposes a new approach for the experimental determination of the maximum specific growth rate in nitrification. The proposed method is successfully tested on domestic sewage. It is also tested with synthetic substrate, a meat processing plant effluent individually and in different mixtures with domestic sewage.