抄録
In order to make clear the rate determining step of the activated sludgeprocess, the batch reactor experiments were operated. Peptone and mixture of freeamino acids (the compositions of amino acids were arranged so as to be same as ofpeptone) were selected as primary substrate. Each of substrates was supplied tothe activated sludge which was preliminarily acclimated to peptone in the batchreactor and the changes of the substrate concentration were traced.
The removal of peptone followed first order reaction kinetics, however that ofamino acids mixture followed zero order kinetics. The requisite time for 90% removalof peptone was more than twice of that of amino acids mixture. It was, therfore, concluded that the hydrolysis process of peptone was the time determining step.The amino acids were classified into two groups. The first group was composed ofthe essential amino acids, the maximum removal velocities of which were notinfluenced by the state of substrate (monomer or polymer). The second group wascomposed of the amino acids which were deaminated to the intermediates in the TCAcycle, that velocities of which were higher in amino acids mixture than in peptone.
