| dc.description.abstract | The mechanisms and modeling of surface biofilm detachment are evaluated in this study using data from Pseudomonas aeruginosa experiments and a standard one dimensional mass balance biofilm modeling approach. The aim of this study is to identify an appropriate expression to model the net surface Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm detachment. Measured values of biofilm thickness, biomass concentration, low rate shear stress and substrate concentrations were used to calibrate detachment models. Most literature models were able to stabilize the simulated biofilm after parameter estimation, however, few showed good quality of fit. Multi-parameter models proposed here gave good quality of fit, but estimated uncertainties of the parameter values were high. Detachment rate expressions which included biofilm biomass failed parameter estimation. Based on sensitivity analysis, model complexity and residual least square error (quality of fit), it was concluded that both a growth relation, a lumped parameter describing biofilm size and imposed shear stress, should be included in the overall surface detachment Pseudomonas aeruginosa model. | |
