As it has been discussed previously, the NADH fluorescence is strongly influenced by theoxygen and nitrate concentration. Further, at a constant oxygen concentration in the waterphase between the flocs, the depletion of nitrate and oxygen and as a consequence, theaccumulation of NADH inside the sludge flocs is strongly dependent on the organic loadingrate. To keep an optimum balance between the nitrification rate and the denitrification rate,NADH can be used to control the oxygen set point.The bacteria in the aeration tank of a wastewater treatment plant are not evenly distributed,but flocculate in sludge flocs between which there is a free water phase. This means that thebacteria do not all have equal access to substrate and hydrogen acceptors, such as oxygenand nitrate. Although sufficient oxygen is dissolved in the water phase, the bacteria that areoutermost in the sludge flocs will be well supplied with oxygen. On the other hand, bacteriathat are closer to the center of the sludge flocs may have limited access to oxygen, as theoxygen concentration is determined by the total effect of the diffusion resistance and theoxygen consumption in the layer between the surfaces of the sludge flocs and the bacteria.A simple model splits the sludge flocs into an anoxic inner core and an aerobic externalshell (Fig. 6.4). If the oxygen concentration of the free water phase drops or if the oxygen
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