Modeling Nutrient Mineral Transport in Advanced Life Support Systems

Mass transfer of plant and human nutritional minerals in a Biological Advanced Life Support (BALS) were simulated to determine if deficiencies or toxic levels of minerals would develop in plant or human diets in a BALS. Scenarios of mineral recovery were simulated to determine if harmful levels of minerals develop in the human diet and in the nutrient solution, how long the nutrient solution could be used before toxic concentrations exist in the solution, and the level of mineral resupplied needed to support a BALS. Results indicated that the human diet is deficient in some mineral levels, and contains excess, but not harmful, levels of many minerals. Plant deficiency levels and the accumulation of toxic concentrations of minerals in the nutrient system were dependent on the recovery of minerals in the bioreactor