Commercial celluloses (BH20, Epicote, FC+) and their cellulose-containing powdered mixed resins (PMR) were evaluated using enzymatic and physical methods. Samples were hydrolyzed with purified Trichoderma viride cellulase extract and measured for released reducing sugar using the dinitrosalicylic acid method. Physical characterization was performed with gross specific surface areas (GSSA) and relative crystalline indices (RCI). In addition, FC+ was exposed to physical and chemical processing commonly encountered in spent PMR processing to determine potential effects on reducing sugar release in high intensity containers. Reducing sugar released from the celluloses by T. viride cellulase ranged from 135.37 to 244.48 mg day(-1); the celluloses were highly crystalline, ranging from 82.47 to 84.57%; and the GSSA medians for the celluloses ranged from 1,298.60 cm(2) g(-1) to 2,493.20 cm(2) g(-1). Most processing treatments on the FC+ reduced the amount of reducing sugar released and increased RCI. Cellulose hydrolysis rates did not show a strong correlation with the physical characterization. These results suggest that (1) celluloses and PMR can serve as abundant sources of bioavailable carbon in water treatment systems, and (2) the use of correlative physical characteristics to evaluate a cellulose-based commercial product may not accurately predict microbial activity; a complementary microbial test such as cellulose hydrolysis with cellulase may prove useful.