• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.295-303
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• 2011

BACKGROUND: Anaerobic digestion process is recently adapted technology for treatment of organic waste such as animal manure because the energy embedded in the waste can be recovered from the waste while the organic waste were digested. Ever increased demand for consumption of meat resulted in the excessive use of antimicrobials to the livestocks for more food production. Most antimicrobials administered to animals are excreted through urine and feces, which might highly affect the biological treatment processes of the animal manure. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of antimicrobials on the efficiency of anaerobic digestion process and to clarify the interactions between antimicrobials and anaerobes. METHODS AND RESULTS: The experiment was consisted of two parts 1) batch test to investigate the effects of individual antibiotic compounds on production of methane and VFAs(volatile fatty acids), and removal efficiency of organic matter, and 2) the continuous reactor test to elucidate the effects of mixed antimicrobials on the whole anaerobic digestion process. The batch test showed no inhibitions in the rate of methane and VFAs production, and the rate of organic removal were observed with treatment at 1~10 mg/L of antimicrobials while temporary inhibition was observed at 50 mg/L treatment. In contrast, treatment of 100 mg/L antimicrobials resulted in continuous decreased in the rate of methane production and organic removal efficiency. The continuous reactor test conduced to see the influence of the mixed antimicrobials showed only small declines in the methane production and organic matter removal when 1~10 mg/L of combined antimicrobials were applied but this was not significant. In contrast, with the treatment of 50 mg/L of combined antimicrobials, the rate of organic removal efficiency in effluent decreased by 2~15% and the rate of biogas production decreased by 30%. CONCLUSION(s): The antimicrobials remained in the animal manure might not be removed during the anaerobic digestion process and hence, is likely to be released to the natural ecosystem. Therefore, the efforts to decline the usage of antimicrobials for animal farming would be highly recommended.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.3-17
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• 1994

The inhibitory effect of sodium ion on the anaerobic degradation of food waste was studied by an anaerobic batch toxicity assay and inhibition model. The anaerobic degradation activity of food waste spiked with over $2g\;Na^+/L$ of sodium ion was severely inhibited at the initial stage of the exposure. The inhibition response of anaerobic microorganisms on the sodium ion estimated from the methane production was differed according to the concentration of sodium ion. The relative acclimation time(RAT) and methanation rate(RMR), defined as the ratios of initial lag time and maximum methane production rate of the sample spiked with sodium ion to the control. respectively, were used to evaluate the acclimation and inhibitory effects quantitatively on the anaerobic microorganisms. When sodium ion was increased from $2g\;Na^+/L$ to $20g\;Na^+/L$, the RAT was exponentially increased from 18.9 to 90. but the RMR was linearly decreased from 0.97 to 0.02. The effects of sodium ion for the maximum methanation rate, first order kinetic constant and ultimate methane production were well evaluated by a generalized nonlinear expression model. it could be described by the uncompetitive inhibition mode. The sodium ion concentration causing 50% inhibition of methanation activity was about $11g\;Na^+/L$, and the critical sodium ion beyond to compelete inhibition was 20 to $21g\;Na^+/L$. The presented results could be used to obtain the design or operation parameters of the anaerobic process treating food waste of high salt.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.431-437
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• 1993

Active carbon which has the smallest bulk and wet density was found as the best support media among 4 different kinds of materials(celite, natural zeolite, Pusuk stone, active carbon) to make a proper fluidized-bed with small energy consumption. Its minimum and optimum fluidization velocity were found as 0.03cm/sec and 0.25cm/sec, respectively. As organic loading rate for methane fermentation was increased, CODcr removal efficiencies of all the media were decreased. But, CODcr, removal efficiencies of active carbon was maintained more than 90% in this experimental range of the organic loading rate. Larger amount of microorganism was adsorbed on the active carbon which has very high specific surface area. At the organic loading rate of 16g CODcr,/l day, its adsorbed cell mass was 157mg/g. Comparing natural zeolite with roast celite, adsorbed cell mass did not increase in proportion to specific surface area of the media. Even though roast celite has the same specific surface area as the Pusuk stone, its organic removal ability was superior to that of the Pusuk stone, which explains that the relatively great surface roughness and the positive surface charge are important for cell adsorption. It was concluded that the support media for anaerobic fluidized reactor should have small wet density and small fuidization velocity, if possible, in order to increase cell adsorption by reducing the fluid shear stress.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.91-98
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to provide a design and operation technical guideline for meeting the appropriate design criteria to bio-gasification facilities treating organic wastes. 9 anaerobic digestion facilities which is normally operated during the field survey and 14 livestock manure farms were selected for precision investigation. the physicochemical analysis was performed on the moisture and organic contents, nutrients composition (carbohydrate, fat, protein), volatile fatty acids (VFAs), and nitrogen, etc. Volatile solids (VS) of organic wastes brought into the bio-gasification facilities were 2.81 % (animal manure only) and 5.92 % (animal manure+food waste), respectively. Total solids (TS) reults of samples from livestock farms were 5.6 % in piglets and 11~13 % in other kinds of breeding pigs. The actual methane yield based on nutrients contents was estimated to $0.36Sm^3CH_4/kgVS$ which is equivalent to 72 % of theoretical methane yield value. The optimum mixing ratio depending on the effect of the combined bio-gasification was obtained through the continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) which is operated at different mixing ratio of swine manure and food waste leachate. The range of swine manure and food waste leachate from 60:40 to 40:60 were adequate to the appropriate conditions of anaerobic digestion; less than 100 gTS/, more than alkalinity of 1 gCaCO3/L, C/N ratio 12.0~30.0, etc.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.5-13
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• 2022

The current environmental problem is that environmental pollution is accelerating due to the generation of large amounts of waste and indiscriminate consumption of energy. Fossil fuels, a representative energy production fuel, are burned in the process of producing energy, generating a large amount of greenhouse gases and eventually causing climate change. In addition, the amount of waste generated worldwide is continuously increasing, and environmental pollution is occurring in the process of waste treatment. One of the methods for simultaneously solving these problems is the energy recovery from and reduction of organic wastes. Sewage sludge generated in sewage treatment plants has been treated in various ways since ocean disposal was completely prohibited, but the amount generated has been continuously increasing. Since the sewage sludge contains a large amount of organic materials, it is desirable to recover energy from the sewage sludge and reduce the final discharged waste through anaerobic digestion. However, most of the excess sludge is a mass of microorganisms used in sewage treatment, and in order for the excess sludge to be anaerobically digested, the cell walls of the microorganisms must be destroyed first, but it takes a lot of time to destroy the cell walls, so high rates of biogas production and waste reduction cannot be achieved only by anaerobic digestion. Therefore, the pre-treatment process of solubilizing excess sludge is required, and the thermal solubilization process is verified to be the most efficient among various solubilization methods, and high rates of biogas production and waste reduction can be achieved by anaerobic digestion after destroying cell walls the thermal solubilization process. In this study, when pretreating TS 10% thickened excess sludge through a thermal solubilization system, a study was conducted on solubilization characteristics according to retention time and operating temperature variables. The experimental variables for the retention time of the thermal solubilization system were 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, and 120 minutes, respectively, while the operating temperature was fixed at 160℃. The soulbilization rates calculated through TCOD and SCOD derived from the experimental results increased in the order of 12.11%, 20.52%, 28.62%, and 31.40%, respectively. And the variables according to operating temperature were 120℃, 140℃, 160℃, 180℃, and 200℃, respectively, while the operating retention time was fixed at 60 minutes. And the solubilization rates increased in the order of 7.14%, 14.52%, 20.52%, 40.72%, and 57.85%, respectively. In addition, TS, VS, T-N, T-P, NH₄⁺-N, and VFAs were analyzed to evaluate thermal solubilization characteristics of thickened excess sludge. As a result, in order to obtain 30% or more solubilization rate through thermal solubilization of TS 10% thickened excess sludge, 120 minutes of retention time is required when the operating temperature is fixed to 160℃, and 170℃ or more of operating temperature is needed when the operating time is fixed to 60 minutes.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.347-354
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• 2013

This study was carried out to examine different mole ratio of $H_2/CO_2$ and EBCT using the continuous system in the lab scale throughout biological methods with accumulated hydrogenotrophic methanogen that can convert $CO_2$ to $CH_4$. The experimental-based results with various gas mixtures of mole ratio of 4:1($H_2/CO_2$) and 5:1($H_2/CO_2$), $H_2$ was converted more than 99% conversion rate. In case of $CO_2$, 4:1($H_2/CO_2$) and 5:1($H_2/CO_2$) were $74.45{\pm}0.33%$, $95.8{\pm}10.7%$, respectively, in addition, the study was confirmed that the amount of $H_2$ was more needed than stoichiometric equations, where approach methods are empirical versus theoretical frameworks, for converting total $CO_2$. As such, we have noticed that $H_2$ was used for energy source of hydrogenotrophic methanogen for maintaining life. Regarding the results of the ratio of treatment by retention time, limitation of treatment capacity showed that $H_2$(99.9%) and $CO_2$(96.23%) at EBCT 3.3 hrs indicated stable conversion ratio, as well as appeared that methane production rate and $CO_2$ fixation rate were investigated $1.15{\pm}0.02m^3{\cdot}m^{-3}{\cdot}day^{-1}$ and $2.01{\pm}0.04kg{\cdot}m^{-3}{\cdot}day^{-1}$, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.515-523
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• 2012

The study investigated the biochemical methane potential (BMP) assay of cellulose supplementing with mixed methanogens and cellulolytic bacteria to improve anaerobic digestion for methane production. For the BMP assay, 7 different microbial supplementation groups were consisted of the cultures of mixed methanogens (M), Fibrobacter succinogenes (FS), Ruminococcus flavefaciensn (RF), R. albus (RA), RA+FS and M+RA+FS including control. The cultures were added in the batch reactors with the increasing dose levels of 1% (0.5 mL), 3% (1.5 mL) and 5% (2.5 mL). Incubation for the BMP assay was carried out for 40 days at $38^{\circ}C$ and anaerobic digestate obtained from an anaerobic digester with pig slurry as inoculum was used. In results, 5% FS increased total biogas and methane production up to 10.4~22.7% and 17.4~27.5%, respectively, compared to other groups (p<0.05). Total solid (TS) digestion efficiency showed a similar trend to the total biogas and methane productions. Generally the TS digestion efficiency of the FS group was higher than that of other groups showing at the highest value of 64.2% in the 5% FS group. Volatile solid (VS) digestion efficiencies of 68.4 and 71.0% in the 5% FS and the 5% RF were higher than other groups. After incubation, pH values in all treatment groups were over 6.4 indicating that methanogensis was not inhibited during the incubation. In conclusion, the results indicated that the hydrolysis stage for methane production in anaerobic batch reactors was the late-limiting stage compared with the methanogenesis stage, and especially, as the supplementation levels of F. succinogenes supplementation increased, the methane production was increased in the BMP assay compared with other microbial culture addition.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.19-29
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• 1994

A large volume of paper mill sludge(PMS) is produced every day from paper industries after treatments of waste water and it costs too much to dispose of the sludge. Since PMS consists mostly of biodegradable organic matter, cellulose, it is desirable to recycle it by proper treatments such as composting. In this study, experiments were conducted using a small scale reactor(12l) to establish optimum conditions for efficient composting of PMS of which initial pH, C/N ratio, and moisture content were 7.1, 28~30, and 60~65%, respectively. No heavy metals such as mercury, cadmimum, and lead were not detected in the PMS. Various levels of forced aeration, 1 minute aeration per every 30, 60, 120, 240, and 480 minutes were applied and 1 minute aeration per 60 and 120 minutes found to be proper for composting of 8l PMS in this system. Relationship between $CO_2$ production and temperatures was positively correlated with r> 0.82 suggesting that the normal decomposition of PMS by microorganisms occurred. However, under the condition of aeration interval over than 240 minutes, a negative relationship between two parameters was found indicating the occurrence of abnormal(maybe anaerobic) degradation. The amount of added nitrogen also affected composting of PMS resulting in the increase of $CO_2$ production and temperature. Semi-field tests using 100kg PMS in a static pile sysem showed that PMS could be composted efficiently under optimal environmental conditions. The parameters determining efficiency of composting such as C/N ratio, aeration, moisture content, and pH need to be monitored.