• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.674-681
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• 2009

Characteristics of organic matters (OM) in wastewater and the removal efficiencies were investigated using the influent and the effluent samples collected from 21 wastewater treatment plants. The OM characteristics investigated included biodegradability, humic content, specific UV absorbance (SUVA), the distribution percentage of refractory OM (R-OM), and synchronous fluorescence spectra. The types of wastewater (sewage, livestock waste/night soils, industrial waste) were easily distinguished by comparing the synchronous fluorescence spectra of the influent wastewater. The prominent peak of protein-like fluorescence (PLF) was observed for livestock waste/night soils whereas sewage exhibited a unique fluorescence peak at a wavelength of 370 nm. Irrespective of the wastewater types, the distribution percentage of R-OM increased from the influent to the effluent. Livestock waste/night soils showed the highest removal efficiency among all the three types of wastewater. There was no statistical difference of the removal efficiency between a traditional activated sludge and biological advanced treatment processes. Removal efficiency based on dissolved organic carbon DOC presented good correlations with the distribution percentage of R-OM and fulvic-like fluorescence (FLF) of the influent. The prediction for DOC removal efficiency was improved by using multiple regression analyses based on some selected OM characteristics and mixed liquid suspended solid (MLSS).

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.11 no.8
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• pp.819-827
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• 2002

Laboratory scale experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of a biofilter for eliminating dimethyl sulfide(DMS). A commercial compost/pine bark nugget mixture served as the biofilter material for the experiments. The gas flow rate and DMS concentration entering the filter were varied to study their effect on the biofilter efficiency. The operating parameters, such as the residence time, inlet concentration, pH, water content, and temperature, were all monitored throughout the filter operation. The kinetic dependence of the DMS removal along the column length was also studied to obtain a quantitative description of the DMS elimination. High DMS removal efficiencies(>95％) were obtained using the compost filter material seeded with activated sludge. DMS pollutant loading rates of up to 5.2 and 5.5 g-DMS/m$^3$/hr were effectively handled by the upflow and downflow biofilter columns, respectively. The macrokinetics of the DMS removal were found to be fractional-order diffusion-limited over the 9 to 25 ppm range of inlet concentrations tested. The upflow column had an average macrokinetic coefficient(K$\_$f/) of 0.0789 $\pm$ 0.0178 ppm$\^$$\sfrac{1}{2}$//sec, while the downflow column had an average coefficient of 0.0935 $\pm$ 0.0200 ppm$\^$$\sfrac{1}{2}$//sec. Shorter residence times resulted in a lower mass transfer of the pollutant from the gas phase to the aqueous liquid phase, thereby decreasing the efficiency.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.383-390
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• 2011

In this study, a process combined biofiltration with sulfur-utilizing autotrophic denitrification and membrane separation was proposed to examine the efficiency of nitrogen removal. As an experimental device, hollow-fiber module was installed in the center of reactor to generate the flux forward sulfur layer in the cylinder packed with granular sulfur. In addition, a simple module was installed in activated sludge aeration tank which inside and outside of sulfur-using denitrification module was covered with microfilter and the module was considered as an alternative of clarifier. The experiment for developing new MBR process was carried out for three years totally. As the results of first two-year experiment, successful nitrogen removal performance was revealed with lab-scale test and pliot scale plant using artificial wastewater and actual plating wastewater. In this year, pilot scale test using actual domestic wastewater was performed to prove field applicability. As the results, high-rate nitrogen removal performance was confirmed with about 0.19 kg ${NO_3}^--N/m^3$ day of rate. Also significant fouling and pressure increase were not found during the experiment. And, the production ratio of sulfate and the consumption ratio of alkalinity showed a slightly higher value about 311 mg ${SO_4}^{2-}/L$ and 369 mg $CaCO_3$/L, respectively. In conclusion, the developed MBR process can be utilized as an alternative for retrofiting existing wastewater plants as well as new construction of advanced sewage wastewater treatment plants, with cost-effective merit.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.847-853
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• 1999

A Pseudomonas sp. strain that is capable of utilizing dicarboxylic acids as a sole carbon source was isolated from activated sludge by using the enrichment culture technique. This organism accumulated polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) with an unusual pattern of monomer units that depends on the carbon sources used. Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) homopolyester was synthesized from glucose or small $C_{-even}$ alkanoic acids, such as butyric acid and hexanoic acid. Accumulation of PHB homopolyester was also observed in the cells grown on $C_{-odd}$ dicarboxylic acids, such as heptanedioic acid and nonanedioic acid as the sole carbon sources. In contrast, a copolyester consisting of 6 mol% 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB) and 94 mol% 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV) was produced with a PHA content of as much as 36% of the cellular dry matter. This strain produced PHAs consisting both of the short-chain-length (SCL) and the medium-chain-length (MCL) 3-hydroxyacid units when heptanoic acid to undecanoic acid were fed as the sole carbon sources. Most interestingly, polyester consisting of significant amount of relevant fractions, 3HB, 3HV, and 3-hydroxyheptanoate (3HHp), was accumulated from heptanoic acid. According to solvent fractionation experiments, the polymer produced from heptanoic acid was a blend of poly(3HHp) and of a copolyester of 3HB, 3HV, and 3HHp units. The hexane soluble fractions contained only 3HHp units while the hexane-insoluble fractions contained 3HB and 3HV units with a small amount of 3HHp unit. The copolyester was an elastomer with unusual mechanical properties. The maximum elongation ratio of the copolyester was 460% with an ultimate strength of 10 MPa, which was very different from those of poly(3HB-co-3HV) copolyesters having similar compositions produced from other microorganisms.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.117-127
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• 2011

The aim of this study was to examine the fate of tetracycline resistant bacteria (TRB) and tetracycline resistant genes (TRG) according to the spatial and operational wastewater treatment factors. As part of the effort, TRB and TRG of water samples at each unit processes of three different wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) were analyzed over seven month study periods. With the data about different spatial and operating conditions of these WWTPs, TRB and TRGs, principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to find out any general correlation trend. Based on the statistic analysis results, the extent of TRB concentration in the activated sludge (TRBAS) is much related to the TRB concentration in primary clarifier effluent (TRBPE). Also, the study results indicated that the fate of TRB and TRG are significantly affected by the SRT variations.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.236-240
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• 2004

Korean wastewaters have higher nitrogen concentrations than typical wastewaters of other countries. Most treatment processes such as activated sludge processes will need to supplement extra carbon sources for a complete removal of remaining nitrogen after the initial wastewater treatment, Because of these difficult matters, we have searched wastewater treatment methods that require no additional carbon sources. Wastewater treatment by microalgae in photobioreactors, using a green eukaryotic microalgae, Chlorella kessleri, showed a promising results and thus was selected to study further. This system is not intended to replace the conventional system but is to assist the existing biological treatment systems as a supplemental nitrogen removal process. Thus the secondary treated livestock wastewater was tested. Column type photobioreactors developed in our laboratory were used. When aerated with 5% CO$_2$ balanced with air at 1 vvm and illuminated at 100 ${\mu}$mol/㎡/s under 25$^{\circ}C$ and PH 7-8 by CO$_2$ buffering effect, the maximum nitrogen removal rate was 2.6 mg/L/hr. The results confirmed a possibility of microalgal wastewater treatment system as a secondary system to remove extra nitrogen sources. Based on these experimental results, the size of the optimal microalgal wastewater system was calculated. For the wastewater whose initial nitrogen concentration of 150 mg/L, the optimal batch system was found to be a 2 stage system with a combined retention time of 4.6 day. From the continuous experiments, nitrogen removal rates were examined under different dilution rates and 2 stage system was also found to be the optimal system. The combined retention time for the continuous system was 3.5 days. It is expected that conventional biological wastewater treatment systems followed by microalgal systems would reliably decrease the nitrogen concentration below the government criteria even for the livestock wastewater with low C/N ratio.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.1795-1800
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• 2014

The temperature change in the biologically activated sludge wastewater treatment process was predicted using the heat transfer model. All incoming and outgoing heats in wastewater treatment processes were considered. Incoming heats included the solar radiation heat, the heat from impeller mechanical energy, and the biochemical heat in the aeration process. Outgoing heats comprised the radiation heat from the waste itself, the heat of vaporization and surface aeration, the wind convection heat and the conduction heat between the surface and aerator. All heats were used as an input to the existing empirical heat transfer model. The heat transfer model of wastewater treatment processes is presented also. To test the validity of the heat transfer model, the operating conditions of the actual wastewater treatment plant were used. The temperatures were compared with the model temperatures. Model predictions were consistent within the $1.0^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.12
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• pp.1765-1773
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• 2013

The cathode reaction is one of the most seriously limiting factors in a microbial fuel cell (MFC). The critical dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration of a platinum-loaded graphite electrode was reported as 2.2 mg/l, about 10-fold higher than an aerobic bacterium. A series of MFCs were run with the cathode compartment inoculated with activated sludge (biotic) or not (abiotic) on platinum-loaded or bare graphite electrodes. At the beginning of the operation, the current values from MFCs with a biocathode and abiotic cathode were $2.3{\pm}0.1$ and $2.6{\pm}0.2mA$, respectively, at the air-saturated water supply in the cathode. The current from MFCs with an abiotic cathode did not change, but that of MFCs with a biotic cathode increased to 3.0 mA after 8 weeks. The coulomb efficiency was 59.6% in the MFCs with a biotic cathode, much higher than the value of 15.6% of the abiotic cathode. When the DO supply was reduced, the current from MFCs with an abiotic cathode decreased more sharply than in those with a biotic cathode. When the respiratory inhibitor azide was added to the catholyte, the current decreased in MFCs with a biotic cathode but did not change in MFCs with an abiotic cathode. The power density was higher in MFCs with a biotic cathode ($430W/m^3$ cathode compartment) than the abiotic cathode MFC ($257W/m^3$ cathode compartment). Electron microscopic observation revealed nanowire structures in biofilms that developed on both the anode and on the biocathode. These results show that an electron-consuming bacterial consortium can be used as a cathode catalyst to improve the cathode reaction.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.267-272
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• 2007

Microorganisms capable of degrading poly(butylene succinate-co-butylene adipate) (PBSA) were isolated from 40 soil samples such as landfill site soil, cultivating soil and activated sludge soil from 20 different sites in Korea by using the enrichment culture and the clear zone test at $37^{\circ}C$. Based on the 16S rDNA sequences, the isolated bacterium was identified to be Streptomyces sp. PBSA-1. Morphological and cultural characteristics were employed for the identification of the isolated fungi and they were proved to be Aspergillus fumigatus PBSA-2 and Aspergillus fumigatus PBSA-3. The PBSA degradation activity of the isolated microorganisms was enhanced through the serial acclimation in PBSA plate medium. The PBSA degrading microorganisms appeared to be highly active for the PBSA degradation in that 83% of PBSA was degraded by Streptomyces sp. PBSA-l, and 65% and 75% of PBSA was mineralized by A. fumigatus PBSA2 and A. fumigatus PBSA-3 respectively during 40 days of the modified Sturm test.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.250-257
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• 2006

The objective of this study is to propose an alternative process for the small sewage treatment plants in rural communities. A biofilter has been used for biological wastewater treatment, which is becoming the alternative to the conventional activated sludge system. The proposed process used in this study, which is packed with floating media (i.e. expanded polystylene), has advantages of biofilter system and alternative flow system and they are incorporated into one process. Pilot and bench scale studies were performed using domestic wastewater. In the results of pilot plant study, it was observed that the stable effluent water quality was achieved and it met the present effluent criteria of suspended solid (SS), organic matters, T-N and T-P. In the study for determination of the cycle of backwashing, it was observed that the cycle of backwashing depended on BOD loading rates of influents. In the BOD loading rates of $0.5kg\;BOD/m^3{\cdot}day$ and $1.0kg\;BOD/m^3{\cdot}day$, the backwashing cycle of 28 hour and 16 hour were needed, respectively. The optimum backwashing time was 120~80 seconds at the media expansion rate of 50%. In the removal of SS, organic matters, T-N and T-P, SS removal was rather achieved by physical filtration than biological mechanism and the removal of organic matters except for SS, T-N and T-P were mainly rather achieved by biological mechanism than physical filtration. In bench-scale study, the effects of recirculation rate was investigated on removal of SS, TCOD, T-N and T-P. It was observed that the recirculation made removal efficiencies of SS, TCOD, T-N and T-P increased. Especially, in T-N removal, the increase of T-N removal efficiency of 40% was observed in the reicirculation rate of 1Q compared with 0Q.