• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.38-44
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• 2006

Two sulfur-based column reactors inoculated with a bacterial consortium containing autotrophic denitrifiers were operated for 100 and 500 days, respectively and nitrate removal efficiency and the adaptation of microbial communities in the columns were monitored with column depths and time. For better understanding the adaptation phenomenon, molecular techniques including 16S rDNA sequencing and DGGE analysis were employed. Although both columns showed about 99% of nitrate removal efficiency heterotrophic denitrifiers such as Cenibacterium arsenioxidans and Geothrix fermentans were found to a significant portion at the initial stage of the 100-day reactor operation. However, as operation time increased, an autotrophic denitrifier Thiobacillus denitrificans became a dominant bacterial species throughout the column. A similar trend was also observed in the 500-day column. In addition, nitrate removal efficiencies were different with column depths and thus bacterial species with different metabolic activities were found at the corresponding depths. Especially, T. denitrificans was successfully adapted and colonized at the bottom parts of the columns where most nitrate was reduced.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.149-150
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• 2003

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.624-629
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• 2005

The purpose of this study is to investigate the performance of nitrogen removal using autotrophic microorganism in the Membrane-Attached Biofilm Reactor (MABR). The treatment system consists of an aerobic MABR (R1) for nitrification and an anaerobic MABR (R2) for hydrogenotrophic denitrification. Oxygen and hydrogen were supplied through the lumen of hollow-fiber membranes as electron acceptor and donor, respectively. In phase Ι, simultaneous organic carbon removal and nitrification were carried out successfully in R1. In phase II, to develop the biofilm on the hollow-fiber membrane surface and to acclimate the microbial community to autotrophic condition, R1 and R2 were operated independently. The MABRs, R1 and R2 were connected in series continuously in phase III and operated at HRT of 8 hr or 4 hr with $NH_4{^+}-N$ concentration of influent, from 150 to 200 mgN/L. The total nitrogen removal efficiency reached the maximum value of 99% at the volumetric nitrogen loading rate of $1.20kgN/m^3{\cdot}d$ in the combined MABR system with R1 and R2. The results in this study demonstrated that the combined MABR system could operate effectively for the removal of nitrogen in wastewater not containing organic materials and can be used stably as a high rate nitrogen removal technology.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.32 no.12
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• pp.1087-1093
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• 2010

Autotrophic denitrification is known as an effective and economical alternative for heterotrophic denitrification using external carbon sources such as methanol. In this study, we evaluated design and operation parameters for a sulfur denitrification reactor (SDR) treating high strength nitrogen wastewater. The SDR was filled with spherical sulfur media in connected to a pilot-scale nutrient removal process (daily flow rate, $Q=18\;m^3/d$) using moving spongy media. Total nitrogen (TN) concentration of the final effluent was below the 7.0 mg TN/L because nitrate was additionally removed through autotrophic denitrificationin without adding alkalinity (initial alkalinity was $169.4{\pm}20.8\;mg$ $CaCO_3$/L). During the test period, 60~80% of nitrogen in the influent was removed even in low temperature (below $15^{\circ}C$). The alkalinity consumption for nitrate removal in SDR was $4.09{\pm}1.29$ g $CaCO_3/g$ ${NO_3}^-$-N, and the residual alkalinity of influent of SDR was higher than that of theoretical requirements for full conversion of nitrate. The consumption of sulfur was 943.8 g S/d and it was 2.4 times higher than theoretical value (400.1 g S/d) due to abrasion and loss of sulfur media in backwash, etc.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.619-627
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• 2012

In order to determine reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) when the submerged membrane bioreactor with granular sulfur (MBR-GS) is used in wastewater treatment plant (WTP), the amount of GHGs was compared and analyzed in the advanced treatment process of P wastewater treatment plant (WTP). The amount of GHGs was estimated by classifying as construction and operation phase in WTP. The amount of GHGs in construction phase was evaluated from multiplying raw materials by using carbon emission factors. Also the amount of GHGs in operating phase was calculated by using total electricity consumption and carbon emission factor. The construction of anoxic tank and secondary settling tank is unnecessary, because the MBR-GS conducts simultaneously the nitrification and denitrification in aeration tank and filtration by hollow fiber membrane. The amount of $CO_2$, $CH_4$, and $N_2O$ emitted by constructing the MBR-GS was 6.44E+06 kg, 8.16E+03 kg and 1.38E+01 kg, respectively. The result shows that the GHGs was reduced about 47 % as compared with the construction in the MLE process. In operating the MBR-GS, the electricity is not required in the biological reactor and secondary setting tank. Thus, the amount of $CO_2$, $CH_4$, and $N_2O$ emitted by operating in the MBR-GS was 7.39E+05 kg/yr, 5.80E+02 kg/yr and 2.44E+00 kg/yr, respectively. The result shows that the GHGs were reduced about 37 % as compared with the operation in the MLE process. Also, $LCCO_2$(Life Cycle $CO_2$) was compared and analyzed between MLE process and MBR-GS. The amount of $LCCO_2 $emitted from the MLE process and MBR-GS was 3.56E+04 ton $CO_2$ and 2.12E+04 ton $CO_2$, respectively. The result shows that the GHGs in MBR-GS were reduced to about 40 % as compared in the MLE process during life cycle. As a result, sulfur-utilizing autotrophic denitrification process (SADP) is expected to be utilized as the cost-effective advanced treatment process, owing to not only high nitrogen removal efficiency but also the GHGs reduction in construction and operation stage.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.1617-1624
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• 2011

Caustic (NaOH) solution is used to remove $H_2S$ from hydrocarbon streams in petroleum refining industry, gradually being, so called, spent sulfidic caustic (SSC) which has high levels of $H_2S$ and alkalinity. Thus, SSC can be used as an electron donor and a buffering agent for autotrophic denitrification. As SSC, however, contains some non-biodegradable organics, air stripping was conducted to remove the non-biodegradable organics. As a result, over 93 % of the non-biodegradable organics was removed within 30 min of aeration. Then, $Na_2S_2O_3{\cdot}5H_2O$, methanol and organic matters, which are produced from a biodiesel production plant, were added to reform the air-stripped SSC and their products being referred to new sulfidic caustics (NSCs) I, II and III, respectively. Thereafter, to investigate the effect of these products on the removal of COD and TN, these products were injected to a biological nitrogen removal (BNR) process, resulting in additional 44 % TN removal without noticeable increase in the effluent COD level. Therefore, it can be said that the BNR process is a promising option to treat NSC as demonstrated in this study whose results can be useful for developing resource recovery technologies.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.433-442
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• 2010

BER at different packing ratios of bio-ring media(BRM) was tested to investigate the effect of varying hydraulic retention time (HRT) and current density on the nitrate removal and current efficiency. In the preliminary batch mode experiment of BERs, current density was applied at 2.0 A/$m^2$, 4.0 A/$m^2$, 4.8 A/$m^2$, which correspond to the designation of reactor #1, #2, #3, respectively. The reactor #2 showed a highest nitrate removal rate of 162.0 mg $NO_3{^-}$-N/L/d, and the kinetics of nitrate removal rate was defined as the Zero order reaction. In the primary experiment of BERs, four BERs packed with BRM were operated in varying HRT and current, and the packing ratios of reactor #1, #2, #3 and #4 were 0%, 8%, 16%, 24%. respectively. This results of the experiments indicated that the nitrate removal rate and current efficiency were increased significantly cause of growing of autotrophic denitrification microorganisms on the surface of cathode and media by increasing of the current density and decreasing of HRT. However, The decreasing of nitrate removal rate and current efficiencies were observed in the condition of HRT of 5.25 hr and 4.8 A/$m^2$ of current density. With more increasing current density and decreasing of HRT, the hydrogen inhibition occurred at the surface of cathode. Moreover, nitrate removal rate by autotrophic denitrification microorganisms attached on the media surface was observed to be limited by no longer increasing dissolved hydrogen concentration of each reactor. In conclusion, the highest nitrate nitrogen removal and current efficiency could be achieved when the BER was operated at the conditions of 7 hr HRT, current density of 4.0 A/$m^2$, and 16% packing ratio. And it was found that the amount of nitrate removal by microorganisms attached on the surface of cathode and media (BRM) was 178.2 mg/L and 52.2 mg/L respectively. and the amount of nitrate removal per MLVSS was 0.435 g $NO_3{^-}$-N/g $MLVSS{\cdot}d$ and 0.336 $NO_3{^-}$-N/g $MLVSS{\cdot}d$.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.44-56
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• 1998

This study was performed to investigate the reaction characteristics of piggery wastewater for biological nutrient removal. The reaction characteristics were discussed the fraction of organics, the behavior of nitrogen, nitrification, denitrification, and the behavior of phosphorus. The fraction of readily biodegradable soluble COD was 11-12 percent. The ammonia nitrogen was removed via stripping, nitrification, autotrophic cell synthesis, and heterotrophic cell synthesis. The removal percents by each step were 12.1%, 68.9%, 15.0%, and 4.0%, respectively. Nitrification inhibition of piggery wastewater was found to occur at an influent volumetric loading rate over 0.2 NH$_{3}$-N kg/m$^{3}$/d. Denitrification rates were the highest in the raw wastewater and the lowest in the anaerobic effluent. The denitritation of piggery wastewater came out to be possible, and the rate of organic carbon consumption decreased about 10 percent. The phosphorus removed was released in the form of ortho-p in the aerobic fixed biofilm reactor, it was caused by autooxidation. The synthesis and release of phosphorus were related to the ORP and the boundary value for the phase change was about 170mV. In the synthesis phase, the phosphorus removal rate per COD removed was 0.023mgP$_{syn}$/mgCOD$_{rem}$. The phosphorus contents of the microorganism were 4.3-6.0% on a dry weight basis.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.262-269
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• 2016

This study examined the influent of a sulfur denitrification reactor using nitrified effluent from a batch type reactor. The denitrification efficiency was compared according to the injection type. The nitrogen removal effects were compared with the changes in the EBCT and nitrogen concentration of the influent to determine the optimal operation conditions with the selected injection type. A denitrification efficiency evaluation of a reactor according to the change in injection type and up-flow was performed using a lower organic concentration of the effluent than the down-flow because of the re-precipitation of desorbed microbes and spilled solids. In the up-flow type, organics were controlled by the low concentration than the down-flow type because of solid re-precipitation. The T-N removal efficiency of the up-flow type was 73.3~90.2%, which was more that 10% higher that down-flow type. This means that the up-flow type has a great advantage in removing T-N and organics. The T-N removal efficiency by EBCT at 1hr was 47.3%, and was 88.1% and 90.5% by EBCT 3hr and 5hr, respectively. Therefore, the optimal operation conditions to remove nitrogen was considered to be EBCT for 3hr. After careful consideration of rule of law and T-N removal effects, the T-N load factor in the reactor should remain below $0.443kgT-N/m^3{\cdot}day$ to maintain the legal total nitrogen concentration for discharge, which is 20mg/L.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.74-80
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• 2008

Removal of nitrogen compound under nitrification related with denitrification by biofilm which developed on the porous media was investigated. With the investigation of $NH_4-N$ nitrification and autotrophic denitrification supplied with sulfur media as electron donor, conclusions were retrieved as follows. When $F/M_N$ ratio of $NH_4-N$ was increased from $0.0062-0.034gNH_4-N/g\;MLVSS{\cdot}day$ by the change of influent concentration and HRT the nitrification rate decreased as the increase of loading rate. Also under the same conditions of $F/M_N$ ratio, the alkalinity consumption rate of operation was higher at 8 hours of HRT than at 6 hours of HRT. Accordingly the influent loading rate variation by detention time with influent flow influenced more on the nitrification efficiency than the influent loading rate variation by the influent concentration did. Denitrification rate with various EBCT(Empty Bed Contact Time) showed average 25% at 8.4hrs of EBCT but sharply decreased average 5% at 4.6hrs of EBCT, so the operation would be more effective at above 8.4hrs of EBCT. Also denitrification rate was known to be adversely increased as $NO_3-N$ loading rate per unit volume of sulfur-media was decreased within the range of $0.5{\sim}2.0kgNO_3-N/m^3{\cdot}day$.