• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.271-278
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• 1993

Optimal biodegradation kinetics models to the initial nonylphenol ethoxylates-30 concentration were investigated and had been fitted by the linear regression. Microorganisms capable of degrading nonylphenol ethoxylates-30 were isolated from sewage near Ulsan plant area by enrichment culture technique. Among them, the strain designated as EL-10K had the highest biodegradability and was identified as Pseudomonas from results of taxonomical studies. The optimal conditions for the biodegradation were 1.0 g/ι of nonylphenol ethoxylates-30 and 0.02 g/ι of ammonium nitrate at pH 7.0 and 3$0^{\circ}C$. The highest degradation rate of nonylphenol ethoxylates-30 was about 89% for 30 hours incubation on the optimal condition. Biodegradation data were fit by linear regression to equations for 3 kinetic models. The kinetics of biodegradation of nonylphenol ethoxylates was best described by first order model for 0.1 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ι nonylphenol ethoxylates-30 ; by Monod no growth model and Monod with growth model for 0.5 $\mu\textrm{g}$/mι and 1.0, 5.0 $\mu\textrm{g}$/mι, respectively.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.186-194
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• 2009

Understanding the environmental fate of human and animal pharmaceuticals and their risk assessment are of great importance due to their growing environmental concerns. Although there are many potential pathways for them to reach the environment, effluents from sewage treatment plants (STPs) are recognized as major point sources. In this study, the removal efficiencies of the 43 selected priority pharmaceuticals in a conventional STP were evaluated using two simple models: an equilibrium partitioning model (EPM) and STPWIN$^{TM}$ program developed by US EPA. It was expected that many pharmaceuticals are not likely to be removed by conventional activated sludge processes because of their relatively low sorption potential to suspended sludge and low biodegradability. Only a few pharmaceuticals were predicted to be easily removed by sorption or biodegradation, and hence a conventional STP may not protect the environment from the release of unwanted pharmaceuticals. However, the prediction made in this study strongly relies on sorption coefficient to suspended sludge and biodegradation half-lives, which may vary significantly depending on models. Removal efficiencies predicted using the EPM were typically higher than those predicted by STPWIN for many hydrophilic pharmaceuticals due to the difference in prediction method for sorption coefficients. Comparison with experimental organic carbon-water partition coefficients ($K_{ocs}) revealed that log KOW-based estimation used in STPWIN is likely to underestimate sorption coefficients, thus resulting low removal efficiency by sorption. Predicted values by the EPM were consistent with limited experimental data although this model does not include biodegradation processes, implying that this simple model can be very useful with reliable Koc values. Because there are not many experimental data available for priority pharmaceuticals to evaluate the model performance, it should be important to obtain reliable experimental data including sorption coefficients and biodegradation rate constants for the prediction of the fate of the selected pharmaceuticals.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.342-349
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• 2017

Polylactic acid (PLA) has been highlighted as an alternative renewable polymer for the replacement of petroleum-based plastic materials, and is considered to be biodegradable. On the other hand, the biodegradation of PLA by terminal degraders, such as microorganisms, requires a lengthy period in the natural environment, and its mechanism is not completely understood. PLA biodegradation studies have been conducted using mainly undefined mixed cultures, but only a few bacterial strains have been isolated and examined. For further characterization of PLA biodegradation, in this study, the PLA-degrading bacteria from digester sludge were isolated and identified using a polymer film-based screening method. The enrichment of sludge on PLA granules was conducted with the serial transference of a subculture into fresh media for 40 days, and the attached biofilm was inoculated on a PLA film on an agar plate. 3D optical microscopy showed that the isolates physically degraded the PLA film due to bacterial degradation. 16S rRNA gene sequencing identified the microbial colonies to be Pseudomonas sp. MYK1 and Bacillus sp. MYK2. The two isolates exhibited significantly higher specific gas production rates from PLA biodegradation compared with that of the initial sludge inoculum.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.144-149
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• 2006

As a strain EH741, having an excellent hexane degradability, was isolated from bacterial consortium using hexane as a sole carbon and energy source. EH741 was identified as a Rhodococcus sp. and the addition of a surfactant Pluronic F68(PF68), for increasing hexane solubility couldn't enhance the specific growth rate of the isolate EH741 n the mineral salt medium supplemented with hexane as a sole carbon source(hexane-BH medium). In the hexane-BH medium, the maximum specific growth rate(${\mu}_{max}$) of this strain was $0.04h^{-1}$, and the maximum hexane degradation rate($V_{max}$) and saturation constant($K_s$) were$161{\mu}mol{\cdot}g-DCW^{-1}{\cdot}h^{-1}$ and 10.5 mM, respectively. Rhodococcus sp. EH741 was one of excellent microorgamisms for hexane biodegradation processes.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.6403-6410
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• 2015

Medical polymer PLGA is biocompatible, biodegradation, mechanical characteristic and biostability, and the degradation time can be adjust by controlling the number of monomer. In this paper, PLGA membranes have different composition ratio by L/D type was prepared by phase transition method. And the PLGA membrane in phosphate buffered saline(PBS) at the different test temperatures for different periods of time to examined for change in mass and measured the pH of degradation media. Measurement of Tg and surface structure was performed using a DSC and Stereoscopic microscope. As the molecular weighter increase, hydrolysis rate was decrease in geometrical progression. According to the composition ratio by L/D type, degradation rate and the change of pH are large.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.762-770
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• 2005

Adsorption and biodegradation performance of chlorinated by-products such as trihalomethanes(THMs) and haloacetic acids(HAA5) on granular activated carbon were evaluated in this study. The coconut-based activated carbon was found more effective than others in adsorption of THMs due to larger pore volume of less than $20{\AA}$. The wood-based activated carbon was less effective than coconut- and coal-based activated carbon in adsorption nevertheless having larger pore volume and specific surface area than others. The maximum adsorption capacity(X/M) of coconut-based carbon for THMS was 1.1-1.5 times larger than coal based carbon and 14.1-31.4 times larger than wood based activated carbons. Activated carbon usage rate(CUR) of coconut-, coal- and wood-based activated carbons for chloroform were 9.4, 11.2 and 38 g/day respectively. In the evaluation of adsorption isotherm of THM species for coconut-, coal- and wood-based activated carbons, k value of chloroform was the lowest in the THM species, It menas that chloroform is difficult to remove by activated carbon adsorption. and BDCM, CDBM, bromoform are in the succeeding order of adsorption. In the evaluation of biodegradation rate, mean biodegradation rate was chloroform 7%, BDCM 5%, CDBM 4% and bromoform 3%, respectively THMs are difficult materials to be biodegraded. In the evaluation of characteristics of adsorption and biodegradation for HAA5 species, HAA5 species appear to be removed effectively by activated carbon. Most of the HAA5 are adsorbed at the beginning of operation periods and HAA5 except TCAA were almost biodegraded from bed volume of 2,000 and more than 90 percent of biodegradation of TCAA was started from bed volume around 4,000 and after that biodegradation rate was increased with increasing bed volume.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.429-439
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• 2021

Food waste is both an industrial and residential source of pollution, and there has been a great need for food waste reduction. As a preliminary step in this study, waste reduction is quantitatively modeled. This study presents two models based on kinetics: a simple kinetic model and a mass transport-shrinking model. In the simple kinetic model, the smaller is the reaction rate constant ratio k₁, the lower the rate of conversion from the raw material to intermediate products. Accordingly, the total elapsed reaction time becomes shorter. In the mass transport-shrinking model, the smaller is the microbial decomposition resistance versus the liquid mass transfer resistance, the greater is the reduction rate of the radius of spherical waste particles. Results showed that the computed reduction of waste mass in the second model agreed reasonably with that obtained from a few experimantal trials of biodegradation, in which the microbial effect appeared to dominate. All calculations were performed using MATLAB 2020 on PC.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.469-480
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• 2011

In this study, to determine the ligninase activity related to the PCBs degradation of Ceriporia sp. ZLY-2010, the protein contents and manganese peroxidase (MnP) and laccase activities during cultivation on shallow stationary culture (SSC) medium were observed. 4 PCB congeners were selected depending on the number of chlorine substituted on biphenyl. Furthermore, to examine the effects of cytochrome P450 monooxygenase, the inhibition of cytochrome P450 monooxygenase was evaluated by measuring the biodegradation rate when inhibitor such as 1-aminobenzotriazole was added. The extracellular protein contents were affected by PCB congeners in culture media. The total protein in the culture medium showed the biggest differences between the samples containing 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl and the control. On the other hand, MnP and laccase activity showed dominant increases within samples containing 4,4'-dichlorobiphenyl and 2,3',4',5-tetrachlorobiphenyl. Cytochrome P450 monooxygenase was inhibited by adding inhibitor, 1-aminobenzotriazole in low concentration. Only 2.73% of 2,3',4',5-tetrachlorobiphenyl was degraed on day 1, and biodegradation of 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl was inhibited as well, showing about 20% of biodegradation rate.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.787-796
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• 1996

The biodegradation experiment, the TOD analysis and the element analysis for dispersant, Bunker-A oil and Bunker-B oil were conducted to study the biodegradation characteristics of a mixture of Bunker-A oil with dispersant and a mixture of Bunker-B oil with dispersant in the seawater. The results of biodegradation experiment showed 1mg of dispersant to be equivalent to 0.26 mg of $BOD_5$ and to 0.60 mg of $BOD_{20}$ in the natural seawater. The results of TOD analysis showed each 1 mg of dispersant, Bunker-A oil and Bunker-B oil to be equivalent to 2.37 mg, 2.94 mg and 2.74 mg of TOD, respectively. The results of element analysis showed carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and phosphorus contents of dispersant to be $82.1\%,\;13.8\%,\;1.8\%\;and\;2.2\%$, respectively. Carbon and hydrogen contents of Bunker-A oil were found to be $73.3\%\;and\;13.5\%$, respectively, and carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen contents of Bunker-B oil to be $80.4\%,\;12.3\%\;and\;0.7\%$, respectively. Accordingly, the detection of nitrogen and phosphorus in dispersant shows that dispersants should be used with caution in coastal waters, with relation to eutrophication. The biodegradability of dispersant expressed as the ratio of $BOD_5/TOD$ was found to be $11.0\%$. As the mix ratios of dispersant to Bunker-A oil (3 mg/l) and a mixture of Bunker-B oil (3mg/l) were changed from 1 : 10 to 5 : 10, the biodegradabilities of a mixture of Bunker-A oil with dispersant and Bunker-B oil with dispersant increased from $2.1\%\;to\;7.2\%$ and from $1.0\%\;to\;4.4\%$, respectively. Accordingly, the dispersant belongs to the organic matter group of middle-biodegradability while mixtures in the mix ratio range of $1:10\~5:10$ belong to the organic matter group of low-biodegradability. The deoxygenation rate constant $(K_1)$ and ultimate biochemical oxygen demand $(L_0)$ obtained from the biodegradation experiment and Thomas slope method were found to be 0.125/day and 2.487 mg/l for dispersant (4 mg/l), respectively. $K_1\;and\;L_0$, were found to be $0.079\~0.131/day$ and $0.318\~2.052\;mg/l$ for a mixture of Bunker-A oil with dispersant and to be $0.106\~0.371/day$ and $0.262\~1.106\;mg/l$ for a mixture of Bunker-B oil with dispersant, respectively, having $1:10\~5:10$ mix ratios of dispersant to Bunker-A oil and Bunker-B oil. The ultimate biochemical oxygen demands of the mixtures increased as the mix ratio of dispersant to Bunker-A, B oils changed from 1 : 10 to 5 : 10. This suggests that the more dispersants are applied to the sea for the cleanup of Bunker-A oil or Bunker-B oil, the more decreases the dissolved oxygen level in the seawater.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.179-185
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• 1981

Facultative psychrophilic bacteria utilizing SDBS (Sodium Dodecyl Benzene Sulfonate) as their carbon source were isolated in the Han River. All of these isolated faculatative psychrophilic bacteria were identified as Pseudomonas spp. The growth and biodegradation rates of Ps.fluorescens LP6, Ps. fluorescens LS6 and Ps. putida LC1 among 8 identified facultative psychrophilic bacteria were investigated with spectrophotometer. The specific growth rates of these three facultative psychrophilic bacteria at $25^{\circ}C$ were higher than those at any other temperatures. However, the final cell yields were the highest for cells grown at $5^{\circ}C$. The biodegradation of SDBS by Ps. fluorescens LP 6 was started at the stationary phase of cells. The biodegradation rate of SDBS by Ps. fluorescens LP6 was the highest when the cells were cultured at $25^{\circ}C$.