• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.1198-1205
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• 2017

Objective: An experiment was conducted to isolate and identify new methanogens in Korea from an anaerobic digester that uses pig slurry. Methods: An anaerobic digestate sample was collected from an anaerobic digester using pig slurry. Pre-reduced media were used for the growth and isolation of methanogens. Growth temperature range, pH range, NaCl concentration range, substrate utilization, and antibiotic tolerance were investigated to determine the physiological characteristics of isolated methanogens. The isolates were also examined microscopically for their morphology and Gram-stained. Polymerase chain reaction of 16S rRNA and mcrA gene-based amplicons was used for identification purpose. Results: Four strains, designated KOR-3, -4, -5, and -6, were isolated and were non-motile, irregular coccoid, and 0.5 to $1.5{\mu}m$ in diameter. Moreover, the cell walls of isolated strains were Gram-negative. KOR-3 and KOR-4 strains used acetate for methane production but did not use $H_2+CO_2$, formate, or methanol as a growth substrate KOR-5 and KOR-6 strains utilized acetate, methanol, and trimethylamine for methanogenesis but did not use $H_2+CO_2$ or formate as a growth substrate. The optimum temperature and pH for growth of four strains were $39^{\circ}C$ and 6.8 to 7.2, respectively. The optimum concentration of NaCl for growth of KOR-3, KOR-5, and KOR-6 were 1.0% (w/v). The optimum NaCl concentration for KOR-4 was 0.5% (w/v). All of the strains tolerated ampicillin, penicillin G, kanamycin, streptomycin, and tetracycline; however, chloramphenicol inhibited cell growth. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA and mcrA genes demonstrated that strains KOR-3, -4, -5, and -6 are related to Methanosarcina mazei (M. mazei, 99% sequence similarity). Conclusion: On the basis of physiological and phylogenetic characteristics, strains KOR-3, -4, -5, and -6 are proposed to be new strains within the genus Methanosarcina, named M. mazei KOR-3, -4, -5, and -6.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.49-57
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• 2009

This research examined the effect of ammonia nitrogen loading rate(NVLR) on the anaerobic digestion of slurry-typed swine wastewater. The anaerobic reactor was used an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) process. This UASB reactor was operated at a NVLR of $0.02{\sim}0.96kg{NH_4}^+-N/m^3/day$. The methane content showed the range of 73.3~77.9% during the steady state period. Free ammonia(FA) concentration increased over inhibition level as pH increase from 7.3 to 8.2. However, in consideration of methane content, methane producing bacteria (MPB) inhibition by FA and total ammonia(TA) was not observed. A stepwise increase of the NVLR resulted in a deterioration in the COD removal rate in UASB reactor. The COD removal rate were 60% for NVLR up to $0.55kg{NH_4}^+-N/m^3/day$. As the NVLR increased from 0.09 to $0.96kg{NH_4}^+-N/m^3/day$, the biogas production rate varied from 3.71 to 9.14L/d and the methane conversion rate of the COD varied from 0.32 to $0.20m^3CH_4/kg$ COD removed. Consequently, in considerations of FA concentration, COD removal rate, and $CH_4$ production rate, the UASB reactor must be operated to lower than $0.40kg{NH_4}^+-N/m^3/day$ of NVLR.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.903-915
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• 2011

Recently, anaerobic methane production of agricultural waste biomass has received increasing attention. Until now domestic BMP (Biochemical methane potential) studies concerned with agricultural waste biomass have concentrated on the several waste biomass such as livestock manure, food waste, and sewage sludge from WWTP (Waste water treatment plant). Especially, the lack of standardization study of BMP assay method has caused the confused comprehension and interpretation in the comparison of BMP results from various researchers. Germany and USA had established the standard methods, VDI 4630 and ASTM E2170-01, for the analysis of BMP and anaerobic organic degradation, respectively. In this review, BMP was defined in the aspect of organic material represented as COD (Chemical oxygen demand) and VS (Volatile solid), and the influence of several parameters on the methane potential of the feedstock was presented. In the investigation of domestic BMP case studies, BMP results of 18 biomass species generating from agriculture and agro-industry were presented. And BMP results of crop species reported from foreign case studies were presented according to the classification system of crops such as food crop, vegetables, oil seed and specialty crop, orchards, and fodder and energy crop. This review emphasizes the urgent need for characterizing the innumerable kind of biomass by their capability on methane production.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.8
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• pp.1513-1518
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• 2017

Anaerobic mono- and co-digestion of sewage sludge and food waste leachate (FWL) were performed by assessing methane production and characterizing microbial communities. Anaerobic digestion (AD) of waste activated sludge (WAS) alone produced the lowest methane ($281ml\;CH_4$), but an approximately 80% increase in methane production was achieved via co-digestion of WAS and FWL ($506ml\;CH_4$). There were less differences in the diversity of bacterial communities in anaerobic digesters, while archaeal (ARC) and bacterial (BAC) amounts reflected AD performance. Compared with the total ARC and BAC amounts in the mono-digestion of WAS, the ARC and BAC amounts increased two and three times, respectively, during co-digestion of FWL and WAS. In characterized archaeal communities, the dominant ratio of hydrogenotrophic methanogens in the mono-digestion of WAS approached nearly a 1:1 ratio of the two acetoclastic and hydrogenotrophic methanogens in the co-digestion of FWL and WAS. The ARC/BAC ratio in the digesters varied in the range of 5.9% to 9.1%, indicating a positive correlation with the methane production of AD.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.737-743
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• 1999

A conventional thermophilic anaerobic digester was converted into a thermophilic high-rate hybrid anaerobic reactor (THAR) for treating distillery wastewater. The THAR has been operating successfully since May 1995 at a loading rate of 5.45 to $11.52{\;}kg/\textrm{m}^3/d$ (maximum of 15.02). The THAR has demonstrated a soluble Chemical Oxygen Demand (sCOD) removal efficiency of 85 to 91% and a total COD (tCOD) removal efficiency of as much as 72 to 84%. Product gas had a methane content of 59 to 68%. The tCOD removal rates were 4.31 to 5.43, 6.26 to 6.89, and 9.03 to $9.78kg{\;}tCOD/\textrm{m}^3/d$ for tapioca, com, and naked-barley wastewater, respectively. The sCOD removal rates ranged from 3.75 to 4.79,3.28 to 4.89, and 5.57 to 6.21kg $sCOD/\textrm{m}^3/d$ for tapioca, com, and naked-barley wastewater, respectively. There were unknown substances in a naked-barley distillery wastewater that were identified as being toxic for microorganisms. However, the THAR treated naked-barley wastewater continuously for 26 days, operating at an average tCOD loading of $11.08{\;}kg/\textrm{m}^3/d$without any signs of deterioration in either COD removal efficiency or gas production rate. During this period, the average removal efficiencies of tCOD and sCOD were 84% and 91%, respectively, and the gas production rate averaged 6.61 to $7.57{\;}\textrm{m}^3/\textrm{m}^3$ reactor/d which produced 0.57 to $0.69{\;}\textrm{m}^3{\;}biogas/kg{\;}tCOD_{rem}$. From tapioca and com wastewater, the reactor showed an average gas production rate of 3.18 to 3.46 and 4.91 to $5.22{\;}\textrm{m}^3/\textrm{m}^3$ reactor/d which produced 0.53 to 0.69 and 0.62 to $0.71{\;}\textrm{m}^3/kg{\;}tCOD_{rem}$, respectively.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.362-372
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• 2010

Although different disposal routes of waste-activated sludge are possible, anaerobic digestion plays an important role for its abilities to further transform organic matter into methane. The potential of using methane as energy source has long been widely recognised and the present paper extensively reviews the principles of anaerobic digestion, the process parameters and hydrolysis. Hydrolysis is recognised as rate-limiting step in the complex digestion process. To accelerate the digestion and enhance the production of biogas, various pre-treatments can be used to improve the rate-limiting hydrolysis. These treatments include mechanical, thermal, chemical and biological interventions to the feedstock. All pre-treatments result in a lysis or disintegration of sludge cells, thus releasing and solubilizing intracellular material into the water phase and transforming refractory organic material into biodegradable species. The reader will finally be guided to extensive discussion for anaerobic digestion processes.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.35-43
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• 2011

In this study, anaerobic biological decomposition were attempted after solubilization treatment of sewage sludge with the complex pre-treatment (acid/base treatment with ultrasonic radiation). Solubilization ratios were compared for ultrasonic treatment at acid or base condition. Solubilization effect of the complex pre-treatment was more effective at higher pH. Biological decomposition of complex pre-treated sludge was faster than non treated (raw) sludge, showing 10 times higher total gas production. Biological digestion of the sludge shows more biogas production. B/A ratio. which indicates hydrogen production potential, was 50% higher with complex pre-treated sludge than raw sludge but lactic acid or propionic acid were also detected during anaerobic decomposition process.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.1086-1093
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• 2012

This research was carried out to develop the correction method of VDI4630 method improving accuracy, and investigated the effects of carbonate ion ($CO_3{^{2-}}$) and reactant water ($H_2O$) on anaerobic organic biodegradability in VDI4630 method. Pig blood, pig intestine residue, pig digestive tract content, and cattle rumen content were experimented as waste biomasses. Chemical formulas of pig blood, pig intestine residue, pig digestive tract content, and cattle rumen content were $C_{3.78}H_{8.39}O_{1.46}N_1S_{0.01}$, $C_{9.69}H_{15.42}O_{2.85}N_1S_{0.03}$, $C_{25.17}H_{43.32}O_{15.04}N_1$, $C_{27.23}H_{42.38}O_{15.93}N_1S_{0.11}$, respectively. And amount of reactant moisture for the anaerobic degradation of organic materials were 0.336, 0.485, 0.227, 0.266 mol, respectively. In pig blood, pig intestine residue, pig digestive tract content, and cattle rumen content, anaerobic organic biodegradability presented as $B_u/B_{th}$ were 82.3, 81.5, 70.8, and 66.1%, and anaerobic organic biodegradability (AB) by VDI4630 method were 72.2, 87.8, 74.2, 62.0%, and that were significantly different with anaerobic organic biodegradability presented as $B_u/B_{th}$. The effects of carbonate ion and reactant water on anaerobic organic biodegradability were not significant, But Accuracy of anaerobic organic degradability was expected to able to be improved by the correction method of VDI4630 considering the carbonate ion at digestate and the reactant water quantified.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.15-26
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• 2023

Methane production by anaerobic digestion occurs through interspecies electron transfer (DIET), a synthetic metabolism between acetic and methanate bacteria through hydrolysis and acid production steps. In this study, to improve methane yield, the effect of addition of magnetite (Fe₃O₄), a conductor promoting DIET on methane production in food wastewater was investigated, and the effect on methane yield was assessed by methane potential (B_u) and maximum methane production rate [R_m(t₀)] by the operation of batch type anaerobic reactor adding Fe₃O₄. The B_u and R_m(t₀) of food wastewater without Fe₃O₄ were 0.496 Nm³/kg-VSadded and 38.24 mL/day, respectively. The t0 which reached to R_m appeared at 21.06 days during the operation of the anaerobic reactor. The B_u of food wastewater with Fe₃O₄ was 0.502, 0.498, 0.512, 0.510, 0.518, 0.523, 0.524, 0.540, and 0.549 Nm³/kg-VSadded in the treatment of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 70, and 100mM-Fe₃O₄, respectively, and the B_u significantly increased to 36.95% with the addition of magnetite in the addition of 15mM-Fe₃O₄. And, the addition of Fe₃O₄ shortened the duration to reach R_m from 21.06 days to the maximum of 14.67 days by the addition of Fe₃O₄. Therefore, the methane yield and production rate of food wastewater significantly improved with the addition of Fe₃O₄.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.401-407
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• 2005

Optimum culture conditions and medium composition for hydrogen production by Clostridium beijerinckii KCTC 1785 were investigated. Initial pH and temperature for growth were 7.0 and $35^{\circ}C$, respectively. Agitation accelerated the hydrogen production. Although C. beijerinckii KCTC 1785 could grow up to 6%(w/v) glucose in the medium, the optimum glucose concentration for hydrogen production was 4% and hydrogen content in the biogas was 37%(v/v). However, the economical glucose concentration for hydrogen production was 1% regarding to the residual glucose which was not used in the medium. During hydrogen fermentation, acetic and butyric acid were produced simultaneously. High concentrations of acetic(>5,000 mg/L) or butyric(>3,000 mg/L) acid inhibited hydrogen production. When pH was maintained at 5.5 in the batch fermentation, 1,728 mL of hydrogen was produced from 0.5% glucose within 15 hr. $H_2$ yield was estimated to be 1.23 mol $H_2/mol$ glucose. It was found that yeast extract or tryptose in the medium was essential for hydrogen production.