• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.141-148
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• 2000

In this study, effects of substrates and nitrate on biological phosphorus release in EBPR(enhanced biological phosphorus removal) process were examined using batch test apparatus at anaerobic conditions. The sludge used in this experiments was taken from SBR(sequencing batch reactor) treating swine wastewater at aeration period. Phosphorus release rates obtained with substrates of FSW(fermented swine wastewater), acetate, propionate, domestic wastewater and methanol were 6.19, 5.99, 1.52, 1.2 and $1.03mgP/gVSS{\cdot}hr$, respectively. Those observed with acetate and FSW were 4~5 times greater than those with propionate, methanol and domestic wastewater. Therefore phosphorus release rates were significantly affected by type of substrate added at anaerobic condition. Phosphorus release was greatly affected by concentration of nitrate in anoxic condition. Comparing to acetate, propionate and FSW, phosphorus release was observed after almost completely depletion of nitrate concentration with methanol and domestic wastewater added as substrate. In the cases supplied with acetate, propionate and FSW, phosphorus release rates were less influenced by a nitrate concentration than those with methanol and domestic wastewater.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.861-871
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• 2005

This study was carried out to get more operational characteristics of Anoxic(anaerobic)-Oxic-Anoxic-Oxic $(AO)_2$ sequencing batch biofilm reactors (SBBRs) at the low TOC concentration, The operating time in anoxic (anaerobic) time to oxic time was I : I. Experiments were conducted to find the effects of the aeration time distribution on the organic matters and nutrients removal. Three lab-scale reactors were fed with synthetic wastewater based on glucose as carbon source. During studies, the operation mode was fixed. The first aeration time to the second aeration time in SBBR-I was 2 : 3, and those in SBBR-2 and SBBR-3 were I : 4 and 3 : 2, respectively. The organic removal efficiency didn't show large difference among three reactors of different aeration time distribution. However, from these study results, the optimum aeration time distribution in the first and the second aeration time for biological nutrient removal was shown as 3 : 2. The release of phosphorus was inhibited at the second non-aeration period because of the low TOC concentration and the nitrate produced by the nitrification at the first aeration period.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.133-140
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• 2012

The overall performance of BNR-MBR, so-called Anoxic-Anaerobic-Aerobic Membrane Bioreactor ($A^3$-MBR), developed for nutrient removal was studied to determine the efficiencies and mechanisms under different solid retention time (SRT). The reactor was fed by synthetic high-rise building wastewater with a COD:N:P ratio of 100:10:2.5. The results showed that TKN, TN and phosphorus removal by the system was higher than 95%, 93% and 80%, respectively. Nitrogen removal in the system was related to the simultaneous nitrification-denitrification (SND) reaction which removed all nitrogen forms in aerobic condition. SND reaction in the system occurred because of the large floc size formation. Phosphorus removal in the system related to the high phosphorus content in bacterial cells and the little effects of nitrate nitrogen on phosphorus release in the anaerobic condition. Therefore, high quality of treated effluent could be achieved with the $A^3$-MBR system for various water reuse purposes.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.566-571
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• 2006

A sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR) operated with a cycle of anaerobic - aerobic - anoxic - aerobic has been evaluated for the nutrient removal characteristics. The sponge-like moving media was filled to about 10% of reactor volume. The sewage was the major substrate while external synthetic carbon substrate was added to the anoxic stage to enhance the nitrogen removal. The operational results indicated that maximum T-N and T-P removal efficiencies were 97% and 94%, respectively were achieved, while COD removal of 92%. The observations of significant nitrogen removal in the first aerobic stage indicated that nitrogen removal behaviour in this SBBR was different to conventional SBR. Although the reasons for aerobic nitrogen removal has speculated to either simultaneous nitrification and denitrification or anoxic denitrification inside of the media, further researches are required to confirm the observation. The specific oxygen uptake rate (SOUR) test with biofilm and suspended growth sludge indicated that biofilm in SBBR played a major role to remove substrates.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.646-653
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• 2011

The combined system of sequencing batch biofilm reactor (SBBR) and membrane SBR (MSBR) was operated with sewage to evaluate the COD utilization for biological nutrient removal (BNR). The SBBR was operated for nitrification reactor, while denitrifying PAO (dPAO) was cultivated in MSBR with anaerobic-anoxic operation. In the SBBR and MSBR system, the enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) was successfully achieved with higher N removal. The COD utilization in combined SBBR-MSBR system was significantly reduced compared to ordinary BNR (up to 3.1 g SCOD/g (N+P) and 1.6 g SCOD/g (N+P) with different C/N/P ratio). The results suggest that a dPAO process could effectively reduce carbon energy (=COD) requirement. The combination of oxic-SBBR and anaerobic-anoxic MSBR for dPAO utilization could be an attractive alternative to upgrade the process performance in weak sewage.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.754-759
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• 2011

A sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was operated under different pH conditions to better understand the influence of pH to granulation in enhanced biological phosphorus removal systems. Granules from the SBR were also investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Considerable decreases in the amount of phosphorus released per substrate provided under anaerobic conditions and the content of biomass polyphosphate under aerobic conditions were observed when pH was changed from 7.5 to 7.0, followed by 6.5. Aerobic granulation was also observed at pH 7.0. A number of bacteria with the typical morphological traits of tetrad-forming organisms (TFOs) were observed at pH 7.0, including large members of cluster. Filamentous bacteria were also there in large numbers. The occurrence and growth of granules were further enhanced at pH 6.5. A SEM analysis showed that the aerobic granules had a compact microbial structure with shaperical shape and morphologically consisted of aggregates of small coccoid bacteria and filamentous bacteria encapsulated by extracellular polymeric substance. The main material ions identified by EDX moreover revealed that the structural materials for polyphosphate in the granules include phosphorus, potassium and calcium. Therefore, these results strongly suggested that PAOs are a dominant population in the microbial community of the aerobic granules.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.40-46
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• 2006

This study was initiated to evaluate the inhibitory effect of selected heavy metals on the growth of Acinetobacter sp. Down as one of the phosphorus accumulating microorganisms (PAO) involved in the enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) process of the wastewater treatment plant. Acinetobacter sp. was initially selected as a starting model microorganism and was grown under aerobic condition for this experiment. The heavy metals selected and investigated in this study were cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn). Median $(IC_{50})$ and threshold $(IC_{10})$ inhibitory concentrations for Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni, and Zn were 2.95 and 1.45, 4.92 and 2.53, 0.03 and 0.02, 1.12 and 0.43, 14.84 and 5.46 mg $L^{-1}$, respectively. We demonstrated that most of heavy metals tested in the experiment inhibited the growth of Acinetobacter sp. in the range of predetermined concentrations. Based on the data obtained from the experiment, Hg was the most sensitive to Acinetobacter sp., then Ni, Cd, Cu, and Zn in order.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.189-196
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• 2010

The removal of phosphorus (P) in the wastewater is essential for the prevention of eutrophication in the river and stream. This study was initiated to evaluate the effect of the various heavy metals on the growth and P removal capacity of Pseudomonas sp., which was well known as phosphorus accumulating microorganism(PAO's) in the EBPR(Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal) process. The five heavy metals used in the study were Cu, As, Zn, Ni, and Cd. The growth rate of Pseudomonas sp. was the greatest at $25^{\circ}C$, but the removal efficiency of P was the highest at $30^{\circ}C$. The $IC_{50}$ (median Inhibition Concentration) values of Pseudomonas sp. for the Cu, As, Zn, Ni, and Cd were 2.35, 11.04, 1.80, 4.92, and 0.24 mg/L, respectively. Therefore, it appears that the sensitivity of the heavy metals to Pseudomonas sp. was in the following order: Cd> Zn> Cu> Ni> AS. Also, the P removal efficiencies by Pseudomonas sp. were correspondingly decreased as the concentrations of heavy metals were increased.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.197-204
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• 2007

The reciprocal effects towards the enhanced biological phosphorus removal were performed for anaerobic, aerobic and anoxic phases. The batch experiments showed that the p-absorption in the anoxic phase was 50% lower than aerobic phase. The correlation coefficient between p-back-solution and p-absorption was found to be $R^2=0.557$ however, the coefficient b(b = 8.4049) was relatively higher than the other researchers results. The increase and/or acceptance of the $K^+-,\;Mg^{2+}-$ and $NH_4-N$-concentration was proportional to those of the $PO_4-P$-concentration in the batch test. The relationship between $K^+-,\;Mg^{2+}$ and $PO_4-P$ was determined. The average value of this relation-ship agreed with 0.2 mol $K^+Ion$ / mol $PO_4-P$ ion and 0.21 mol $Mg^{2+}Ion$ / moi $PO_4-P$ ion in the anaerobic phase. The absorbed ratio of $K^+$ to $Mg^{2+}$ over $PO_4-P$ was found to be 1 : 5.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.437-443
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• 2020

Biological phosphorus removal is accomplished by exposing PAO(phosphorus accumulating organisms) to anaerobic-aerobic conversion conditions. In the anaerobic condition, PAO synthesize PHB(polyhydroxybutyrate) and simultaneously hydrolysis of poly-p resulting phosphorus(Pi) release. In aerobic condition, PAO uptake phosphorus(Pi) more than they have released. In this study, cyanobacteria Synechococcus sp., which is known to be able to synthesize PHB like PAO, was exposed to anaerobic-aerobic conversion. If Synechococcus sp. can remove excess phosphorus by the same mechanism as PAO, synergistic effects can occur through photosynthesis. Moreover, Synechococcus sp. is known to be capable of synthesizing PHB using inorganic carbon as well as organic carbon, so even if the available capacity of organic carbon decreases, it was expected to show stable phosphorus removal efficiency. In 6 hours of anaerobic condition, phosphorus release occurred in both inorganic and organic carbon conditions but SPRR(specific phosphorus release rate) of both conditions was 10 mg-P/g-MLSS/day, which was significantly lower than that of PAO. When converting to aerobic conditions, SPUR(specific phosphorus uptake rate) was about 9 mg-P/g-MLSS/day in both conditions, showing a higher uptake rate than the control condition showing SPUR of 6.4 mg-P/g-MLSS/day. But there was no difference in terms of the total amount of removal. According to this study, at least, it seems to be inappropriate to apply Synechococcus sp. to luxury uptake process for phosphorus removal.