• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.127-133
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• 2006

Aerobic floc-like sludge was formed in a batch reactor and the effect of cations on the formation of aerobic floc-like sludge was studied. In order to enhance the formation (rate) of aerobic floc-like sludge, cations such as $K^+$, $Na^+$, $Ca^{2+}$, and $Mg^{2+}$ were added to the seed sludge. It was found that $Ca^{2+}$ had positive effect on the formation of floc-like sludge, as measured by sludge volume index (SVI) for settle ability. The formation of floc-like sludge was confirmed by the microscopic observation after DAPI staining. The scattered forms of sludge samples at the initial stage became aggregated to form floes after $Ca^{2+}$ addition. To ensure the functions of sludge floes in a treatment plant, the gradient of ionic species around the surfaces of floc-like sludge was monitored by ion selective microelectrodes for ${NH_4}^+,\;{NO_3}^-$, and pH. The effective concentration of $Ca^{2+}$ ion to form floc-like sludge was determined to be 750 mg/L (0.15 mg $Ca^{2+}/mg$ MLSS). Under the effective $Ca^{2+}$ condition, the SVI value was the lowest and large distribution of nitrifying bacteria at the outer surface was observed in the aerobic floc-like sludge. From the results, it was found that the calcium ion functioned as an agent for the formation of aerobic floc-like sludge, resulting in the enhanced nitrification.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.161-170
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• 2014

It is essential to decrease energy consumption and excess sludge to economically operate sewage treatment plant. This becomes more important along with a ban on sea dumping and exhaustion of resource. Therefore, many researchers have been study on energy consumption reduction and strategies for minimization of excess sludge production from the activated sludge process. The aeration cost account for a high proportion of maintenance cost because sufficient air is necessary to keep nitrifying bacteria activity of which the oxygen affinity is inferior to that of heterotrophic bacteria. Also, additional costs are incurred to stabilize excess sludge and decrease the volume of sludge. There were anoxic, aerobic, membrane, deairation and concentration zone in this MBR process. Continuous aeration was provided to prevent membrane fouling in membrane zone and intermittent aeration was provided in aerobic zone through ammonia sensor. So, there was the minimum oxygen to remove $NH_4-N$ below limited quantity that could be eliminated in membrane zone. As the result of this control, energy consumption of aeration system declined by between 10.4 % and 19.1 %. Besides, we could maintain high MLSS concentration in concentration zone and this induced the microorganisms to be in starved condition. Consequentially, the amount of excess sludge decrease by about 15 %.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.31 no.10
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• pp.855-864
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• 2009

The effect of toxicant on the inhibition of nitrification was investigated, using concentrated nitrifying bacteria of both attached and suspended growth. This nitrifying organism was originally obtained from the activated sludge of sewage treatment plant and cultivated for more than three months. The object of this experiment is to determine the effect of the specific surface area and the growth condition of nitrifying bacteria on toxicity of heavy metal. The results of this study were as follows. The specific surface area of both attached and suspended growth of nitrifying organism was proven to be a major factors in determining the inhibition of nitrification of heavy metal such as $Cu^{++}$ion. When the condition of attachment and detachment was compared in an experiment using attached growth nitrifier, the effect on toxicant was 1.12 times less in attached condition than in detached condition for Nitrosomonas, and 1.09 times less for Nitrobacter. In case of suspended growth nitrifier, the effect on toxicant was 1.46 times less in non-ground condition than in ground condition for Nitrosomonas, and 1.35 times less for Nitrobacter. Also, similar results were obtained in a set of experiments, without adding nitrite to the substrate. In an experiment that compared attached condition using attached growth nitrifier with detached condition using attached growth nitrifier, the effect on toxicant was 1.83 times less in attached condition than in detached one for Nitrosomonas, and 1.78 times less for Nitrobacter. In case of suspended growth nitrifier, the effect on toxicant was 1.27 times less in non-ground condition than in ground condition for Nitrosomonas, and 1.32 times less for Nitrobacter.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.96-103
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• 2010

In this work, the presence of nitrification biochemical oxygen demand (NBOD) frequently occurred in the sewer outflow in winter season was analysed by the COD fraction methods using the respirometry and process simulations with real operation data measurements and analysis. The activated sludge models applied in this process simulation were based on the ASM No.2d temp. models, published by International Association on Water Quality (IAWQ). The ASM No.2d model is an extension of the ASM No.2 model and takes into account of carbon removal, nitrification, denitrification and phosphorus removal. The denitrifying capacity of phosphorus accumulating organisms has been implemented in the ASM No.2d model because experimental evidence shows that some of the phosphorus accumulating organisms can denitrify. It was shown that the concentrations of autotrophs (X_AUT) in the secondary clarifier and the $NH_4-N$ of T-N increased in the presence of NBOD measurements. Because of the low temperature (average $8^{\circ}C$) and possible operational troubles, the outcoming autotrophs exhausted oxygen in the process of nitrifying $NH_4-N$.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.316-322
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• 2002

A newly isolated heterotrophic marine bacterium, Vibrio alginolyticus, was used to remove a high load of ammonia gas under non-sterile condition. The cells were inoculated onto an inorganic packing material in a fixed-bed reactor (biofilter), and a high load of ammonia, in the range of ammonia gas concentration of 170 ppm to 880 ppm, was introduced continuously. Sucrose solution and 3% NaCl was supplied intermittently to supplement the carbon source and water to the biofilter. The average percentage of gas removed exceeded 85% for 107-day operation. The maximum removal capacity and the complete removal capacity were$19\;g-N\;kg^{-1}$ dry packing material $day^{-1}$ and $16\;g-N\;kg^{-1}$ dry packing material $day^{-1}$, respectively, which were about three times greater than those obtained in nitrifying sludge inoculated onto the same packing material. On day 82, the enhanced pressure drop was restored to the normal one by NaOH treatment, and efficient removal characteristics were later observed. During this operation, the non-sterile condition had no significantly adverse effect on the removability of ammonia by V. alginolyticus.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.49-59
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• 2011

The effect of the variation of aeration time on the microorganisms was investigated in sequencing batch reactor (SBRs). The cycling time in four SBRs was adjusted to 12 hours and then included different aerobic times as 1 hr, 2.5 hr, 4 hr and 5.5 hr, respectively. Four SBR systems have been operated and investigated for over 40 days. As the increase of aeration time, the consumption of glycogen within sludge at the 1st non-aeration time a little bit was increased and the production of glycogen at the aeration time was increased. Also, the produced PHB amounts and PHB production rate at the 1st non-aeration time were increased as the decrease of aeration time, which showed the activation of the phosphorus removal. The ratios of nitrifying microorganisms' number and GAOs to the total microorganisms' number in SBRs was decreased as the decrease of the aeration time, however, the PAOs ratio was almost constant irrespective of the variation of aeration time.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.56-65
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• 2011

Culture-independent microscopic observations and 16S rDNA analyses were applied to describe the bacterial community inherent to the biofilm structure of the RABC (Rotating Activated Bacillus Contactors) process for swine butchery wastewater treatment. The ratios of Gram-positive bacterial counts to total bacterial counts of the RABC process were significantly increased in the last aeration tank as well as returned sludge, while those of the existing A2O (Anaerobic-Anoxic-Oxic) process maintained constant from aeration tanks to returned sludge. Totally nine phyla were recovered by 16S rDNA analysis, two of which were major groups: the Proteobacteria (64.1%) and the Actinobacteria (18.4%). The third major group was the endospore-forming Firmicutes (5.4%). The remaining six minor groups are the Bacteroidetes (3.3%), the Chlorobi (2.2%), the Nitrospirae (1.1%), the Chlorofleix (1.1%), the Acidobacteria (1.1%), and the Fusobacteria (1.1%). The ratio of endospore-forming bacteria was 19.4%, which was composed of the members of the Firmicutes phylum (5.4%) and the Intrasporangiaceae family (14.0%) of the Actinobacteria phylum. Nitrifying and denitrifying related- and phosphorus accumulating related-sequences were composed of 6.5% and 5.4% of total community, respectively, these could mean the high capacity of the RABC process to remove odor compounds and reduce eutrophication by efficient removing inorganic nutrients.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.922-929
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• 2007

The complete oxidation of ammonia to nitrate is a distinctive two-step process divided into the oxidation of ammonia to nitrite(nitritation) by Nitrosomonas and the oxidation of nitrite to nitrate(nitratation) by Nitrobacter. The nitrogen removal via nitrite accumulation offers several advantages such as saving costs for aeration, saving carbon source and finally reduction of sludge discharge. In this work a suspended bioreactor coupled with membrane filtration(MBR) was used to find the process conditions of nitrite build-up. The MBR enables to reach sufficient nitrifying bacteria in the bioreactor, although the autotrophic bacteria can be easily washed out due to their lower growth rate. The dissolved oxygen concentration $c'_{O2}$ and ammonia concentration $c_{NH3}$ in the reactor were varied and investigated as parameters for nitrite accumulation. As a result the higher ammonia concentration in the reactor is very effective for starting nitrite build-up and the effect was strengthened in combination with lower dissolved oxygen concentration. With lower $c'_{O2}<0.3$ $mgL^{-1}$ $O_2$ and high $c_{NH3}=6.3\sim14.9$ $mgL^{-1}$ $NH_3N$ the 74% of the nitrite accumulation was achieved. Specially, it was found that the nitrite accumulation could occur not only in biofilm reactor as many references showed but also in the membrane bioreactor carried out in this study.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.166-174
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• 2016

In order to find an efficient bacterial strain that can carry out nitrification and denitrification simultaneously, we isolated many heterotrophic nitrifying bacteria from wastewater treatment plant. One of isolates NS13 showed high removal rate of ammonium and was identified as Alcaligenes faecalis by analysis of its 16S rDNA sequence, carbon source utilization and fatty acids composition. This bacterium could remove over 99% of ammonium in a heterotrophic medium containing 140 mg/L of ammonium at pH 6-9, $25-37^{\circ}C$ and 0-4% of salt concentrations within 2 days. It showed even higher ammonium removal at higher initial ammonium concentration in the medium. A. faecalis NS13 could also reduce nitrate and nitrous oxide by nitrate reductase and nitrous oxide reductase, respectively, which was confirmed by detection of nitrate reductase gene, napA, and nitrous oxide reducase gene, nosZ, by PCR. One of metabolic intermediate of denitrification, $N_2O$ was detected from headspace of bacterial culture. Based on analysis of all nitrogen compounds in the bacterial culture, 42.8% of initial nitrogen seemed to be lost as nitrogen gas, and 46.4% of nitrogen was assimilated into bacterial biomass which can be removed as sludge in treatment processes. This bacterium was speculated to perform heterotrophic nitrification and aerobic denitrification simultaneously, and may be utilized for N removal in wastewater treatment processes.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.125-130
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• 2008

Free ammonia ($NH_3$-N) inhibition of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) has been widely studied for partial nitrification (or nitrite accumulation) and denitrification via nitrite ($NO_2^-$-N) as a low-cost treatment of ammonium containing wastewater. The literature on $NH_3$-N inhibition of NOB, however, shows disagreement about the threshold $NH_3$-N concentration and its degree of inhibition. In order to clarify the confusion, a simple and cheap respirometric method was devised to investigate the effect of free ammonia inhibition of NOB. Sludge samples from an autotrophic nitrifying reactor were exposed to various $NH_3$-N concentrations to measure the maximum specific nitrite oxidation rate ($\hat{K}_{NO}$) using a respirometer. NOB biomass was estimated from the yield values in the literature. Free ammonia inhibition of nitrite oxidizing bacteria was reversible and the specific nitrite oxidation rate ($K_{NO}$) decreased from 0.141 to 0.116, 0.100, 0.097 and 0.081 mg $NO_2^-$-N/mg NOB h, respectively, as the $NH_3$-N concentration increased from 0.0 to 1.0, 4.1, 9.7 and 22.9 mg/L. A nonlinear regression based on the noncompetitive inhibition mode gave an estimate of the Inhibition concentration ($K_I$) of free ammonia to be 21.3 mg $NH_3$-N/L. Previous studies gave $\hat{K}_{NO}$ of Nitrobacter and Nitrospira as 0.120 and 0.032 mg/mg VSS h. The free ammonia concentration which inhibits Nitrobacter was $30{\sim}50\;mg$ $NH_3$-N/L and Nitrospira was inhibited at $0.04{\sim}0.08\;mg$ $NH_3$-N/L. The results support the fact that Nitrobacter is the dominant NOB in the reactor. The variations in the reported values of free ammonia inhibition may be due to the different species of nitrite oxidizers present in the reactors. The respirometric method provides rapid and reliable analysis of the behavior and community of the nitrite oxidizing bacteria.