• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.20 no.9
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• pp.1079-1085
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to find the operational characteristics of nitrifier-dominated membrane bioreactor (MBR), which has been extensively studied for organic removal, especially in terms of nitrite ($NO_2$-N) build-up and membrane fouling. Membrane fouling is one of the important factor which determines the economics of MBR system. The characteristics of membrane fouling was monitored in terms of the fouling indices such as sludge volume index (SVI), the concentration of total organic carbon (TOC) and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in a membrane permeate or sludge extract, the absorbance of supernatant at 260 nm. Most of index values except for protein concentration in EPS had a close relation with the increase of suction pressure and SVI value. Nitrifying MBR was superior to the conventional organic-oxidizing MBR in terms of membrane fouling since the fouling index value of nitrifying MBR was lower than that of BOD-oxidizing MBR.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.25-29
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• 2002

The kernel of wastewater treatment by activated sludge is elimination of organic substances and maintenance of well-flocculated sludge sedimentation. By the conventional activated sludge treatment, the optimum F/M ratio of soybean wastewater treatment was 0.24 (kg-BOD/kg-MLVSS day) and sludge bulking was generated at 0.48 (kg-BOD/kg-MLVSS day). To improve the treatment capacity and operation quality in higher loading of soybean wastewater, influent pH was constantly controlled by 9.0 using NaOH as a coagulant agent. In this process, higher loading up to 2.88 (kg-BOD/kg-MLVSS day) was possible and SVI was maintained under 150 without bulking. This was equivalent to 7.2 times higher than maximum permissible load of the conventional activated sludge process.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.139-144
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• 2012

In this study, the effects of starvation on floc characteristics when treating saline wastewater using a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) were investigated. The effectiveness over 5 days of starvation for aerobic and non-aerobic strategies for maintaining the physical characteristics of floc-forming sludge and the recovery period needed to regain the initial pollutant removal efficiency were investigated. Experiment results revealed that the sludge volume index (SVI) increased and the floc size and fractal dimension decreased after starvation under both aerobic and non-aerobic conditions. Sludge settleability deteriorated faster under aerobic conditions compared to non-aerobic conditions. Under non-aerobic conditions, the SBR required less time to return to its initial pollutant removal efficiency and settleability. Floc size, fractal dimension, and SVI were observed to be fairly correlated with each other. The results demonstrated that it was better to maintain the sludge under non-aerobic rather than aerobic starvation, because it adapted to, resisted starvation and had a quicker re-start afterward.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.378-384
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• 2003

Mesophilically-grown granular sludge seeded in thermophilic UASB reactor was monitored to better understand the start-up process of the reactor. The reactor was fed with a synthetic wastewater containing glucose. As COD loading rate increased stepwise, methane production rate increased. Maximum values of COD removal efficiency (95%) and methane production rate (5.3 l/day) were achieved by approximately day-80 and remained constant afterward. However, physicochemical and microbial properties of granules kept changing even after day-80. Specific methanogenic activity (SMA) was initially negligible, and increased continuously until day-153 and remained constant afterward, showing the maximum value of $1.51{\pm}0.13\;g\;CH_4-COD/g$ VSS/day. Deteriorated settling ability of granules recovered the initial value by day-98 and was maintained afterward, as determined by sludge volume index. Initially reduced granule size increased until day-126, reaching a plateau of 1.1 mm. Combined use of fluorescence in situ hybridization and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) allowed to localize families of Methanosaetaceae and Merhanosarcinaceae in granules with time Quantitative analyses of CLSM images of granule sections showed abundance patterns of the methanogens and numerical dominance of Methanosaeta spp. throughout the start-up period. The trend of SMA agreed well with abundance patterns of the methanogens.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.669-676
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of different Hydraulic Retention Times (HRTs) on the contaminant removal efficiency using Aerobic Granular Sludge (AGS). A laboratory-scale experiment was performed using a sequencing batch reactor, and the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), nitrogen, orthophosphate removal efficiency, AGS/MLSS ratio, and precipitability in accordance with the HRT were evaluated. As a result, the COD removal efficiency was not significantly different with the reduction in HRT, and at a HRT of 6 h, the removal rate was slightly increased owing to the increase in organic loading rate. The nitrogen removal efficiency was improved by injection of influent division at a HRT of 6 h. As the HRT decreased, the MLSS and AGS tended to increase, and the sludge volume index finally decreased to 50 mL/g. In addition, the size of the AGS gradually increased to about 1.0 mm. Therefore, the control of HRT provides favorable conditions for the stable formation of AGS, and is expected to improve the contaminant removal efficiency with the selection of a proper operation strategy.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.28 no.9
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• pp.719-727
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• 2019

In this study, the effect on the stability of Aerobic Granular Sludge (AGS) with different Carbon/Nitrogen (C/N) ratios was investigated. The C/N ratios were controlled to 10.0, 7.5, 5.0, and 2.5 using the sequencing batch reactor, and the results showed that the removal efficiency of organic matter and total nitrogen decreased simultaneously with the decrease of C/N ratio. The removal efficiency of organic matter and total nitrogen at C/N ratio of 2.5 was 70.7% and 52.3% respectively. In addition, the AGS/mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) ratio showed a tendency to decrease from 85.7% to 73.7%, while the sludge volume index showed a tendency to increase from 82 mL/g to 102 mL/g as the C/N ratio decreased. At the same time, the apparent deviation of polysaccharide (PS) content in extracellular polymeric substances was observed, and polysaccharides/protein (PS/PN) ratio decreased from 0.62 to 0.31 as the C/N ratio decreased. Optical microscope observations showed that the reduction in C/N ratio caused the growth of filamentous bacteria and significantly affected the stability of AGS.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.295-309
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the operational characteristics of wastewater treatment using Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) with Aerobic Granular Sludge (AGS) separator in the pilot plant. Pilot plant experiments were conducted using SBR with AGS separator and pollution removal efficiencies were evaluated based on the operational condition and surface properties of AGS. The results of the operation on water quality of the effluent showed that the average concentration of total organic carbon, suspended solids, nitrogen, and phosphorus was 6.89 mg/L, 7.33 mg/L, 7.33 mg/L, and 0.2 mg/L, respectively. All these concentrations complied the effluent standard in Korea. The concentration of mixed liquor suspended solid (MLSS) fluctuated, but the AGS/MLSS ratio was constant at 86.5±1.3%. Although the AGS/MLSS ratio was constant, sludge volume index improved. These results suggested that the particle discharged fine sludge and increased the AGS praticle size in the AGS. Optical microscopy revealed the presence of dense AGS at the end of the operation, and particles of > 0.6 mm were found. Compared to those of belt-type AGS separator, the required area and power consumption of the hydrocyclone-type AGS separator were reduced by 27.5% and 83.8%, respectively.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.284-290
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• 2016

Life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology can be used to assess impacts on the environment that might be generated during treatment of wastewater and sludge treatment. In this work, LCA methodology was suggested to evaluate monthly environmental impact of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Two field scale WWTPs, A2/O process and conventional activated sludge process (CAS), were selected as target plants and the operational data were collected from those plants. As the function units, the unit volume of treated wastewater of $1m^3$ and 1 kg T-N eq. removed were selected. The environmental effect of target WWTPs operation were assessed as impact categories such as global warming potential, eutrophication potential, and so on. From monthly profiles of each index, it was shown that the environmental impact of WWTPs has seasonal patterns influenced by the influent flow rate variation causing higher impacts in winter than summer. This is due to the fact that there were no significant increase in the electricity consumption and chemical usage during the summer while the treated volume of wastewater was increased.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.274-277
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• 2001

This research was conducted as a part of continuous development of a bioprocess to treat thiocyanate($SCN^-$) in the leachate from an industrial landfill site. Detailed characteristics of the leachate, physical and chemical, was analyzed in this study. Time to reach equilibrium in $SCN^-$ degradation at different temperature, similar to the annual variation. was investigated for posssible adaptation of the bioprocess in the treatment site. Complete mineralization of $SCN^-$ to ammonia. bicarbonate and sulfate at all temperature range with except $5^{\circ}C$ trial was observed with different time elapsed to reach equilibrium. which shortened as the process of Fill-Draw proceeded. The final metabolites were mainly nitrate and sulfate. No fouling odor was detected and the settling characteristic of the biomass after the treatment was good(i.e., sludge volume index(SVI) ${\le}$80). Using MWT sludge as an inoculum showed better performance with respect to the elapsed time for treatment and sedimentation characteristics than those of using 2BET sludge.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.257-264
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• 2006

An aerobic submerged membrane bioreactor (MBR) treating ammonium wastewater was studied in respect of nitrification characteristics and distribution of nitrification bacteria over a period of 350 days. MBR was fed with ammonium concentration of 500-1000 mg $NH_4-N/L$ at a nitrogen load of $1-2kg\;N/m^3{\cdot}d$. Overall ammonium oxidation rate increased with dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration, temperature, and sludge retention time (SRT). Under a higher concentration of free ammonia ($NH_3-N$) due to the decrease of ammonium oxidation rate, the nitrite ratio ($NO_2-N/NO_x-N$) in the effluent increased. The sudden collapse of nitrification efficiency accompanied by sludge foaming and the increase of sludge volume index (SVI) was observed unexpectedly during the operation. At the later stage of operation, additional carbon source was fed to the MBR and resulted in twice higher value of SVI and the decrease of ammonium oxidation rate. In fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis, genus Nitrosomonas which is specifically hybridized with probe NSM156 was initially the dominant ammonia oxidizing bacteria and the amount of Nitrosospira gradually increased. Nitrospira was the dominant nitrite oxidizing bacteria during whole operational period. Significant amount of Nitrobacter was also detected which might due to the high concentration of nitrite maintained in the reactor.