• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2000.04a
• /
• pp.365-369
• /
• 2000

Methanogenic activity of granular sludge was monitored by specific methanogenic activity (SMA) assay and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) during start-up of a thermophilic UASB reactor. Autofluorescence by CLSM could visualize the methanogenic bacterial population inside sludge granules and its intensity was proportional to SMA. Considering the complex procedures of SMA measurement, fluorescence quantification by CLSM can be suggested as a routine technique measuring methanogenic activity in UASB granules.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.211-218
• /
• 2007

The objectives of this study have been carried out to investigate the solubilization of municipal sewage sludge by single and dual frequency ultrasonic pretreatment, and the methane production characteristics of pretreated sewage sludge by specific methanogenic activity test for sewage sludge reduction. The waste activated sludge was collected from thickened tank of Suyoung sewage treatment plant in Busan city, and its concentration was adjusted to 1.0% total solids. Ultrasonic frequency was varied 15, 20, 15+20 kHz, and acoustic density was used a maximum 176W/L. The dual frequency ultrasonic pretreatment was found to be more effective than single frequency ultrasonic in the solubilization rate and methane production. The $SCOD_{Cr}/TCOD_{Cr}$, rate were 15.2%, 13.9%, 17.0% with single frequency of 15 kH2, 20 kHz, dual frequency of 15+20 kHz, respectively. The application of dual frequency ultrasound for sewage sludge pretreatment can be interest for sewage treatment plants having problems in sludge treatment and disposal.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.65-72
• /
• 2020

The aims of this study were to compare the biomethanation of CO₂ through specific methanogenic activity (SMA) test which was inoculated with four different types of mixed microbial culture obtained from full-scale anaerobic digestion (AD) plants. The experimental results showed that CH₄ conversion was the highest in the samples inoculated by seed sludge taken from ADs of food waste and brewery; under this condition, the produced biomethane contains 89.3-91.9% of CH₄. Meanwhile, the lowest level was obtained in the sample from sewage sludge. The measured ratio of CH₄ production rate to CO₂ consumption rate in all reactors was higher than the theoretical value (1) in the middle of the period and soon dropped to 0.7-0.8. It might be due to changed metabolic pathways in the reactor by the degradation of residual organic matter and the increased activity of homoacetogenic bacteria.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.136-146
• /
• 2007

Landfill leachate was successfully treated in upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors regardless of the addition of granular sludge. Initial operating period was significantly reduced by the addition of granular sludge. At hydraulic retention time (HRT) of one day, chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rates in Control and Granule reactor were maintained over 90%, respectively with organic loading rate (OLR) of $4-8kgCOD/m^3.d$. During the experiment, the inorganic precipitates were accumulated in and around the sludge, and in the wall of the reactors were formed in both reactors regardless of addition of granular sludge. Specific methanogenic activity (SMA) increased as adaptation of microorganism to the substrate and OLR were increased. The maximum SMA value of the sludge for Granule reactor was about $0.57gCOD/g{\cdot}VSS{\cdot}.d$. The SMA value was not decreased because of excessive inorganic accumulation, however, it was needed to have pre-treatment process of influent to remove the inorganic metals.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
• /
• 2001.04a
• /
• pp.172-181
• /
• 2001

Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) system employs granular sludge to treat various wastewaters including landfill leachate. CH$_4$ production of the granules determines overall performance of a UASB reactor. Sludge granules are developed by self-granulation of microorganisms and dynamic balance between granule growth and decay results in coexistence of granules with different sizes in the reactor. In this study, granules taken from a laboratory-scale UASB reactor were classified into 4 groups based on their diameters and their Physicochemical characteristics we were investigated. Each group was analyzed for settling ability, specific methanogenic activity (SMA), and elemental content. Settling ability was proportional to granule diameter. suggesting effective detainment of larger granules in the reactor. When acetate or glucose was used as a substrate, all groups showed relatively slight difference in SMA. However SMA with a volatile fatty acid mixture showed significant increase with granule diameter, suggesting better establishment of syntrophic relationship in larger granules. Larger granules showed higher value of SMA upon environmental changes (i.e., PH, temperature, or toxicant concentration). Comparative analysis of elemental contents showed that content (dry weight %) of most tested elements (iron, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, nickel. and manganese) deceased with granule diameter, suggesting importance of these elements for initial granulation. Taken together, this study verified experimentally that Physicochemical Properties of granules are related to granule size distributions. Overall results of physicochemical characterization supports that larger.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.25-34
• /
• 1999

The effects of copper on the anaerobic degradation of propionate were studied using anaerobic batch reactors. The apparent inhibitory effects of copper on the anaerobic degradation of propionate could be observed from behaviors of intermediates, ultimate methane yield(UMY) and specific methanogenic activity(SMA) There was little inhibition at the concentration of $2.5mg\;Cu^{2+}/L$. Beyond this concentration, the inhibitory effects increased with increasing dose of coppers. The 50% inhibition of UMY and SMA occurred at copper dosage of 33.8 and $24.1mg\;Cu^{2+}/gVSS$, respectively. The inhibitory effect based on the UMY was gradually reduced with the operation time dueprobably to the acclimation of microorganisms and/or binding of the added copper by ligands(and possibly ion exchange sites)contained on the cell membrane and extracellular polymer matrix whereas it based on the SMA might exclude the this phenomena. Therefore, the methodology for interpretation of inhibition data based on the SMA was more accurated than the UMY. There was no inhibitory effect in batch reactors supplemented with sulfate due to an antagonistic action of the sulfate reducing bacteria. Propionate degradation was initially retarded for copper inhibited samples but it gradually degraded afterward. Based on the mass removal considering take into account the propionate to acetate conversion, propionate degradation may appeal more affected than acetate. This result revealed that the hydrogenotrophic methanogens were the most affected by copper.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.196-206
• /
• 2000

Methanogenesis and denitrification in an upflow sludge baffled filter (UBF) reactor were studied using glucose as a fermentative substrate. Experiments were carried out to investigate how to reduce ammonification by changing alkalinity and $COD/NO_3-N$ ratio. Characteristics of granular sludges were examined by specifics methanogenic activity(SMA) and specific denitrification rate(SDR) tests. Microstructures of granules were examined using a scanning electron microscopy(SEM). It was found that COD was removed efficiently owing to the diverse microorganisms. In nitrate conversion, not only $COD/NO_3-N$ ratio but also influent alkalinity played important role in the ratio of denitrification and ammonification of nitrate. This reactor achieved over 95% COD and 99% nitrate removal efficiencies when influent contained 4000 mgCOD/L and $700mgNO_3-N/L$ at the hydraulic retention time of 24 hours. As $COD/NO_3-N$ ratio decreased, granular methanogenic activities using acetate and butyrate as substrates increased while activities using propionate and glucose decreased. There were three types in granules according to the surface color; gray, yellowish gray, and black. Gray or yellowish gray-colored granules were composed two layers, which were composed of black inner side and gray or yellowish gray surface substances. SEM illustrated that both were rod-type and cocci-type microorganisms resembling Methanothrix sp. and Methanococci sp. This study showed that by controlling the influent alkalinity and $COD/NO_3-N$ ratio, ammonification and denitrification could be manipulated.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.126-137
• /
• 2006

Behaviors of simple organic compound and granular sludge in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor treating propionate at high ammonia nitrogen levels were investigated for 12 months. The UASB reactor achieved about 80% removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD) at ammonia nitrogen concentration up to 6000 mg-N/L. At higher concentration of ammonia nitrogen, the propionate in the effluent increased whereas the acetate was very low. At ammonia nitrogen concentration of 8000 mg-N/L, the volatile suspended solids (VSS) increased sharply due probably to the decrease of the content of extracellular polymer (ECP) although methane production was very low. The specific methanogenic activity (SMA) using formate, acetate, and propionate as substrate to granules decreased as ammonia nitrogen concentration increased. The ammonia nitrogen concentration $I^{50}$, causing 50% inhibition of SMA were 2666, 4778 and 5572 mg-N/L, respectively. The kinetic coefficients of ammonia inhibition using formate, acetate, and propionate as substrate were 3.279, 0.999 and 0.609, respectively. The SMA using formate was severely affected by ammonia nitrogen than those using acetate and propionate. This result indicated that the hydrogenotrophic methanogens was most affected by ammonia nitrogen. Granules were mainly composed of microcolonies of methanothrix-like bacteria resembling bamboo-shape, and several other microcolonies including propionate degrader with juxtapositioned syntrophic associations between the hydrogen-producing acetogens and hydrogen-consuming methanogens.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.151-160
• /
• 2006

Anaerobic treatment of landfill leachate was studied to investigate the behaviors of pollutant and the characteristics of microorganism for 10 months. The upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor achieved about 90% chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal at organic loading rates(OLR) up to $20kgCOD/m^3.d$. At higher OLR ($8-20kgCOD/m^3.d$), the propionate concentration increased, indicating that converting propionate to acetate was the rate-limiting step. Nevertheless, increase in the precipitate inside and on the surface of granules as well as on the wall of the reactor resulted in operational problems. The main inorganic precipitate in the granule was calcium compound. Although specific methanogenic activity (SMA) was not affected seriously in this study, metals had to be removed prior to anaerobic treatment so as to be free from the excessive inorganic accumulation that resulted in operational problems.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.75-82
• /
• 2008

Two UASB reactors were operated to investigate the effect of high concentration of sulfate on anaerobic digestion of propionate using an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor. An organic loading rate of $1.2kg\;COD/m^3{\cdot}d$ and a hydraulic retention time of 1.6 d were maintained during this study. In the absence of sulfate, the UASB reactor achieved about 95% removal of chemical oxygen demand whereas in the presence of $2,000\;SO_4^{2-}mg/L$, the COD removal rate decreased to 83% due probably to the inhibition of dissolved sulfide inhibition. Interactions between the methane producing bacteria (MPB) and sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) were measured to investigate the competition between MPB and SRB. The MPB consumed average 58% of the available electron donors at $COD/SO_4^{2-}$ ratio of 1. Propionate was consumed mainly by SRB, converting sulfate into sulfide and suppressing the methane production. The specific methanogenic activity (SMA) using acetate and propionate increased as microorganism acclimated to the substrate.