• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.673-679
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• 2008

The representative microorganism of autotrophic denitrification using sulfur granule, oxidizes the reduction from S and performs denitrification by reducing $NO_3{^-}-N$ to $N_2$ gas. The sampling of autotrophic denitrification microorganisms has been performed from foreshore sludge, condensed sludge, and active sludge, but the analysis of autotrophic denitrification microbial community characteristics has been lacking. Based on the separation and identification of each sample using the PCR and DGGE methodologies, many types of sulfuric microorganisms and autotrophic denitrification microorganisms were found.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.283-293
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• 2005

Characteristics of sulfur-based autotrophic denitrification in a semi-continuous type reactor and the kinetic parameters were studied. Enriched autotrophic denitrifying culture was used for the reactor operation. Biomass growth on sulfur particles and in the liquid medium was monitored using the DAPI staining method. From the result of ion concentration changes and the biomass growth, maximum specific growth rate, ${\mu}_{max}$, and the half velocity constant, $K_M$, were estimated as $0.61\;d^{-1}$ and 3.66 mg/L, respectively. Growth yield coefficient, Y values for electron acceptor and donor were found as 0.49 gVSS/g N and 0.16 gVSS/g S. The biomass showed specific denitrification rate, ranging 0.86-1.13 gN/g VSS-d. A half-order equation was found to best simulate the denitrification process in the packed bed reactor operated in the semi-continuous mode.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.162-163
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• 2005

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.22 no.11
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• pp.1995-2005
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• 2000

The use of heterotrophic denitrification as an alternative method for supplying alkalinity during sulfur-utilizing autotrophic denitrification was evaluated by examining the effects of external carbon source (both type and concentration) and HRT on denitrification efficiency. Concentrations of $NO_3{^-}-N$ and $COD_{Cr}$ of nitrified landfill leachate used for experiment were 700-900mg/L and 900-2500mg/L. respectively, All experiment was conducted with sulfur packed bed reactors (SPBRs) which were operated at $35^{\circ}C$. The fraction of $NO_3{^-}-N$ removed by heterotrophic denitrification ($HDNR_{fraction}$) to balance the alkalinity consumption by autotrophic denitrification varied with the type of external carbon source. When methanol and sodium acetate was added at theoretical HDNRfraction value. 100% denitrification was achieved without alkalinity addition. However, glucose and molasses require $HDNR_{fraction}$ value greater than theoretical value for complete denitrification. The EBCT and volumetric loading rate at which 100% denitrification efficiency could be achieved were 6.76 h and $2.84kg-NO_3{^-}-N/m^3{\cdot}d$, respectively, based on the fact that 100% denitrification occurred within the bottom 11.5 cm layer of the SPBR. The maximum nitrogen removal rate occurred with 89% removal efficiency at loading rate of $5.05kg-NO_3{^-}-N/m^3{\cdot}d$. However, at short EBCT, clogging of SPBR was observed with excess growth of heterotrophic denitrifiers. This problem may be eliminated by back washing or by separating of heterotrophic denitrification from sulfur-utilizing denitrification.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.121-127
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• 2004

It is necessary to supply external carbon source for enhancement of biological nitrogen removal from domestic wastewater with low influent C/N ratio. Sulfide was chosen as a cost effective electron donor and reaction stoichiometry for autotrophic denitrification was investigated by conducting bench-scale experiments in this study. Higher sulfur to nitrogen (S/N) ratio than the calculated value from theoretical reaction stoichiometry was required when the anoxic reactor was operated at open condition because dissolved oxygen introduced by surface aeration reacted with sulfide with ease. In addition, higher sulfate production and lower yield of microorganism could be observed under the same condition. It was possible to obtain reliable reaction stoichiometry for autotrophic denitrification by establishing pure anoxic condition. Linear relationship between bacterial growth and consumption of nitrate, sulfide, alkalinity, and sulfate production enabled to derive a relatively correct reaction stoichiometry for autotrophic denitrification when sulfide was used as an electron donor.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.191-198
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• 2005

A novel technology for the removal of nitrogen from wastewater, an autotrophic denitrification process with sulfur particles, has been developed. A respirometer was employed to monitor the nitrogen gas produced in the reactor, while 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining was employed to investigate the biomass distribution in terms of cell number according to the reactor height. From the respirometric monitoring, the denitrification reaction was defined as a first order reaction. The reactor was divided into 7 sections and biomass was analyzed in each section where cell number was ranged from $4.8\;{\times}\;10^6\;to\;8.7\;{\times}\;10^7$ cells/g dry weight of sulfur. Cells placed mostly in the lower layer ( < 10 cm of height). A function for biomass distribution was obtained with non-linear regression. Then a mathematical model has been developed by combining a plug-flow model with the biomass distribution function. The model could make a vertical profile of the up-flow packed-bed reactor resulting in a reasonable comparison with measured nitrate concentration with 5% of error range.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.231-239
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• 2006

In this study, we evaluated the efficiency of using sulfur-$CaCO_3$ complex pellet in the sulfur oxidizing autotrophic denitrification process for synthetic wastewater with high $CaCO_3$ concentration. The sulfur-$CaCO_3$ complex pellet was packed in reactor(R4). Influent ${NO_3}^--N$ loading rate was from 200 to $1,000g/m^3{\cdot}day$. During the operation, average denitrification efficiency of R4 was above 95%. Particularly, the denitrififation rate at $1,000g/m^3{\cdot}day$ loading was 98.96% for R4. High ${NO_3}^--N$ removal efficiency was determined in R4 compared with other reactors. Through $Ca^{2+}$ and alkalinity analyses, we calculated the supplied alkalinity from the packed $CaCO_3$ in the reactor. Sulfur-$CaCO_3$ complex pellet more effectively supplied alkalinity through the dissociation of $CaCO_3$ as compared with other media. Based on these results, sulfur-$CaCO_3$ complex pellet increased the pH buffering capacity while also providing the carbon source to the denitrifying bacteria. Denitrification efficiency of R4 was also higher than other reactors. ESEM pictures of sulfur-$CaCO_3$ complex pellet show higher porosity than that of the granular sulfur. Hence, more denitrifying bacteria attached on the sulfur-$CaCO_3$ complex pellet than on granular sulfur. It can be concluded that the sulfur-$CaCO_3$ complex pellet is a more suitable media for a sulfur oxidizing autotrophic denitrification process as it provides high denitrification efficiency.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.409-414
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• 2006

Sulfur-oxidizing bacteria were enumerated and isolated from a steady-state anaerobic master culture reactor (MCR) operated for over six months under a semi-continuous mode and nitrate-limiting conditions using thiosulfate as an electron donor. Most are Gram-negative bacteria, which have sizes up to 12 m. Strains AD1 and AD2 were isolated from the plate count agar (PCA), and strains BD1 and BD2 from the solid thiosulfate/nitrate medium. Based on the morphological, physiological, FAME and 16S rDNA sequence analyses, the two dominant strains, AD1 and AD2, were identified as Paracoccus denitrificans and Paracoccus versutus (formerly Thiobacillus versutus), respectively. From the physiological results, glucose was assimilated by both strains AD1 and AD2. Heterotrophic growth of strains AD1 and AD2 could be a more efficient way of obtaining a greater amount of biomass for use as an inoculum. Even though facultative autotrophic bacteria grow under heterotrophic conditions, autotrophic denitrification would not be reduced.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.38-44
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• 2006

Two sulfur-based column reactors inoculated with a bacterial consortium containing autotrophic denitrifiers were operated for 100 and 500 days, respectively and nitrate removal efficiency and the adaptation of microbial communities in the columns were monitored with column depths and time. For better understanding the adaptation phenomenon, molecular techniques including 16S rDNA sequencing and DGGE analysis were employed. Although both columns showed about 99% of nitrate removal efficiency heterotrophic denitrifiers such as Cenibacterium arsenioxidans and Geothrix fermentans were found to a significant portion at the initial stage of the 100-day reactor operation. However, as operation time increased, an autotrophic denitrifier Thiobacillus denitrificans became a dominant bacterial species throughout the column. A similar trend was also observed in the 500-day column. In addition, nitrate removal efficiencies were different with column depths and thus bacterial species with different metabolic activities were found at the corresponding depths. Especially, T. denitrificans was successfully adapted and colonized at the bottom parts of the columns where most nitrate was reduced.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.1035-1043
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• 2007

A leachate containing an elevated concentration of organic and inorganic compounds has the potential to contaminate adjacent soils and groundwater as well as downgradient areas of the watershed. Moreover high-strength ammonium concentrations in leachate can be toxic to aquatic ecological systems as well as consuming dissolved oxygen, due to ammonium oxidation, and thereby causing eutrophication of the watershed. In response to these concerns landfill stabilization and leachate treatment are required to reduce contaminant loading sand minimize effects on the environment. Compared with other treatment technologies, leachate recirculation technology is most effective for the pre-treatment of leachate and the acceleration of waste stabilization processes in a landfill. However, leachate recirculation that accelerates the decomposition of readily degradable organic matter might also be generating high-strength ammonium in the leachate. Since most landfill leachate having high concentrations of nitrogen also contain insufficient quantities of the organic carbon required for complete denitrification, we combined a shortcut biological nitrogen removal (SBNR) technology in order to solve the problem associated with the inability to denitrify the oxidized ammonium due to the lack of carbon sources. The accumulation of nitrite was successfully achieved at a 0.8 ratio of $NO_2^{-}-N/NO_x-N$ in an on-site reactor of the sequencing batch reactor (SBR) type that had operated for six hours in an aeration phase. The $NO_x$-N ratio in leachate produced following SBR treatment was reduced in the landfill and the denitrification mechanism is implied sulfur-based autotrophic denitrification and/or heterotrophic denitrification. The combined leachate recirculation with SBNR proved an effective technology for landfill stabilization and nitrogen removal in leachate.