• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.22 no.11
• /
• pp.1969-1976
• /
• 2000

It is a time consuming work to identify the inhibition of unknown chemicals or industrial wastewater. Thus it is needed to establish a fast assay tool for finding a toxicant source. Biomass activity and ammonia inhibition were measured by DHAINT method. Ammonia inhibition tests were comprised of total ammonia inhibition and free ammonia inhibition. Those inhibitions were carried out by nitrifier and heterotroph each other with nitrifier inhibitor. The ammonia inhibition was proportional to an amount of total ammonia and pH increase. It meaned that a free ammonia played a key role for ammonia inhibition. however both total ammonia and free ammonia should be considered for an accurate assay of the ammonia inhibition. Nitrifier was more sensitive than heterotroph when the ammonia concentration above 3.000mg/L.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.141-148
• /
• 2022

In this study, the inhibition of ammonia on anaerobic digestion of butyric acid was evaluated and the potential alleviating effects of such ammonia inhibition by the addition of magnetite particles were investigated. Independent anaerobic batch tests fed with butyric acid as a sole organic source were conducted in twenty 60-mL glass bottles with 10 different treatment conditions, comprising ammonia: 0.5, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0, and 7.0 g total ammonia nitrogen (TAN)/L and magnetite particles: 0 mM and 20 mM. The increase in ammonia concentration did not cause significant inhibition on methane yield; however, a significant inhibition on lag time and specific methane production rate was observed. The IC₅₀ in the control treatments (without magnetite addition) was estimated as 6.2654 g TAN/L. A similar inhibition trend was observed in magnetite-added treatments; however, the inhibition effect by ammonia was significantly alleviated in lag time and specific methane production rate when compared to those in the control treatments. The lag time was shortened by 1.6-46.3%, specific methane production rate was improved by 6.0-69.0%. In the magnetite-added treatments, IC₅₀ was estimated as 8.5361 g TAN/L. This study successfully demonstrated the potential of magnetite particles as an enhancer in anaerobic digestion of butyric acid under conditions of ammonia stress.

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

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.23 no.5
• /
• pp.719-723
• /
• 2013

Nitrification in wastewater treatment emits a significant amount of nitrous oxide ($N_2O$), which is one of the major greenhouse gases. However, the actual mechanism or metabolic pathway is still largely unknown. Selective nitrification inhibitors were used to determine the nitrification steps responsible for $N_2O$ emission with activated sludge and enriched nitrifiers. Allylthiourea (86 ${\mu}M$) completely inhibited ammonia oxidation and $N_2O$ emission both in activated sludge and enriched nitrifiers. Sodium azide (24 ${\mu}M$) selectively inhibited nitrite oxidation and it led to more $N_2O$ emission than the control experiment both in activated sludge and enriched nitrifiers. The inhibition tests showed that $N_2O$ emission was mainly related to the activity of ammonia oxidizers in aerobic condition, and the inhibition of ammonia monooxygenase completely blocked $N_2O$ emission. On the other hand, $N_2O$ emission increased significantly as the nitrogen flux from nitrite to nitrate was blocked by the selective inhibition of nitrite oxidation.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.113-118
• /
• 1986

Optimum temperature and pH of glutamine synthetase activity (E.C. 3.6.1.2.) of R. sphaeroides D-230 was $35^{\circ}C$ and 6.8, respectively. The adenylated state of GS in R. sphaeroides D-230 was stabilized by addition of 0.2mg/ml of cethyltrimethylammoniumbromide. Valine, histidine, proline, isoleucine, and lysine were good nitrogen source for the growth of R. sphaeroides D-230. The growth of R. sphaeroides D-230 in $N_2,\;NaNO_3\;or\;NH_4Cl$ as sole nitrogen source was lower than in any otherculture conditions. GS activity was inhibited, more or less, by various amino acid. THe relative inhibition rate of the enzyme by added 7mM arginine, $NH_4Cl,\;N_2,\;and\;NaNO_3$ was 63.8%, 26.79%, 6.24%, and 10.64%, drespectively. THe hydrogen evolution of R. sphaeroides D-230 grown in N-limited media was inhibited by 0.1mM MSX, irreversible GS inhibitor. GS activity was completely inhibited by 1.0mM MSX but ammonia released maximally at the same concentration of MSX. Ammonia release by added MSX was increased up to 1.0mM MS, but decreased above 1.0mM MSX. It is probably due to inhibition of nitrogenase actixity by MSX. Nitrogenase activity was not inhibited at low concentration of MSX. These results suggests that the inhibition of nitrogenase activity by ammonia is mediated by products of ammonia assimilation rather than by ammonia itself.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.23 no.6
• /
• pp.993-997
• /
• 2007

The upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor can be effective for treating simple organic compounds containing high concentration of ammonia nitrogen. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency was about 80% at ammonia nitrogen concentration up to 6,000 mg-N/L. This result also showed that it would be possible to treat propionate effectively at free ammonia nitrogen concentration up to 724 mg-N/L if sufficient time was allowed for adaptation. However the specific methanogenic activity (SMA) of granule was lower than that of granule in the reactor with lower ammonia nitrogen concentration. At 8,000 mg-N/L, the inhibition of high ammonia concentration was observed with evidence of increase of the volatile suspended solids (VSS) concentration in the effluent. It might be ascribed to the decrease in the content of extracellular polymer (ECP), which resulted to the sloughing off of obligated proton-reducing acetogens and heterogenotrophic methanogens from the exterior of granular sludge. This caused a great portion of the finely sludge to be easily washed out. Therefore, failure to maintain the balance between these two groups of microorganism cause accumulation of the hydrogen partial pressure in the reactor, which could have inhibited the growth of acetate utilizing methanogens.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.1-6
• /
• 2004

The seeding sources and concentration of ammonia on anaerobic digestion were investigated by batch culture bioreactors. The sources of seeding on anaerobic digestion were from swine wastewater collection pit of a hog raising farm and from anaerobic digestion sludge of a municipal sewage treatment plant. The inhibition of ammonia on anaerobic microorganisms was initiated at ammonia concentration of $1,500\;mgNH_4-N/L$ and it's effect was increased by increased by increasing ammonia concentration up to $3,500\;mgNH_4-N/L$ regardless the sources of seeding as evidenced by decreases in COD removal efficiencies and biogas yields. The inhibition occurred to not only methanogens but also acidogens since the concentration of volatile fatty acids was maintained at 50 mg/L The COD removal efficiency and biogas yield were Maintained constantly while increasing ammonia concentration up to $3,500\;mgNH_4-N/L$ when swine wastewater collection pit was used as a seeding; however, those were decreased while increasing ammonia concentration when anaerobic digestion sludge was used as a seeding. The results indicate that the seeding acclimated to high concentrations of ammonia for long time was easy in adaptation to high ammonia concentration and less subjective to ammonia inhibitory effects.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.195-201
• /
• 2006

The operational characteristics of anaerobic bioreactors in treating swine wastewater were evaluated upto hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 1 day and organic loading rate (OLR) of $5.1kg-COD/m^3{\cdot}d$ for 200 days. The bioreactors were effective in treating swine wastewaters with COD removal efficiency of $78.9{\sim}81.5%$ and biogas generation of $0.39{\sim}0.59m^3/kg-COD_r$ at OLR of $1.1{\sim}2.2kg-COD/m^3{\cdot}d$. The two-stage ASBF anaerobic bioreactors was effective in treating different characteristics of swine wastewaters since they showed high and stable COD removal efficiency at high OLR due to effective retention of biomass by media and staging. The effects of ammonia on anaerobic digestion were investigated by operating two-stage ASBF reactors using swine wastewaters as influent without and with ammonia removal at HRT of $1{\sim}2$ days and OLR of $2.2{\sim}9.6kg-COD/m^3{\cdot}d$ for 250 days. The COD removal efficiency and biogas generation of two-stage ASBF reactors was decreased by increasing influent ammonia concentrations to 1,580 mg (T-N)/L with increasing OLR to $6.3kg-COD/m^3{\cdot}d$, while those were increased by maintaining influent ammonia concentrations below 340 mg (T-N)/L by MAP precipitation with increasing OLR to $9.6kg-COD/m^3{\cdot}d$. Initial inhibition of ammonia on anaerobic processes was observed at a concentration of 760 mg (T-N)/L and the COD removal efficiency and biogas generation dropped to 1/2 at ammonia concentration ranges of $1,540{\sim}1,870mg$ (T-N)/L. It is essential to remove ammonia in swine wastewaters to an initial inhibition level before anaerobic processes for the effective removal of COD.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.102-108
• /
• 2002

The effects of ammonia on mesophilic anaerobic digestion were investigated by operating lab-scale two-stage ASBF reactors using swine wastewaters as influent without and with ammonia removal at HRT of 1-2 days and OLR of $2.2{\sim}9.6kg-COD/m^3{\cdot}d$ for 250 days. The COD removal efficiency and biogas generation of two-stage ASBF reactors was decreased by increasing influent ammonia concentrations to 1,580 mg(T-N)/L with increasing OLR to $6.3kg-COD/m^3{\cdot}d$, while those were increased by maintaining influent ammonia concentrations below 340 mg(T-N)/L by MAP precipitation with increasing OLR to $9.6kg-COD/m^3{\cdot}d$. Initial inhibirion of ammonia on anaerobic processes was observed at a concentration of 760 mg(T-N)/L and the COD removal efficiency and biogas generation dropped to 1/2 at ammonia concentration ranges of 1,540~1,870 mg(T-N)/L. It is essential to remove ammonia in swine wastewaters to an initial inhibition level before anaerobic processes for the effective removal of COD.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.205-212
• /
• 2011

Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) from the maize pathogen Ustilago maydis was analysed immunologically to obtain insights into the structural relationships between plant PAL and fungal PAL and between PAL and histidine ammonia-lyase (HAL). Cross-reactivity was found among all the PAL proteins from different species tested, using antibodies raised against both plant and fungal PALs. Both anti-Alfalfa and anti-popular PAL antibodies strongly recognized plant PALs but only weakly recognized fungal PALs. Antibodies raised against U. maydis PAL only weakly recognized the Rhodotorula glutinis yeast PAL. The anti-U. maydis PAL antibodies showed low affinity for the plant PALs but they bound strongly to Pseudomonas bacterial HAL. Significant cross-reactivity between the two plant PAL antibodies and the bacterial HAL was also observed. Both the anti-Ustilago PAL and the anti-poplar PAL antibodies displayed similar enzyme inhibition patterns, including moderate inhibition of bacterial HAL activity. However, the bacterial HAL antibody inhibited only Ustilago PAL. The PAL and HAL antibodies tested showed no inhibition against yeast PAL. This is first report on the immunological relationships between PAL and HAL.