• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제15권6호
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• pp.1221-1228
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• 2005

Carbon electrode was applied to a wastewater treatment system as biofilm media. The spatial distribution of heterotrophic bacteria in aerobic wastewater biofilm grown on carbon electrode was investigated by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and biomass measurement. Five volts of electric oxidation and reduction potential were charged to the carbon anode and cathode of the bioelectrochemical system, respectively, but were not charged to electrodes of a conventional system. To correlate the biofilm architecture of bacterial populations with their activity, the bacterial treatment efficiency of organic carbons was measured in the bioelectrochemical system and compared with that in the conventional system. In the SEM image, the biofilm on the anodic medium of the bioelectrochemical system looked intact and active; however, that on the carbon medium of the conventional system appeared to be shrinking or damaging. In the AFM image, the thickness of biofilm formed on the carbon medium was about two times of those on the anodic medium. The bacterial treatment efficiency of organic carbons in the bioelectrochemical system was about 1.5 times higher than that in the conventional system. Some denitrifying bacteria can metabolically oxidize $H_{2}$, coupled to reduction of $NO_{3}^{-}\;to\;N_{2}$. $H_{2}$ was produced from the cathode in the bioelectrochemical system by electrolysis of water but was not so in the conventional system. The denitrification efficiency was less than $22\%$ in the conventional system and more than $77\%$ in the bioelectrochemical system. From these results, we found that the electrochemical coupling reactions between aerobic and anaerobic reactors may be a useful tool for improvement of wastewater treatment and denitrification efficiency, without special manipulations such as bacterial growth condition control, C/N ratio (the ratio of carbon to nitrogen) control, MLSS returning, or biofilm refreshing.

• 한국미생물·생명공학회지
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• 제35권1호
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• pp.73-80
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• 2007

생물막 매개체를 도자기 격막으로 구획된 오수처리 반응기에 장착하고 직류 2volt의 전압을 부과하여 생물막 매개체가 산화 전위를 유지할 수 있게 유도하였다. 반면 대조실험을 위해 사용한 반응조의 생물막 매개체에는 전압을 부과하지 않았다 ABM-반응기와 CBM-반응기에서 배양시간에 따른 생물막의 구조, 생물량의 변화, 오수처리 효율 등을 측정하여 상호 차이를 비교하였다. 전자현미경으로 관찰한 ABM의 생물막은 CBM의 생물막에 비해 분산성이 크고 미생물이 과밀하게 성장하지 않았으나 CBM의 생물막은 배양 시간에 비례하여 지속적으로 성장하면서 생물막 매개체를 완전히 덮어 과밀 생물막을 형성하였다. ABM의 ORP는 CBM의 ORP 100 mV에 비해 매우 큰 차이를 보이는 800 mV를 유지하였으며, 반응액의 ORP 또한 ABM과 CBM의 영향을 받아 각각 550 mV와 400 mV를 유지하였다. ABM-반응기에서 오수처리 효율은 CBM-반응기에서 오수처리 효율의 약 2배 정도의 차이를 나타내었다. 이러한 결과로부터 생물막 매개체에 부과한 양전위의 전기 에너지는 생물막을 구성하는 미생물 과밀현상을 억제하고 매개체의 ORP를 높게 유지함으로서 미생물의 대사 활성을 촉진하고 결과적으로 오수내 함유된 유기물의 산화효율을 증가시키는 작용이 있는 것으로 확인되었다.