• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.11
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• pp.1598-1609
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• 2013

Organochlorine pesticide residues continue to remain as a major environmental threat worldwide. Lindane is an organochlorine pesticide widely used as an acaricide in medicine and agriculture. In the present study, a new lindane-degrading yeast strain, Pseudozyma VITJzN01, was identified as a copious producer of glycolipid biosurfactant. The glycolipid structure and type were elucidated by FTIR, NMR spectroscopy, and GC-MS analysis. The surface activity and stability of the glycolipid was analyzed. The glycolipids, characterized as mannosylerythritol lipids (MELs), exhibited excellent surface active properties and the surface tension of water was reduced to 29 mN/m. The glycolipid was stable over a wide range of pH, temperature, and salinity, showing a very low CMC of 25 mg/l. Bio-microemulsion of olive oil-in-water (O/W) was prepared using the purified biosurfactant without addition of any synthetic cosurfactants, for lindane solubilization and enhanced degradation assay in liquid and soil slurry. The O/W bio-microemulsions enhanced the solubility of lindane up to 40-folds. Degradation of lindane (700 mg/l) by VITJzN01 in liquid medium amended with bio-microemulsions was found to be enhanced by 36% in 2 days, compared with degradation in 12 days in the absence of bio-microemulsions. Lindane-spiked soil slurry incubated with bio-microemulsions also showed 20-40% enhanced degradation compared with the treatment with glycolipids or yeast alone. This is the first report on lindane degradation by Pseudozyma sp., and application of bio-microemulsions for enhanced lindane degradation. MEL-stabilized bio-microemulsions can serve as a potential tool for enhanced remediation of diverse lindane-contaminated environments.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2012

We demonstrated that reductive degradation of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT) and hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (Royal Demolition Explosive, RDX) can be enhanced by bio-reduced iron-bearing soil minerals (IBSMs) using Shewanella putrefaciens CN32 (CN32). The degradation kinetic rate constant of TNT by bio-reduced magnetite was the highest (0.0039 $h^{-1}$), followed by green rust (0.0022 $h^{-1}$), goethite (0.0017 $h^{-1}$), lepidocrocite (0.0016 $h^{-1}$), and hematite (0.0006 $h^{-1}$). The highest rate constant was obtained by bio-reduced lepidocrocite (0.1811 $h^{-1}$) during RDX degradation, followed by magnetite (0.1700 $h^{-1}$), green rust (0.0757 $h^{-1}$), hematite (0.0495 $h^{-1}$), and goethite (0.0394 $h^{-1}$). Significant increase of Fe(II) was observed during the reductive degradation of TNT and RDX by bio-reduced IBSMs. X-ray diffraction and electron microscope analyses were conducted for identification of degradation mechanism of TNT and RDX in this study. 4-amino-dinitrotoluene were detected as products during TNT degradation, while Hexahydro-1-nitroso-3,5-dinitro-1,3,5-triazine, Hexahydro-1,3-dinitroso-5-nitro-1,3,5triazine, and Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitroso-1,3,5-triazine were observed during RDX degradation.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.24 no.E2
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• pp.83-91
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• 2008

This work investigated the methodology to simultaneously optimize the ozone and relative humidity composition for the $NO_x$ degradation using soil biofilter. Experiments were made as a function of inlet ozone concentration ($0{\sim}1,770\;ppb$) and relative humidity ($38{\sim}81%$). Factorial design ($2^2+3$) and response surface methodology by central composite designs were used to examine the role of two factors and optimal response condition on $NO_x$ degradation. It was found that a second-order response surface model can properly interpret the experimental data with an $R^2$-value of 0.9730 and F-value of 71.83, based on which the maximum $NO_x$ degradation was predicted up to 92.8% within our experimental conditions.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.757-766
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• 2016

MTBE and other gasoline additives contained in gasoline are known to be a refractory substance resistant to biodegradation. As a method of removing these substances, a research of method using native microbes of polluted soil was progressed and among these, bio-degradation possibility under aerobic condition was evaluated. All of the experiments were progressed based on batch experiment of lab scale and analyzed by GC-FID using HS-SPME technique. The result of bio-degradation experiment based on MTBE and other additives(ETBE, TAME) was observed below 1 mg/L, which initial concentration were 100 mg/L for each method. And through production of by-product and CO2, partial mineralization was confirmed. Degradation velocity of each additive was promptly represented in the order of TBA>ETBE>MTBE>TAME. Through this study, bio-degradation possibility of native microbes of oil polluted soil, MTBE and other gasoline additives was confirmed and it was considered that the result could be used for basic experiment data in removing oil pollutants of soil.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.1059-1065
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• 2004

Bio sparging experiments were conducted in a laboratory column to investigate the potential removal of diesel contaminated groundwater. The objectives in this study were (a) to determine the extent of diesel degradation in laboratory columns under supplement of nutrient; (b) to determine the effect of variation of air flow in the removal of diesel and (c) to evaluate the potential enhancement of diesel degradation as a function of temperature. Our results showed that the nutrient supplement and higher air flow greatly enhanced diesel degradation. However, the variation of water temperature examined slightly increased degradation rate of diesel fuel.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.363-368
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• 2010

The overall indicator of microbial activity in the fermentation-extinction reaction of food waste by using bio wood-chips were investigated by considering adenosine tri-phosphate(ATP). Degradation rate of organic compounds, which was represented by chemical oxygen demand(COD) and total nitrogen(TN), was increased with the concentration of adenosine tri-phosphate during fermentation-extinction reaction of food waste by using bio-wood chips. With this view, the ATP would be one of the overall evaluation indicator of organic degradation in the species of bio-wood chip for the fermentation-extinction of food waste.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.241-247
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• 2012

Many infectious diseases have emerged or re-emerged during the past 50 years in South Korea. There were three outbreaks of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in South Korea between January 2010 and March 2011. Over 3.45 million animals were slaughtered (33.3% of the existing pigs, 8.4% of dairy cows and 3.4% of cattle). To select optimal degradation agents of animal cadavers, degradation rates and fertilizer components of pig cadavers were investigated using hydrogen chloride (HCl), potassium hydroxide (KOH) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) hydrolysis methods. Degradation rates of pig cadavers using HCl, KOH and NaOH were 81.1, 82.8 and 91.6%, respectively. Total nitrogen (T-N) concentration in degradation solution of pig cadavers using KOH hydrolysis method was higher than that in NaOH and HCl hydrolysis methods. Total phosphorus ($P_2O_5$) concentrations in degradation solution of pig cadavers in all hydrolysis methods ranged 0.14 ~ 0.28%. Total potassium ($K_2O$) concentration for KOH hydrolysis method was higher than that for other hydrolysis methods. The concentration of T-N and $K_2O$ in degradation solution of pig cadavers by KOH hydrolysis method were higher than that in NaOH and HCl hydrolysis methods. Thus, to recycle animal cadavers in agriculture, the optimal degradation agent for hydrolysis was KOH.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.100-105
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• 2006

The photocatalytic activity of phenol degradation was investigated with the variation of operating parameters in $UV/TiO_2$ honeycomb reactor. In the comparison of phenol degradation rates among various $TiO_2$, Ishihara (STS-02)-coated honeycomb exhibited a slightly higher photocatalytic activity than Degussa P25-coated honeycomb. On the other hand, honeycomb coated by alcohol-mixed $TiO_2$ (N Co.) did not exhibit any photocatalytic activity on phenol degradation. With the increase of Degussa P25 coating amounts, the honeycomb reactor exhibited the gradual increase of phenol degradation rates. The degradation rate of phenol over $UV/TiO_2$ (Degussa P25) honeycomb reactor was asymptotically increased up to 500 mL/min, subsequently followed by a slight decrease as the recirculation rate (100~700 mL/min) was increased. UV absorption at 269 nm was high due to partial degradation of phenol at initial reaction time because the honeycomb surface was pre-adsorbed by phenol prior to UV irradiation.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.24-30
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• 1999

A biological filter for treatment of toluene among volatile organic compounds was studied. The investigation was conducted using specially built stainless steel columns packed with granular activated carbon and cold for removal of toluene. The G.A. and mold as filter material was also coated with Pseudomonas putida microorganisms.The biofilter unit was operated in the condition of moisture content vairation at gas loading rate of 12.5 l/min. Gaseous toluene taken from tedlar bag was analyzed by the use of G.C equipped with F.I.d detector. The removal efficiency of gaseous toluene was 95% at average inlet concentration of 950 ppm during bio-degradation operating condition. Effective removal efficiency was obtained with moisture content 27.5% at activated carbon and 32% at mold in this study. The effective operating condition were obtained with pH 6-8, temperature 28-42℃ for microbial degradation at gas loading rate of 12.5 l/min in packed material.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.22 no.10
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• pp.1869-1879
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• 2000

A series of experiments were conducted for modeling the fate and effect of the coupled oxidation reduction reaction of ethanol and propionate recognized as important intermediates in anaerobic degradation metabolism. Anaerobic kinetics for conversion of propionate and the interaction with ethanol were investigated using the model of specific substrate priority utilization effect. Seed cultures for the experiment were obtained from an anaerobically enriched steady-state propionate master culture reactor (HPr-MCR), ethanol-propionate master culture reactor (EtPr-MCR) and glucose master culture reactor (Glu-MCR). Experiments were consisted of four phases. Phase I, II and III were conducted by fixing the propionate organic loading as 1.0 g COD/L with increasing ethanol loading of 0, 100, 200, 400 and 1,000 mg/L, to find metabolic interaction of ethanol and propionate degradation by each enriched anaerobic culture. In phase IV, different mixing ratios of Glu-MCR and HPr-MCR cultures with fixed propionate organic loading, 1.0 g COD/L, were applied to observe the propionate degradation metabolic behavior. In the results of this study, different pathways of propionate and ethanol conversion were found using a modified competitive inhibition kinetic model. Increase of $K_{s2}$ value reflected the formation of acetate followed by ethanol degradation. In addition. $K_3$ value was increased slightly as the reactions of acetate formation and degradation were occurred in acetoclastic methanogenesis.