• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.7 no.3
• /
• pp.235-245
• /
• 1992

A number of experiments to treat wastewater of a dye plant were conducted to investigate the basic design parameters and effluent characteristics for aerobic fixed biofilm reactor upon the variation of organic loading rate. The media used for this study were SARAN 4000 D with specific surface area $153m^2/m^3$, and 1000 D with specific surface area $307m^2/m^3$. The influent COD concentration ranged from 1250 to 4080 mg/L. Substrate removal and variation of biomass concentration were observed. At the beginning, the effluent quality was poor but improved as the time passed. However the effluent quality became seriously deteriorated when the media clogged. At influent COD of 1250mg/L, the effluent COD varied little, even if the organic loading rate increased from 0.63 to 2.5kg COD/$m^3$/day. It was also noted that the design parameters for activated sludge process could be applied to an aerobic fixed biofilm process under the experimental conditions.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.65-70
• /
• 2000

An approximated analytical solution of mathematical model for the three phase fluidized bed bioreactor (TFBBR) was proposed using the linearization technique to describe oxygen utilization rate in wastewater treatment. The validation of the model was done in comparison with the experimental results. Satisfactory agreement was obtained in the comparison of approximated analytical solution and numerical solution in the oxygen concentration profile of a TFBBR. The approximated solutions for three modes of the liquid phase flow were compared. The proposed model was able to predict the biomass concentration, dissolved oxygen concentration the height of efficient column, and the removal efficiency.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
• /
• v.50 no.2
• /
• pp.100-109
• /
• 2018

The emergence and dissemination of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii isolates have been reported worldwide, with most of these possessing the ability to form biofilms. Biofilm formation is an important virulence factor associated with the resistance to disinfection and desiccation. This study examined the genetic basis of antimicrobial resistance mechanisms of biofilm-forming A. baumannii clinical isolates. Imaging and quantification of biofilms were performed by a crystal violet assay and 46 biofilm-forming A. baumannii isolates were selected. Subsequently, 16 isolates belonging to different clones were identified using REP-PCR, and detection of the antimicrobial determinants in the isolates was carried out. The 16 isolates included 9 non-MDR and 7 MDR isolates. The mean biomass $OD_{560}$ values of the non-MDR (0.96) and MDR (1.05) isolates differed but this difference was not significant. In this study, most biofilm-forming MDR A. baumannii isolates contained various antimicrobial resistance determinants ($bla_{OXA-23}$, armA, and mutations of gyrA and parC). On the other hand, most biofilm-forming non-MDR A. baumannii isolates did not contain antimicrobial resistance determinants. These results suggest that there is little correlation between the biofilm-forming ability and antimicrobial susceptibility in A. baumannii isolates. In addition, the emergence of MDR A. baumannii clinical isolates is generally caused by mutations of the genes associated with antimicrobial resistance and/or the acquisition of various antimicrobial resistance determinants.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.39-46
• /
• 1982

A model of substrate removal by rotating discs has been developed for a better understanding of the process, and the performance of the system has been evaluated under steady and unsteady state. The model was constructed based upon mass transfer of the substrate from the bulk solution to the biofilm and a simultaneous removal of the substrate by the biomass. The model is composed of a few sets of differential equations representing mass balance within the elements of a liquid film and a biofilm, and in the bulk solution. Substrate removal efficiency of the process is largely dependent on a diffusion coefficient of the substrate within the biofilm and a maximum rate of substrate removal of the biomass. The efficiency is affected to a greater extent when the substrate concentration is low and the maximum substrate removal rate is high. The efficiency increases proportionally with increasing film depth when the biofilm is shallow, however, the rate of increase gradually decreases with an increase of the film depth. As the film reaches a limiting depth, the efficiency remains constant. Unlike the steady state, the effluent quality is affected by the tank volume under dynamic state. Increasing tank volume decreases peak concentration of the effluent under peak loading. Additional tank volume provides a buffer capacitya.gainst a peak loading and the holding tank behaves like an equalization tank.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.7 no.3
• /
• pp.45-53
• /
• 1987

The purpose of this research was to study the kinetics of a packed bed aerobic biofilm process. Experiments were carried out by feeding an aerated packed bed reactor with a synthetic wastewater. The reactor packed with glass beads as media had a nominal hydraulic detention time of 5 hours. The flow pattern in the reactor was determined by a tracer test using a NaCl solution to be a completely-mixed type. The results of the research showed that the F/M ratio in the reactor was almost constant since the the biomass increased due to the growth of biofilm as the volumetric organic loading increased. It was also proved theoretically and experimentally that packed bed aerobic biofilm process could be analyzed by the kinetics of completely-mixed activated sludge process with sludge recycle.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.26 no.8
• /
• pp.1481-1489
• /
• 2016

The emergence and dissemination of carbapenemase-producing Acinetobacter baumannii isolates have been reported worldwide, and A. baumannii isolates harboring bla_OXA-23 are often resistant to various antimicrobial agents. Antimicrobial resistance can be particularly strong for biofilm-forming A. baumannii isolates. We investigated the genetic basis for carbapenem resistance and biofilm-forming ability of multidrug-resistant (MDR) clinical isolates. Ninety-two MDR A. baumannii isolates were collected from one university hospital located in the Chungcheong area of Korea over a 5-year period. Multiplex PCR and DNA sequencing were performed to characterize carbapenemase and bap genes. Clonal characteristics were analyzed using REP-PCR. In addition, imaging and quantification of biofilms were performed using a crystal violet assay. All 92 MDR A. baumannii isolates involved in our study contained the bla_OXA-23 and bap genes. The average absorbance of biomass in Bap-producing strains was much greater than that in non-Bap-producing strains. In our study, only three REP-PCR types were found, and the isolates showing type A or type B were found more than 60 times among unique patients during the 5 years of surveillance. These results suggest that the isolates have persisted and colonized for 5 years, and biofilm formation ability has been responsible for their persistence and colonization.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.31 no.5
• /
• pp.327-332
• /
• 2021

The use of membranes for MBRWG (Membrane Bioreactor for Waste Gas) treatment can provide highly selective separation of a waste gas stream followed by effective biological removal. MBRWG have several potential advantages, among which the most distinctive one is separation of gas and liquid phases at each side of membrane potentially allowing the optimal biomass control toward effective biodegradation of target gases as well as biofilm activation. This advantage becomes especially favorable for removal of hydrophobic toxic gases, such as xylene, by MBRWG systems, because the mass transfer, the toxicity, and thereby the biodegradation of hydrophobic gas treatment requires sensitive handling of liquid stream and water control near biofilm. Among various membranes for MBRWG treatment, PDMS-hollow fiber membranes provide the high gas mass transfer. Despite lower specific surface areas, capillary type membranes are also applied current MBRWG studies. In addition to the main application of membranes as biofilm supporter in MBRWG systems, there can be another application of membranes in a posterior process for removal of residual gases or dusts emitted from conventional biological waste gas treatment processes.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.56-62
• /
• 2022

This study was investigated to evaluate the potential of Stewartia koreana Nakai as an oral healthcare material. The inhibitory effects of extracts on the biofilm formation and fimbriae genes expression of Porphyromonas gingivalis were determined by minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC), biofilm biomass staining, SEM, and qRT-PCR analysis. The S. koreana Nakai branch was extracted into 70% ethanol, and bacteriostatic MIC of extracts against P. gingivalis were 0.6 mg/ml. In P. gingivalis cultures treated with 0.2-2.0 mg/ml of extract, biofilm production rate was significantly decreased in a concentration-dependent manner. The morphology of treated and untreated samples was observed by SEM, and cell aggregation and biofilm were only observed in those treated with extract. Subsequently, qRT-PCR analysis showed that the mRNA expression on fimbriae genes fimA and fimB was suppressed in a concentration-dependent manner. Based on these results, it can be suggested that S. koreana branch extract has the potential to be used as naturally derived oral healthcare material because of its bacteriostatic action and inhibition of P. gingivalis biofilm formation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.169-174
• /
• 2008

In this study a trickling filter system was developed by using polypropylene media and polypropylene nylon media that has recently been developed. The experiment analyzed an ability of water purification of the two plastic media and the effects of biomass on the final effluent. As recycling ratio increases, polypropylene nylon suspender showed higher efficiency by 20%; and, when media height was lengthened twice, efficiency increased about 10%. EPS and biomass increased in proportion to the increase of recycling ratio, and bound-TOC showed a similar trend with bound-EPS (extra-cellular polymeric substances) concentration.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.201-212
• /
• 2002

The objective of this study was to investigate the treatment efficiency, kinetics, and morphological characteristics of biofilm in upflow $Biobead^{(R)}$ process, a kind of biological aerated filter(BAF). The $Biobead^{(R)}$ system showed high removal rates of $COD_{Mn}$(76~83%), $BOD_5$(67~88%) and SS(71~91%) for food wastewater with high salt concentration ($>4,000mg/{\ell}$) under short reaction times(2~3hrs). Even at aerobic condition, the system had high treatment efficiency for both T-N (51~63%) and T-P(62~81%). The removal kinetics of $COD_{Mn}$, $BOD_5$, T-N, T-P, and $Cl^-$ in the $Biobead^{(R)}$ system showed a plug-flow pattern with reaction rate constants($hr^{-1}$) of 0.58, 0.63, 0,30, 0.48, and 0.38 respectively. A backwashing process to remove excess biomass and filtered solids was needed at least once during 22-hour operation at $0.5kg\;BOD\;m^{-3}{\cdot}d^{-1}$ loading. At the higher loading($1.0kg\;BOD\;m^{-3}{\cdot}d^{-1}$) the backwashing interval was shorten by 8 hours. The COD, BOD, T-N, and T-P were removed from 43 to 66% only by aerobic biodegradation. The SS was removed over 70% by the filtering of $Biobead^{(R)}$ media in the treatment system. The first one of three serial Biobead reactors showed the highest removal values for $COD_{\alpha}$(52.3%), $COD_{Mn}$(38.8%), BOD(62.5%), and T-N(40.0%). The SS and T-P had the highest removal values(47.5% and 29.2%) at the second one of the serial reactors. The biofilm had non-homogeneous spatial distribution and the colonies were embedded in the sunk area of the Biobead. The thickness of the biofilm was very thin ($5.0{\sim}29.4{\mu}m$) compared to the biofilm thickness($200{\sim}300{\mu}m$) used in other BAF systems.