• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.3-7
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• 2010

To better understand the ecology of tetrade forming organisms (TFOs) floating in a large amount of dairy wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent (sequencing batch reactor [SBR]) during the inefficient phosphorus (P) removal process of an enhanced biological P removal system, the TFOs from the effluent of a full scale WWTP were separated and attempts made to culture the TFOs in presence/absence of oxygen. The intact TFOs only grew aerobically in the form of unicellular short-rods. Furthermore, to identify the intact TFOs and unicellular short-rods the DNAs of both were extracted, analyzed using their denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE)-profiles and then sequenced. The TFOs and unicellular short-rods exhibited the same banding pattern in their DGGE-profiles, and those sequencing data resulted in their identification as Acinetobacter sp. The intact TFOs appeared in clumps and packages of tetrade cells, and were identified as Acinetobacter sp., which are known as strict aerobes and efficient P-removers. The thick layer of extracellular polymeric substance surrounding Acinetobacter sp. may inhibit phosphate uptake, and the cell morphology of TFOs might subsequently be connected with their survival strategy under the anaerobic regime of the SBR system.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.12 no.7
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• pp.791-799
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• 2003

This study was carried out to get more operational characteristics of the sequencing batch biofilm reactors with media volume/reactor volume ratio of 15 %, 25 % and 35 %. Experiments were conducted to find the effects of the media packing ratio on organic matters and nutrients removal. Three laboratory scale reactors were fed with synthetic wastewater. During studies, the operation mode was fixed. The organic removal efficiency didn't show large difference among three reactor of different packing media ratios. However, from the study results, the optimum packing media ratios for biological nutrient removal was shown as 25%. The denitrifying PAOs could take up and store phosphate using nitrate as electron acceptor.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2004

Changes in the bacterial populations of a 5-stage biological nutrient removal (BNR) process, with a step feed system for wastewater treatment, were monitored by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of PCR-amplified 16S ribosomal DNA fragments. DGGE analysis indicated seasonal community changes were observed, however, community profiles of the total bacteria of each reactor showed only minor differences in the samples obtained from the same season. The number of major bands was higher in the summer samples, and decreased during the winter period, indicating that the microbial community structure became simpler at low temperatures. Since the nitrogen and phosphate removal efficiencies were highly maintained throughout the winter operation period, the bacteria which still remaining in the winter sample can be considered important, playing a key role in the present 5-stage BNR sludge. The prominent DGGE bands were excised, and sequenced to gain insight into the identities of the predominant bacterial populations present, and most were found to not be closely related to previously characterized bacteria. These data suggest the importance of culture-independent methods for the quality control of wastewater treatment.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.231-238
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• 2008

This study proposed the method of phosphate recovery from municipal wastewater by using ferrous iron waste, generated from the mechanical process in the steel industry. In the analysis of XRD, ferrous iron waste was composed of $Fe_3O_4$ (magnetite), practically with $Fe^{2+}$ and $Fe^{3+}$. It had inverse spinel structure. In order to identify the adsorption characteristic of phosphate on ferrous iron waste, isotherm adsorption test was designed. Experimental results were well analyzed by Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm theories. Empirical constants of all isotherms applied increased with alkalinity in the samples, ranging from 1.2 to 235 $CaCO_3/L$. In the regeneration test, empirical constants of Langmuir isotherm, i.e., $q_{max}$ (maximum adsorption capacity) and b (energy of adsorption) decreased as the frequency of regeneration was increased. Experiment was further performed to evaluate the performance of the treatment scheme of chemical precipitation by ferrous iron waste followed by biological aerated filter (BAF). The overall removal efficiency in the system increased up to 80% and 90% for total phosphate (TP) and soluble phosphate (SP), respectively, and the corresponding effluent concentrations were detected below 2 mg/L and 1 mg/L for TP and SP, respectively. However, short-circuit problem was still unsolved operational consideration in this system. The practical concept applied in this study will give potential benefits in achieving environmentally sound wastewater treatment as well as environmentally compatible waste disposal in terms of closed substance cycle waste management.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.26-31
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• 1998

Removal of nitrogen and phosphate in wastewater is concerned to important for the prevention of eutrophication in receiving water and lake. Conventional activated sludge system designed for organics removal can be retrofitted only by modification of aeration basin to maintain anaerobic and aerobic state. Biological nutrient removal processes(BNR) such as Bardenpho, A$^{2}$/O, UCT, VIP were generally used for the treatment of wastewater. However these BNR processes used in large scale WWTP were not suitable in small scale WWTP(i.e., package type WWTP) due to relatively large fluctuation of flow rate and concentration of pollutants. The purpose of this research was to develop the compact, effective and economical package type WWTP for the removals of carbon and nitrogen in small scale wastewater. Intermittently aerated activated sludge system (IADFAS) were investigated for removal of nitrogen in both domestic wastewater, Bardenpho process was also evaluated. Nitrogen removal of IAAS, IADFAS, Bardenpho were 75, 77 and 67%, respectively.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.153-163
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• 2004

In order to estimate the nutrient flux of the Seomjin River into the coastal waters of South Sea, and to understand the estuarine reactions during mixing between river water and seawater, we collected surface water along the salinity gradient in the Seomjin River estuary from Mar. 1999 to Apr. 2001. We found that nitrate and silicate were delivered by fluvial input, while phosphate was, supplied from disposed wastes in the Gwangyang Bay. Mean annual flux of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), phosphate and silicate into the Gwangyang Bay was estimated 10.9 molesㆍsec$^{-1}$(4,820 tonnesㆍyr$^{-1}$), 0.07 molesㆍsec$^{-1}$(68 tonnesㆍyr$^{-1}$), 13.3 molesㆍsec$^{-1}$(11,747 tonnesㆍy$^{-1}$), respectively. An evident removal of phosphate, silicate and ammonium at the mid-salinity zone during the dry season was attributed to the active uptake of phytoplankton, and consequently nutrient flux into the Gwangyang Bay was low. Whereas, during the flood season in summer, conservative or additional distribution of the nutrients was observed in the estuary. As a rsult nutrient flux into the Gwangyang Bay was maintained high. High concentrations of chlorophyll a and the active removal of nutrient during the dry season at the mid-salinity zone suggest that nutrient distribution in the Seomjin River estuary was mainly controlled by biological processes and nutrient fluxes into the Gwangyang Bay might be significantly modified of by the primary production.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.165-172
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• 2006

In order to analyze the bacterial community structure including P-removal related organisms, PAOs(polyphosphate accumulating organisms) and GAOs(glycogen-accumulating non-poly-P organisms) occurred in biological phosphate removing process, 2 reactors(SBR; sequencing batch reactor) were operated on different carbon sources(sodium acetate, glucose). For the analysis of bacterial community structure, molecular methods(FISH: fluorescent in situ hybridization and DGGE; denaturing gel gradient electrophoresis) were employed. After 100 days reaction, $PO_4-P$ in effluent dropped to 3.92 mg/L in SBR #1(60.8% removal) fed by sodium acetate, and at the same time FISH results showed that ${\beta}$-subclass proteobacteria(39.67%) and PAOs(45.10%) were dominantly present whereas those value in SBR #2 fed by glucose was 8.30 mg/L(17% removal), and ${\gamma}$-subclass proteobacteria were considerably observed(23.89%) and PAOs was 21.42%. Also the result of DGGE indicated that ${\beta}$-subclass proteobacteria was dominantly observed in SBR #1. However as the temperature increased, the proportion of ${\beta}$-subclass proteobacteria and PAOs decreased, but phosphorus removing inhibitors(GAOs) increased. It suggests that the environmental factor like as temperature and types of carbon source had influence on the prevalence of phosphorus removing organism(PAOs) and phosphorus removing inhibitors(GAOs) in biological phosphate removing process.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.213-218
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• 2011

The two-stage intermittent aeration activated sludge process (IAP) and dynamic-flow intermittent aeration activated sludge process (DFP) were investigated for the nutrient removal of domestic wastewater. Three sets of IAP and one set of DFP were operated. The fermented settled sludge taken from the primary settling tank was added to two IAP and one DFP as an external electron donor, with one IAP, in which an external carbon source was not added, as a control. All the systems were operated at a sludge retention time of 20 days and a hydraulic retention time of 12 hr. A Higher denitrification rate was observed with the fermented settled sludge for the denitrification compared to the process without the addition of the organic source. The result indicates that the fermented acid from the primary domestic sludge has been proved to be an excellent electron donor for denitrification and biological phosphorus removal with IAP and DFP in treating relatively low C/N ratio(Carbon / Nitrogen ratio) wastewater. Phosphate accumulating organisms have a capability of competing with denitrifiers in the presence of volatile organic acids under anoxic conditions.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.1459-1469
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• 2008

Using a rotating biological contactor modified with a sequencing bath reactor system (SBRBC) designed and operated to remove phosphate and nitrogen [58], the microbial community structure of the biofilm from the SBRBC system was characterized based on the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) constituents, electron microscopy, and molecular techniques. Protein and carbohydrate were identified as the major EPS constituents at three different biofilm thicknesses, where the amount of EPS and bacterial cell number were highest in the initial thickness of 0-100${\mu}m$. However, the percent of carbohydrate in the total amount of EPS decreased by about 11.23%, whereas the percent of protein increased by about 11.15% as the biofilm grew. Thus, an abundant quantity of EPS and cell mass, as well as a specific quality of EPS were apparently needed to attach to the substratum in the first step of the biofilm growth. A FISH analysis revealed that the dominant phylogenetic group was $\beta$- and $\gamma$-Proteobacteria, where a significant subclass of Proteobacteria for removing phosphate and/or nitrate was found within a biofilm thickness of 0-250${\mu}m$. In addition, 16S rDNA clone libraries revealed that Klebsiella sp. and Citrobacter sp. were most dominant within the initial biofilm thickness of 0-250${\mu}m$, whereas sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, such as Beggiatoa sp. and Thiothrix sp., were detected in a biofilm thickness over 250${\mu}m$. The results of the bacterial community structure analysis using molecular techniques agreed with the results of the morphological structure based on scanning electron microscopy. Therefore, the overall results indicated that coliform bacteria participated in the nitrate and phosphorus removal when using the SBRBC system. Moreover, the structure of the biofilm was also found to be related to the EPS constituents, as well as the nitrogen and phosphate removal efficiency. Consequently, since this is the first identification of the bacterial community and structure of the biofilm from an RBC simultaneously removing nitrogen and phosphate from domestic wastewater, and it is hoped that the present results may provide a foundation for understanding nitrate and phosphate removal by an RBC system.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2013

This study was focused on improving nitrification efficiencies of M-dephanox (Modified-Dephanox) process. Rotating biological contactor (RBC) was used instead of floating sponge type media in nitrification reactor. High ammonia removal efficiencies were observed in nitrification reactor, regardless of organic loading from contactor of M-dephanox process. Denitrification efficiencies were also increased to maintain low $NO_3-N$ concentration in effluent. This enhanced phosphate release in anaerobic contactor and resulted in high removal efficiencies of phophorus. Average removal efficiencies of $TCOD_{Cr}$ and $SCOD_{Cr}$ were 93.8% and 81.6%, respectively, while those of TKN and ${NH_4}^+-N$ were 80.9% and 74.4%, respectively. As for phosphorous treatment, the average removal efficiencies of TP and OP were 94.7% and 94.3%, respectively. Also, effect of operating temperature on nitrogen removal was examined. Average removal efficiency of TN was 65.8 % at $15^{\circ}C$ or below (at average temperature of $13.3^{\circ}C$), while that was 82.8% at $15^{\circ}C$ or above (at average temperature of $21.9^{\circ}C$).