• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.611-616
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• 2011

The impacts of ultrasonic pretreatment on the biodegradability of domestic sewage sludge were evaluated through a series of anaerobic digestion experiments in batch system. The gas and methane production from the sludge samples pretreated by an ultrasonic tool with different durations were measured with time. Although the biogas production increased with the extent of sludge solubilization and the period of ultrasonic pretreatment, the enhancement of sludge biodegradability was much more sensitive to the pretreatment for the relatively short periods. Most of the enhanced biodegradability by the pretreatment was appeared in the early stage of anaerobic digestion, less than 6 days. The maximum biogas production per day was observed between 4 to 6 days when the sludge was pretreated less than 10 minutes while it was obtained in the beginning for the sludge pretreated longer periods. The results suggest that the repeated alternation of low strength ultrasonic pretreatment and anaerobic digestion may be more effective than the combination of one time pretreatment for a relatively long period and following anaerobic digestion.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.105-111
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• 2002

The biological removal of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) was studied in a bench-scale bioreactor using a bacterial culture of strain OK-5 originally Isolated from soil samples contaminated with TNT. The TNT was completely removed within 4 days of incubation in a 2.5 L bench-scale bioreactor containing a newly developed medium. The TNT was catabolized in the presence of different supplemented carbons. Only minimal growth was observed in the killed controls and cultures that only received TNT during the incubation period. This catabolism was affected by the concentration ratio of the substrate to the biomass. The addition of various nitrogen sources produced a delayed effect for the TNT degradation. Tween 80 enhanced the degradation of TNT under these conditions. Two metabolic intermediates were detected and identified as 2-amino-4, 6-dinitrotoluene and 4-amino-2, 6-dinitrotoluene based on HPLC and GC-MS analyses, respectively. Strain OK-5 was characterized using the BIOLOG system and fatty acid profile produced by a microbial identification system equipped with a Hewlett Packard HP 5890 II gas chromatograph. As such, the bacterium was identified as a Stenotrophomonas species and designated as Stenotrophomonas sp. OK-5.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.583-591
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• 2002

Biodegradation of fat, oil, and grease (FOGs) plays an Important role in wastewater management and water pollution control. However, many industrial food-processing and food restaurants generate FOG-containing waste waters for which there Is no acceptable technology for their pretreatment. To solve these problems, this study evaluated the feasibility of effective FOG-degrading microorganisms on the biodegradation of olive oil and FOG-containing wastewater. Twenty-two strains capable of degrading FOGs were isolated from five FOG-contaminated sites for the evaluation of their FOG degradation capabilities. Among twenty-two strains tested, the lipase-producing Pseudomonas sp. strain D2D3 was selected for actual FOG wastewater treatment. Its biodegradability was performed at 3$0^{\circ}C$ and pH 8. The extent of FOG removal efficiency was varied for each FOG tested, being the highest for olive oil and animal fat (94.5% and 94.4%), and the lowest for safflower oil (62%). The addition of organic nitrogen sources such as yeast extract, soytone, and peptone enhanced the removal efficiency of FOGs, but the addition of the inorganic nitrogen nutrients such as $NH_4$Cl and $(NH_4)_2SO_4$ did not increase. The $KH_2PO_4$ sources in 0.25% to 0.5% concentrations showed more than 90% degradability. As a result, the main pathway for the oxidation of fatty acids results in the removal of two carbon atoms as acetyl-CoA with each reaction sequence: $\beta$-oxidation. Its lipase activity showed 38.5 U/g DCW using the optimal media after 9 h. Real wastewater and FOGs were used for determining the removal efficiency by using Pseudomonas sp. strain D2D3 bioadditive. The degradation by Pseudomonas sp. strain D2D3 was 41% higher than that of the naturally occurring bacteria. This result indicated that the use of isolated Pseudomonas sp. strain D2D3 in a bioaugmentating grease trap or other processes might possibly be sufficient to acclimate biological processes for degrading FOGs.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.468-475
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• 2005

Biofilters packed with various materials have emerged as a sustainable technology for the treatment of volatile organic compounds (VOCs); however, problems including low performance and clogging are commonly encountered. Recently, a bioactive foam reactor (BFR) using surfactants has been suggested to ensure efficient and stable VOCs removal performance. This study was mainly conducted to investigate the feasibility of BFRs using toluene as a model compound. Prior to bioreactor studies, a series of bottle tests were used to select a suitable surfactant for the BFR application. Experimental results of the batch bottle tests indicated that TritonX-100 was the most appropriate one among the surfactants tested, since it showed a minimal effect on the toluene biodegradation rate while the other surfactants lowered the toluene biodegradation rate significantly. Using the selected surfactant, the BFR performance was determined by changing operating parameters including gas residence time and toluene loading. As the gas residence time increased from 0.5 minutes to 2 minutes, the toluene removal efficiency increased from approximately 50% to 80%. In addition, an increase of the toluene loading from $38\;g/m^3/hr$ to $454\;g/m^3/hr$ resulted in a decrease of toluene removal efficiency from approximately 70% to 20%. The BFR had a maximum elimination capacity of $108\;g/m^3/hr$ for toluene, which was much higher than those generally reported in the literature. The high toluene-elimination performance indicates that the BFR be a potential alternative to the conventional, packed-type biofilters. However, the limitation of toluene solubilization and foam stability at either high or low gas flow rate are still problems to be challenged.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.10-17
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• 2009

Bioremediation has been applied as a proven technology in remediation of TPH contaminated soil. However, the efficiency of biodegradation is dependent on temperature as microbial activity is depressed at lower temperature ranges ($30^{\circ}C{\sim}80^{\circ}C$). The objective of this study was to develop microbes with enhanced activities at the stated temperature conditions and to evaluate the remediation effectiveness of these microbes in TPH contaminated soil. Experiments were conducted to isolate hydrocarbon degradable microbial consortia cultured under different temperature conditions. It was found that there were 5 strains of mesophilic ($30^{\circ}C$) and 3 strains of psychrophilic ($80^{\circ}C$) microbes. The TPH concentration was reduced from 4,044 mg/kg to 1,084 mg/kg, (73.2%) in 10 days by using mesophilic microbial consortia and from 5,427 mg/kg to 1,756 (67.6%) in 50 days with psychrophilic microbial consortia in laboratory cultures under controlled conditions. This rate determination excluded physical degradation such as venting and dilution. A field study was then performed to examine the feasibility of applying these microbes in the land-farming process. In this case, 87.1% of the 2,560 mg/kg TPH contaminated soil was degraded in 56 days. The biodegradation rate coefficient (k) was $0.0374\;day^{-1}$. Findings of this study provide viable options for applying microbes for bioremediation of TPH in lower temperature conditions.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.26-32
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• 2005

Surfactants can be used to enhance the mass transfer rate of hydrophobic compounds into the biologically active liquid phase, resulting in an increase in biodegradation rate of toluene. In this study, the mass transfer rate and the biocompatibility of toluene in the presence of various surfactants were evaluated. Four anionic and non ionic surfactants were tested: sodium dodecyl sulfate (SOS), TritonX-100, Tween 80, and BYK-345 (silicone surfactant). Experimental results showed that BYK-345 at the critical micelle concentration (CMC) enhanced the solubility of toluene. However, there was no increase in the solubility of toluene by SOS and TritonX-100 at their CMCs. With the addition of each surfactant into deionized water the mass transfer rate became faster than that of the case with no surfactant. A bottle study using toluene-degrading microorganisms showed that SOS seriously reduced toluene removal presumably due to the toxicity of the anionic surfactant and/or the substrate competition between the surfactant and toluene. In addition, the degradation rate of toluene was decreased in the presence of BYK-345, indicating that BYK-345 adversely affects the activity of microorganisms. However, TritonX-100 and Tween 80 did not decrease the degradation rate of toluene significantly. Rather, at the low concentration of TritonX-100 toluene degradation rate was even increased. Overall the experimental results suggest that TritonX-100 be the appropriate surfactant for enhanced biological degradation of toluene.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.375-380
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• 2003

This study was carried out 1) to investigate the pH effect on solubilization of phenanthrene by biosurfactant in aqueous system and 2) to evaluate the pH effect on the biodegradation rate of phenanthrene in the presence and the absence of the biosurfactant by phenanthrene degraders. Tween 80, which is a chemically synthesized surfactant, showed greater solubilizing capacity than rhamnolipid. The solubilization capacity can be expressed as a MSR(molar solubilization ratio=moles of organic compounds solubilized per mole of surfactant). The calculated MSR of Tween 80 and rhamnolipid were 0.1449 and 0.0425 respectively. The kinetic study of phenanthrene solubilization by rhamnolipid showed that solubilization mechanism could reach equilibrium within 24 hours. Addition of 240 ppm rhamnolipid solution, which concentration is 4.3 times of Critical Micelle Concentration(CMC), caused 9 times solubility enhancement compared to water solubility. The highest solubilities were detected around a pH range of 4.5-5.5. Changes in apparent solubility with the changes in pH are possibly related to the fact that the rhamnolipid, an anionic surfactant, can form different structures depending on the pH. Two biodegradation experiments were performed in the absence and the presence of rhamnolipid, with the cell growth investigated using a spread plate method. The specific growth rates at pH 6 and 7 were higher than at the other pH, and the HPLC analysis data, for the total phenanthrene loss, confirmed the trends in the $\mu$(specific growth rate) values. In presence of rhamnolipid, maximum $\mu$ values shifted from around pH 5 which showed maximum enhancement of solubility in the abiotic experiment, compared to the $\mu$ values obtained without the biosurfactant. In this study, the increase in the observed specific grow rate(1.44 times) was not as high as the increase in solubilization(5 times). This was supported by the fact all the solubilized phenanthrene is not bioavailable to microorganisms.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.375-383
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• 2000

A mixed culture isolated from petroleum-contaminated soil was enriched on toluene as a sole carbon and energy source, and degradation characteristics of BTEX(Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Xylenes) was observed. In the single-substrate experiments, all the BTEX compounds were degraded, and it was degraded as following orders; toluene, benzene, ethylbenzene, and p-xylene. In the degradation experiments of BTEX mixtures, the degradation rate was decreased compared to that in the single substrate experiment and ethylbenzene was degraded faster than benzene. In the experiments of binary-mixtures, various substrate interactions such as inhibition, stimulation, and non-interaction were observed, and ethylbenzene was shown to be most potent inhibitor of BTEX degradation. In the degradation characteristic studies of xylene isomers, m-xylene and p-xylene were degraded as carbon sources, and it was stimulated in the presence of either benzene or toluene. However, degradation of o-xylene was enhanced only in the presence of benzene.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.8
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• pp.1230-1239
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• 2010

Five bacterial species, capable of degrading the recalcitrant organic compounds (ROCs) diethyleneglycol monomethylether (DGMME), 1-amino-2-propanol (APOL), 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP), diethyleneglycol monoethylether (DGMEE), tetraethyleneglycol (TEG), and tetrahydrothiophene 1,1-dioxide (sulfolane), were isolated from an enrichment culture. Cupriavidus sp. catabolized $93.5{\pm}1.7$ mg/l of TEG, $99.3{\pm}1.2$ mg/l of DGMME, $96.1{\pm}1.6$ mg/l of APOL, and $99.5{\pm}0.5$ mg/l of NMP in 3 days. Acineobacter sp. catabolized 100 mg/l of DGMME, $99.9{\pm}0.1$ mg/l of NMP, and 100 mg/l of DGMEE in 3 days. Pseudomonas sp.3 catabolized $95.7{\pm}1.2$ mg/l of APOL and $99.8{\pm}0.3$ mg/l of NMP. Paracoccus sp. catabolized $98.3{\pm}0.6$ mg/l of DGMME and $98.3{\pm}1.0$ mg/l of DGMEE in 3 days. A maximum $43{\pm}2.0$ mg/l of sulfolane was catabolized by Paracoccus sp. in 3 days. When a mixed culture composed of the five bacterial species was applied to real wastewater containing DGMME, APOL, NMP, DGMEE, or TEG, 92~99% of each individual ROC was catabolized within 3 days. However, at least 9 days were required for the complete mineralization of sulfolane. Bacterial community diversity, analyzed on the basis of the TGGE pattern of 16S rDNA extracted from viable cells, was found to be significantly reduced in a conventional bioreactor after 6 days of incubation. However, biodiversity was maintained after 12 days of incubation in an electrochemical bioreactor. In conclusion, the electrochemical reduction reaction enhanced the diversity of the bacterial community and actively catabolized sulfolane.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.37-45
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• 2007

Phytoremediation has been used effectively for the biodegradation of oil-based contaminants, including diesel, by the stimulation of soil microbes near plant roots (rhizosphere). However, the technique has rarely been assessed for itsinfluence on soil microbial properties such as population, community structure, and diversity. In this study, the removal efficiency and characteristics of rhizobacteria for phytoremediation of diesel-contaminated soils were assessed using barnyard grass (Echinochloa crusgalli). The concentration of spiked diesel for treatments was around $6000\;mg\;kg^{-1}$. Diesel removal efficiencies reached 100% in rhizosphere soils, 76% in planted bulk soils, and 62% in unplanted bulk soils after 3weeks stabilization and 2 months growth(control, no microbial activity: 32%). The highest populations of culturable soil bacteria ($5.89{\times}10^8$ per g soil) and culturable hydrocarbon-degraders($5.65{\times}10^6$ per g soil) were found in diesel-contaminated rhizosphere soil, also yielding the highest microbial dehydrogenase. This suggests that the populations of soil bacteria, including hydrocarbon-degraders, were significantly increased by a synergistic rhizosphere + diesel effect. The diesel treatment alone resulted in negative population growth. In addition, we investigated the bacterial community structures of each soil sample based on DGGE (Denaturing Gel Gradient Electrophoresis) band patterns. Bacterial community structure was most influenced by the presence of diesel contamination (76.92% dissimilarity to the control) and by a diesel + rhizosphere treatment (65.62% dissimilarity), and least influenced by the rhizosphere treatment alone (48.15% dissimilarity). Based on the number of distinct DGGE bands, the bacterial diversity decreased with diesel treatment, but kept constant in the rhizosphere treatment. The rhizosphere thus positively influenced bacterial population density in diesel-contaminated soil, resulting in high removal efficiency of diesel.