• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.250-257
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• 2018

We developed new composites by combining the solid waste from Low-Density Polyethylene in the form of plastic bag (PB) and biomass from rice husk (RH),in the form of $(RH)_x(PB)_{1-x}$ (x = (1, 0.9, 0.7, 0.5)), as alternative fuels for electrical energy sources, and for providing the best solution to reduce environmental pollution. Elemental compositions were obtained by using proximate analysis, ultimate analysis, and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and the thermal characteristics were obtained from thermogravimetric analysis. The compositions of carbon and hydrogen from the ultimate analysis show significant increases of 20-30% with increasing PB in the composite. The activation energy for RH is 101.22 kJ/mol; for x = 0.9 and 0.7, this increases by 4 and 6 magnitude, respectively, and for x = 0.5, shows remarkable increase to 165.30 kJ/mol. The range of temperature of about $480-660^{\circ}C$ is required for combustion of the composites $(RH)_x(PB)_{1-x}$ (x = (1, 0.9, 0.7, 0.5)) to perform the complete combustion process and produce high energy. In addition, the calorific value was determined by using bomb calorimetry, and shows value for RH of 13.44 MJ/kg, which increases about 30-40% with increasing PB content, indicating that PB has a strong effect of increasing the energy realized to generate electricity.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.307-316
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• 2022

Yeasts play an important role in spontaneous fermentation of traditional alcoholic beverages. Our previous study revealed that a mixed-consortia of both Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces yeasts were responsible for fermentation of khadi, a popular, non-standardized traditional beverage with an immense potential for commercialization in Botswana. Functional characterization of isolated fermenting yeasts from mixed consortia is an indispensable step towards the selection of potential starter cultures for commercialization of khadi. In this study, we report the characterization of 13 khadi isolates for the presence of brewing-relevant phenotypes such as their fermentative capacity, ability to utilize a range of carbon sources and their ability to withstand brewing-associated stresses, as a principal step towards selection of starter cultures. Khadi isolates such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomycodes ludwigii and Candida ethanolica showed good brewing credentials but Lachancea fermentati emerged as the isolate with the best brewing attributes with a potential as a starter culture. However, we were then prompted to investigate the potential of L. fermentati to influence the fruity aromatic flavor, characteristic of khadi. The aroma components of 18 khadi samples were extracted using headspace solid phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME) and identified using a GC-MS. We detected esters as the majority of volatile compounds in khadi, typical of the aromatic signature of both khadi and L. fermentati associated fermentations. This work shows that L. fermentati has potential for commercial production of khadi.

• Clean Technology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.121-132
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• 2017

The increase of greenhouse gases and the concern of global warming instigate the development and spread of renewable energy and hydrogen is considered one of the clean energy sources. Hydrogen is one of the most elements in the earth and exist in the form of fossil fuel, biomass and water. In order to use hydrogen for a clean energy source, the hydrogen production method should be eco-friendly and economic as well. There are two different hydrogen production methods: conventional thermal method using fossil fuel and renewable method using biomass and water. Steam reforming, autothermal reforming, partial oxidation, and gasification (using solid fuel) have been considered for hydrogen production from fossil fuel. When using fossil fuel, carbon dioxide should be separated from hydrogen and captured to be accepted as a clean energy. The amount of hydrogen from biomass is insignificant. In order to occupy noticeable portion in hydrogen industries, biomass conversion, especially, biological method should be sufficiently improved in a process efficiency and a microorganism cultivation. Electrolysis is a mature technology and hydrogen from water is considered the most eco-friendly method in terms of clean energy when the electric power is from renewable sources such as photovoltaic cell, solar heat, and wind power etc.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.790-795
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• 1997

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofuransfurans are the archetype of toxic chemicals. So it has absorbed public attention. The majors primary sources of PCDDS and PCDFs are chemical, thermal and photochemical reactions. Municipal solid waste incinerator facilities has been reported as the major contributors of dioxins to the environment. In this paper, Dioxins and furans were examined emission gas and fly ash produced during combustion in municipal solid waste incinerator. More effective method for sampling, extraction was described. The sample was extracted using a soxhlet method and purified using silicagel, alumina and carbon fibre HPLC to remove interfering compound. The extract was then analyzed by HRGC/HRMS. The result of this study showed recovery standard was good and the data resembled those of thermal processes. Total dioxins and furans were $1076.20pg/Nm^3$ and $1452.34pg/Nm^3$ respectively. The amount of highly chlorinated compound was more than that of lowly chlorinated compound. The 2,3,7,8-substituted TCDD was Just 0.34% of the total dioxins/furans amount.

• Food Engineering Progress
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.249-255
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• 2010

Ten commercial activated carbons (ACs) prepared from four different sources (bamboo, wood, peat, and coal) were evaluated for their adsorptive efficiency of six volatile compounds (isoamyl alcohol, hexanal, furfural, ethyl lactate, ethyl octanoate, 2-phenyl ethanol) which were dissolved in a 30% alcoholic model solution. These six volatile compounds are frequently found in alcoholic beverages and possibly contribute to physiological hangover due to their high concentrations. They are also generally regarded as off-flavor compounds at certain levels in alcoholic beverages such as whisky and vodka. Two hundred mL of 30% alcoholic solutions containing these six volatile compounds were treated with 0.2 g of ACs while stirring for 16 hr; the treated solutions were then measured for their adsorptive efficiencies (or removal efficiencies) by gas chromatographic analysis using two different sampling methods (direct liquid injection and headspace-solid phase microextraction). The adsorptive efficiencies of the ACs varied depending on the identity of the volatile compounds and the source material used for making the ACs. Ethyl octanoate, 2-phenyl ethanol, and hexanal were removed at high efficiencies (34-100%), whereas isoamyl alcohol, ethyl lactate, and furfural were removed at low efficiencies (5-13%). AC prepared from bamboo showed a high removal efficiency for isoamyl alcohol, aldehydes (hexanal and furfural), and 2-phenyl ethanol; these major fusel oils have been implicated as congeners responsible for alcohol hangover.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.231-235
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• 2013

To obtain basic data for the better use of Cordyceps pruinosa we reassessed the effect of different medium, culture method, pH, and carbon and nitrogen sources on the mycelial growth properties of four C. pruinosa isolates. The growth of mycelia differed among the four isolates depending on medium type and cultivation days. Among the tested 8 kinds of solid media, the four isolates grew well on PDA and MMMA(mushroom minimal medium agar). While, among the tested 8 kinds of liquid media, all the isolates grew well in SDYM(Sabourand's dextrose yeast extract medium). The isolates also grew well in the SDYM with pH from 4.0 to 9.5 without any inhibition. One isolate could best grow at pH 8 to 9.5. Regarding the ability of utilizing carbon source, the difference of mycelia growth among the isolates was the most with xylose. Regarding nitrogen source, three isolates could utilize urea which is new fact in this species. These results provide new points on the growth properties of the fungal mycelium which has not been explored before. Overall, this reassessed study concluded that it is necessary to check in advance the growth properties of mycelium when a new isolate of C. pruinosa is expected to be used for application.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.89-91
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• 2000

Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds are highly carcinogenic chemicals and common groundwater contaminants that are observed to persist in soils. The adherence and slow release of PAHs in soil is an obstacle to remediation and complicates the assessment of cleanup standards and risks. Biological degradation of PAHs in soil has been an area of active research because biological treatment may be less costly than conventional pumping technologies or excavation and thermal treatment. Biological degradation also offers the advantage to transform PAHs into non-toxic products such as biomass and carbon dioxide. Ample evidence exists for aerobic biodegradation of PAHs and many bacteria capable of degrading PAHs have been isolated and characterized. However, the microbial degradation of PAHs in sediments is impaired due to the anaerobic conditions that result from the typically high oxygen demand of the organic material present in the soil, the low solubility of oxygen in water, and the slow mass transfer of oxygen from overlying water to the soil environment. For these reasons, anaerobic microbial degradation technologies could help alleviate sediment PAH contamination and offer significant advantages for cost-efficient in-situ treatment. But very little is known about the potential for anaerobic degradation of PAHs in field soils. The objectives of this research were to assess: (1) the potential for biodegradation of PAH in field aged soils under denitrification conditions, (2) to assess the potential for biodegradation of naphthalene in soil microcosms under denitrifying conditions, and (3) to assess for the existence of microorganisms in field sediments capable of degrading naphthalene via denitrification. Two kinds of soils were used in this research: Harbor Point sediment (HPS-2) and Milwaukee Harbor sediment (MHS). Results presented in this seminar indicate possible degradation of PAHs in soil under denitrifying conditions. During the two months of anaerobic degradation, total PAH removal was modest probably due to both the low availability of the PAHs and competition with other more easily degradable sources of carbon in the sediments. For both Harbor Point sediment (HPS-2) and Milwaukee Harbor sediment (MHS), PAH reduction was confined to 3- and 4-ring PAHs. Comparing PAH reductions during two months of aerobic and anaerobic biotreatment of MHS, it was found that extent of PAHreduction for anaerobic treatment was compatible with that for aerobic treatment. Interestingly, removal of PAHs from sediment particle classes (by size and density) followed similar trends for aerobic and anaerobic treatment of MHS. The majority of the PAHs removed during biotreatment came from the clay/silt fraction. In an earlier study it was shown that PAHs associated with the clay/silt fraction in MHS were more available than PAHs associated with coal-derived fraction. Therefore, although total PAH reductions were small, the removal of PAHs from the more easily available sediment fraction (clay/silt) may result in a significant environmental benefit owing to a reduction in total PAH bioavailability. By using naphthalene as a model PAH compound, biodegradation of naphthalene under denitrifying condition was assessed in microcosms containing MHS. Naphthalene spiked into MHS was degraded below detection limit within 20 days with the accompanying reduction of nitrate. With repeated addition of naphthalene and nitrate, naphthalene degradation under nitrate reducing conditions was stable over one month. Nitrite, one of the intermediates of denitrification was detected during the incubation. Also the denitrification activity of the enrichment culture from MHS slurries was verified by monitoring the production of nitrogen gas in solid fluorescence denitrification medium. Microorganisms capable of degrading naphthalene via denitrification were isolated from this enrichment culture.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.197-203
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• 2018

Biochar is the carbon solid produced through the pyrolysis of a biomass from organic sources such as agricultural waste, animal manure, and sludge under limited or anaerobic conditions. Biochar has the effect of reducing greenhouse gases through the carbon sequestration method; additionally, biochar is known to function as a soil amendment. This experiment was conducted to evaluate the application of biochar on the growth characteristics of Chinese cabbage at Chungnam National University in Daejeon, Korea. The Chinese cabbage was grown for 50 days in a glasshouse in pots. A pruning branch was used to produce the bead and pellet forms of biochar through pyrolysis. The biochar was added to the soil at 0, 2, and 5% by weight. The Chinese cabbage with the 2% treatment of the bead form of biochar had the highest fresh weight ($149.43{\pm}15.92g\;plant^{-1}$) which was increased by 10% compared to the control ($136.91{\pm}31.46g\;plant^{-1}$). Moreover, for the 5% treatment of the bead form of biochar ($60.91{\pm}9.82g\;plant^{-1}$), the growth decreased by 57% compared to the control. As the content of the bead form of biochar increased, the shoot dry weight, leaf number, leaf length and lead width that appeared decreased. An increase in the total organic matter, Avail. $P_2O_5$, Ex. cation and EC was observed when the biochar content was increased. Our results support the application of 2% biochar in the bead form for increased growth of Chinese cabbage.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.52-59
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• 2005

The study was targeted to saccharify foodwastes with the cellulolytic and amylolytic enzymes obtained from culture supernatant of Trichoderma harzianum FJ1 and analyze the kinetics of the saccharification in order to enlarge the utilization in industrial application. T. harzianum FJ1 highly produced various cellulolytic (filter paperase 0.9, carboxymethyl cellulase 22.0, ${\beta}$-glucosidase 1.2, Avicelase 0.4, xylanase 30.8, as U/mL-supernatant) and amylolytic (${alpha}$-amylase 5.6, ${\beta}$-amylase 3.1, glucoamylase 2.6, as U/mL-supernatant) enzymes. The $23{\sim}98\;g/L$ of reducing sugars were obtained under various experimental conditions by changing FPase to between $0.2{\sim}0.6\;U/mL$ and foodwastes between $5{\sim}20\%$ (w/v), with fixed conditions at $50^{\circ}C$, pH 5.0, and 100 rpm for 24 h. As the enzymatic hydrolysis of foodwastes were performed in a heterogeneous solid-liquid reaction system, it was significantly influenced by enzyme and substrate concentrations used, where the pH and temperature were fixed at their experimental optima of 5.0 and $50^{\circ}C$, respectively. An empirical model was employed to simplify the kinetics of the saccharification reaction. The reducing sugars concentration (X, g/L) in the saccharification reaction was expressed by a power curve ($X=K{\cdot}t^n$) for the reaction time (t), where the coefficient, K and n. were related to functions of the enzymes concentrations (E) and foodwastes concentrations (S), as follow: $K=10.894{\cdot}Ln(E{\cdot}S^2)-56.768,\;n=0.0608{\cdot}(E/S)^{-0.2130}$. The kinetic developed to analyze the effective saccharification of foodwastes composed of complex organic compounds could adequately explain the cases under various saccharification conditions. The kinetics results would be available for reducing sugars production processes, with the reducing sugars obtained at a lower cost can be used as carbon and energy sources in various fermentation industries.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.91-96
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• 2000

The cultural and physiological conditions for the T-2 toxin [4,15-diacetoxy-8-(3-mety1butyloxy)-12,13- epoxy-trichothec-9-en-3-01, $C_{24}H_{30}O_9$] production by Fusarium spp. were studied. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) assay and the microbiological assay uslng Rhodotomla rubra were used to quantitate tbe T- 2 toxin. Among the four strains of Fusarium spp., F tn'cinctum NRRL 3299 was best for T-2 toxin production. In solid culture, white com grit medium was best for T-2 toxm production. Temperature played a critical role in the production of T-2 toxin. T-2 toxin production was favored by long duration of low-temperature incubation. The growth and toxin production were relatively high on galactose, fructose, glucose, and sucrose media, when each was used as a sole carbon source, and relatively low on sorbitol, glycerol, and lactose media. For nitrogen sources, $NH_4^(+) and NO_3^{-}were used well as a sole nitrogen source, but $NO_2^-$ was not used. Initial pH and speed of shaker also affected the production of T-2 toxin. From temperature shifting experiment, it is clear that T-2 toxin metabolic pathway is regulated by temperature-dependent enzyme depression or enzyme induction system.