• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.27 no.12
• /
• pp.1311-1320
• /
• 2005

The purpose of this research is to survey characteristics of microbial community and the removal efficiency of organic materials for biological activated carbon in water treatment plant. Coal based activated carbon retained more attached bacterial biomass on the surface of the activated carbon than the other activated carbon with operating time and materials. The heterotrophic plate count(HPC), eubacteria(EUB) and 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole(DAPI) counts were ranged from $0.95{\times}10^7$ to $52.4{\times}10^7$ CFU/g, from $3.8{\times}10^8$ to $134.2{\times}10^8$ cells/g and from $7.0{\times}10^8$ to $250.2{\times}10^8$ cells/g, respectively. The biomass of EUB and DAPI appeared to be much more $10^2$ than HPC, which were increasing in bed volume of 20,000 at the stage of steady-state. The change of microbial community by analyzing fluorescent in situ hybridization(FISH) method with rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes, the dominant group was $\alpha$-proteobacteria($\alpha$ group) and high G+C content bacteria(HGC) the lowest distributing rate before reaching the bed volume of 20,000. After reaching the bed volume of 20,000, $\alpha$ group and other groups of bacteria became decreased, on the other hand, the proportion of both $\beta$-proteobacteria($\beta$ group) and $\gamma$-proteobacteri($\gamma$ group) were increasing. Coconut and wood based activated carbons had similar trend with coal based activated carbon, but the rate of $\alpha$ group on coal based activated carbon had gradually increased. Bacterial production with the operating period appeared highest in coal based activated carbon at the range of $1.2{\sim}3.4\;mg-C/m^3{\cdot}h$ while the coconut and wood based activated carbon were ranged from 1.1 to 2.6 $mg-C/m^3{\cdot}h$ and from 0.7 to 3.5 $mg-C/m^3{\cdot}h$ respectively. The removal efficiency of assimilable organic carbon(AOC) showed to be highly correlated with bacterial production. The correlation coefficient between removal efficiency of AOC and bacterial production were 0.679 at wood based activated carbon, 0.291 at coconut based activated carbon and 0.762 at coal based activated carbon, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.44 no.2
• /
• pp.147-155
• /
• 2008

The diversity of sulfate reducing bacteria was investigated in different depths of sediments in Lake Sihwa, Korea and Lake Aha, China by PCR amplification, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and clone libraries targeting dissimilatory sulfite redectase (dsr) gene. In the analysis of DGGE band patterns, the community compositions of dsr gene in the sediments of both lakes were significantly different whereas bands in all depths of each environment revealed similar patterns. Bands from Lake Sihwa were produced much more than those from Lake Aha, demonstrating a higher diversity of dsr gene in Lake Sihwa. Total 68 clones containing dsr gene were obtained to analyze their sequences. Sequences from the sediment of Lake Sihwa were affiliated to Deltaproteobacteria, the Gram-positive thermophilic sulfate reducers belonging to the genus Desulforomaculum and archaeal thermophilic SRB belonging to the genus Archaeoglobus, whereas sequences from the sediments of Lake Aha were related to genus Desulfotomaculum. Clones retrieved from sediment of Lake Sihwa revealed a higher numbers than those of Lake Aha, demonstrating a higher diversity of dsr gene in Lake Sihwa. Most of clones (59%) were distantly related to the known cultivated SRB with $60\sim65%$ of similarity, which were clustered only the sequences from the environments showed less than 90% similarity. These habitat specific sequences suggested that the clustered dsr sequences represent species or groups of species that were indigenous to these environments. This study showed that these lakes have a specific bacterial communities having dsr gene distinct from those in other environments such as soil and marine ecosystems around the world.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.355-370
• /
• 2020

We conducted a field survey to analyze the ecological structure and spatial distribution of microplankton (phytoplankton and ciliates) in relation to water masses at 21 stations on the surface and chlorophyll-a maximum layers (CML) in the Northern East China Sea (nECS; 32°-33°N; 124°00'-127°30'E) from August 3 to August 6, 2019. The results showed that the water masses were divided into Chinese Coastal Waters (CCW) and the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC). The CCW showed the environmental characteristics of high temperature and low salinity, and the TWC showed high temperature and high salinity. The characteristics of the phytoplankton community in the CCW showed various community structures related to the nutrients supplied from the large rivers of the Chinese continent. However, the TWC had simple community structures because it originated near the equator and moved northward. The standing crops of phytoplankton and ciliates were very high in the CCW but showed low at the TWC. In particular, from the higher standing crops of protozoa than plant plankton at the TWC, the energy flow at the lower tropic levels caused by the microbial loop that fed on heterotrophic bacteria played an important role in the production of resource organisms. In other words, the marine ecological structure of the nECS in summer could be estimated as a bottom-up system at the CCW and a top-down system at the TWC.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.225-235
• /
• 2011

The change of microbial communities during cyanobacterial bloom was comparatively analyzed by 16S rDNA PCR-DGGE in Daechung Reservoir during 2003~2005. Morphological analysis showed that Cyanophyceae dominated algal community in the bloom. Dominant cyanobacteria were Microcystis, Planktothrix (Oscillatoria), Phormidium and Anabaena. We used 16S rDNA-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) profiles and phylogenetic affiliations of the DGGE bands to analyze the community structure and diversity of the predominant microbial community. The DGGE band patterns demonstrated that the most frequent bands were identified as Microcystis during the monitoring periods, Planktothrix also dominated on September 2003 and 2004, whereas Anabaena was showed a peak on September 2005 and Aphanizomenon on August 2003. DGGE and phylogenetic analysis provided us new information that could not be obtained by traditional, morphological analysis. The relationship between cyanobacteria and other aquatic bacteria can be traced and their genetic diversity also identified in detail.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.45 no.2
• /
• pp.112-118
• /
• 2009

Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) are chemolithoautotrophs that play a key role in nitrogen removal from advanced wastewater treatment processes. Various AOB species inhabit and their community compositions vary over time in the wastewater treatment bioreactors. In this study, a hypothesis that operational and environmental conditions affect both the community compositions and the diversity of AOB in the bioreactors was proposed. To verify the hypothesis, the clone libraries based on ammonia monooxygenase subunit A were constructed using activated sludge samples from aerobic bioreactors at the Pohang, the Palo Alto, the Nine Springs, and the Marshall wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In those bioreactors, AOB within the Nitrosomonas europaea, N. oligotropha, N.-like, and Nitrosospira lineages were commonly found, while AOB within the N. communis, N. marina, and N. cryotolerans lineages were rarely detected in the samples. The AOB community structures were different in the bioreactors: AOB within the N. oligotropha lineage were the major microorganisms in the Pohang, the Palo Alto, and the Marshall WWTPs, while AOB within the N. europaea lineage were dominant in the Nine Springs WWTP. The correlations between the AOB community compositions of the wastewater treatment bioreactors and their operational (HRT, SRT, and MLSS) and environmental conditions (temperature, pH, COD, $NH_3$, and $NO_3{^-}$) were evaluated using a multivariate statistical analysis called the Redundancy Analysis (RDA). As a result, COD and $NO_3{^-}$ concentrations in the bioreactors were the statistically significant variables influencing the AOB community structures in the wastewater treatment bioreactors.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.49 no.4
• /
• pp.336-342
• /
• 2013

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a widely used substance in commercial and industrial applications, yet it must be removed from the contaminated soil and groundwater environment due to its toxic and carcinogenic nature. We investigated bacterial community structure, dominant bacterial strain, and removal efficiency in a TCE contaminated groundwater treatment system using immobilized carrier. The microbial diversity was determined by the nucleotide sequences of 16S rRNA gene library. The major bacterial population of the contaminated groundwater treatment system was belonging to BTEX degradation bacteria. The bacterial community consisted mainly of one genus of Pseudomonas (Pseudomonas putida group). The domination of Pseudomonas putida group may be caused by high concentration of toluene and TCE. Furthermore, we isolated a toluene and TCE degrading bacterium, named Pseudomonas sp. DHC8, from the immobilized carrier in bioreactor which was designed to remove TCE from the contaminated ground water. Based on the results of morphological and physiological characteristics, and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain DHC8 was identified as a member of Pseudomonas putida group. When TCE (0.83 mg/L) and toluene (60.61 mg/L) were degraded by this strain, removal efficiencies were 72.3% and 100% for 12.5 h, respectively. Toluene removal rate was 2.89 ${\mu}mol/g$-DCW/h and TCE removal rate was 0.02 ${\mu}mol/g$-DCW/h. These findings will be helpful for maintaining maximum TCE removal efficiency of a reactor for bioremediation of TCE.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.336-342
• /
• 2008

The effect of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and its metabolites like tert-butyl alcohol (TBA), and formaldehyde (FA) on microbial activity and diversity in tidal mud flat was studied. MTBE, TBA, and FA with different concentrations were added into microcosms containing tidal mud samples, and placed at room temperature for 30 days. Then the physico-chemical properties such as pH, moisture contents and organic matter contents in the microcosms were measured. In addition, the total viable cell number and dehydrogenase activity were measured. Bacterial communities in the microcosms were monitored using a 16S rRNA-PCR-DGGE (Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis) fingerprinting method. As a result, the exposure concentrations of MTBE and its metabolites showed no correlation with the physico-chemical factors (P>0.05). Dehydrogenase activity and total viable cell number were decreased with increasing MTBE, TBA and FA concentrations (P<0.05). The toxic effect was higher the following order: FA > MTBE > TBA. Dominant species in the microcosms contaminated with MTBE and its metabolites were Sphingobacteria, Flavobacteria, delta-proteobacteria, gamma-proteobacteria. The diversity of bacterial community was not significantly influenced by MTBE and its metabolites.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.37 no.3
• /
• pp.189-196
• /
• 2009

Bacteria were isolated from roots of plants belonging to family Solanaceae and Gramineae, inhabited in Dokdo island. Fifty six endospore-forming bacteria grown on tryptic soy broth (TSB) agar medium and 23 nitrogen-fixing bacteria (NFB) grown on nitrogen free agar medium were isolated, respectively. The isolates were partially identified by analyzing the 16S rDNA and categorized into phylogenetic groups. The 16S rDNA sequences of each identified isolates were compared with sequences of each type strains to analyze phylogenetic relationship by phylogenetic tree. As a result, endospore-forming bacteria and nitrogen-fixing bacteria were classified into 4 and 6 lineage groups, respectively. Among these isolated, 18 were presumed to be novel species candidates based on the similarity (lower than 98%) analysis of the l6S rDNA sequences.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.42 no.2
• /
• pp.116-124
• /
• 2006

In this study was performed to analyze quantitatively the number of viable but non-culturable bacteria in the Pine and Quercus forest soil by improved direct viable count (DVC) and plate count (PC) methods. The number of living bacteria of Pine and Quercus forest soil by PC method were less then 1% of DVC method. This result showed that viable but non-culturable (VBNC) bacteria existed in the forest soil with high percentage. Diversity and structure of VBNC bacterial populations in forest soil were analyzed by direct extracting of DNA and 16S rDNA-ARDRA from Pine and Quercus forest soil. Each of them obtained 111 clones and 108 clones from Pine and Quercus forest soil. Thirty different RFLP types were detected from Pine forest soil and twenty-six different RFLP types were detected from Quercus forest soil by HeaIII. From ARDRA groups, dominant clones were selected for determining their phylogenetic characteristics based on 16S rDNA sequence. Based on the 16S rDNA sequences, dominant clones from ARDRA groups of Pine forest soil were classified into 7 major phylogenetic groups ${\alpha}$-proteobacteria (12 clones), ${\gamma}$-proteobacteria (3 clones), ${\delta}$-proteobacteria (1 clone), Flexibacter/Cytophaga (1 clone), Actinobacteria (4 clones), Acidobacteria (4 clones), Planctomycetes (5 clones). Also, dominant clones from ARDRA groups of Quercus forest soil were classified into 6 major phylogenetic groups : ${\alpha}$-proteobacte,ia (4clones), ${\gamma}$-proteobacteria (2 clones), Actinobacteria (10 clones), Acidobacteria (8 clones), Planctomycetes (1 clone), and Verrucomicobia (1 clone). Result of phylogeneric analysis of microbial community from Pine and Quercus forest soils were mostly confirmed at uncultured or unidentified bacteria, VBNC bacteria of over 99% existent in forest soil were confirmed variable composition of unknown micro-organism.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.37 no.1
• /
• pp.46-53
• /
• 2004

In this study, we compared the levels of methylotrophic bacterial community diversity in the leaf, stem, grain, root and rhizosphere soil sainples of four rice cultivars collected from three regions of Korea. Thirty five pigmented and five non-pigmented isolates showing characteristic growth on methanul were obtained. When phylotypes were defined by performing numerical analysis of 42 characteristics, four distinct clusters were formed. While two clusters, I and IV diverged on the basis of nitrate and nitrite reduction, other two clusters, comprising only pink pigmented colonies, diverged on the basis of cellulase activity. Out of the two reference strains used in the analysis, Methyhbacterium extorquens AM1 diverged from all the clusters and M. fujisawaense KACC 10744 grouped under cluster III. All the isolates were positive for urease, oxidase, catalase and pectinase activity and negative for indole production, MR and VP test, $H_2S$ production, starch, and casein hydrolysis. No clusters were found to possess thermotolerant isolates, as no growth of the isolates was observed at $45^{\circ}C$. Two strains in cluster I were found to possess gelatin hydrolysis and methane utilizing properties respectively. Most of the isolates in all the four clusters utilized monosaccliarides, disaccharide and polyols as carbon source. Six isolates showed considerable nitrogenase activity ranging from 86.2 to $809.9nmol\;C_2H_4\;h^{-1}\;mg^{-1}$ protein.