• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.28 no.10
• /
• pp.1024-1030
• /
• 2006

Genus Nitrospira and Nitrobacter species are the key nitrite-oxidizing bacteria(NOB) in nitrifying wastewater treatment plants. It has been hypothesized that genus Nitrospira are K-strategists(low $K_6$ value) that can exploit low amounts of nitrite more efficiently than Nitrobacter. In contrast, Nitrobacter species are r-strategists(high $V_{max}$) that can grow faster than Nitrospira. It has also been known that the availability of organic compounds and dissolved oxygen as well as nitrite affects the distribution of NOB. In this study, we determined the distribution and competition of NOB in wastewater nitrification systems where nitrite, organic compounds, and dissolved oxygen concentrations were compositively varied. For the purpose, several compounds of the laboratory-scale nitrificaiion bioreactor and full-scale $A_2O$ wastewater treatment plant and their distribution of NOB were analyzed and compared. The analysis showed that Nitrobacter was the dominant NOB in nitrification bioreactor where average nitrite was maintained at 5 mg-N/L with very low organic concentration in aerobic condition, whereas Nitrospira was the dominant NOB in full-scale $A_2O$ plant where nitrite was maintained very low and organic compounds were maintained relatively high in alternating aerobic-anoxic condition. The result indicates that nitrite concentration is more critical factor than organics and dissolved oxygen which determines the dominant NOB in nitrification system and it is confirmed that Nitrospira and Nitrobacter showed the characteristics of r-strategist and K-strategist, respectively.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.31 no.10
• /
• pp.855-864
• /
• 2009

The effect of toxicant on the inhibition of nitrification was investigated, using concentrated nitrifying bacteria of both attached and suspended growth. This nitrifying organism was originally obtained from the activated sludge of sewage treatment plant and cultivated for more than three months. The object of this experiment is to determine the effect of the specific surface area and the growth condition of nitrifying bacteria on toxicity of heavy metal. The results of this study were as follows. The specific surface area of both attached and suspended growth of nitrifying organism was proven to be a major factors in determining the inhibition of nitrification of heavy metal such as $Cu^{++}$ion. When the condition of attachment and detachment was compared in an experiment using attached growth nitrifier, the effect on toxicant was 1.12 times less in attached condition than in detached condition for Nitrosomonas, and 1.09 times less for Nitrobacter. In case of suspended growth nitrifier, the effect on toxicant was 1.46 times less in non-ground condition than in ground condition for Nitrosomonas, and 1.35 times less for Nitrobacter. Also, similar results were obtained in a set of experiments, without adding nitrite to the substrate. In an experiment that compared attached condition using attached growth nitrifier with detached condition using attached growth nitrifier, the effect on toxicant was 1.83 times less in attached condition than in detached one for Nitrosomonas, and 1.78 times less for Nitrobacter. In case of suspended growth nitrifier, the effect on toxicant was 1.27 times less in non-ground condition than in ground condition for Nitrosomonas, and 1.32 times less for Nitrobacter.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2005.04a
• /
• pp.282-286
• /
• 2005

Biofilm airlift reactor was continuously operated to investigate the competitions between the autotrophs and heterotrophs, ammonia oxidizers and nitrite oxidizers, and Nitrobacter and Nitrospira with real wastewater at a C/N ratio of 0.86. As the reactor achieved complete nitrification microbial distribution was analyzed by FISH/CLSM technique. The results showed that heterotroph was more abundant than nitrifying bacteria. Ammonia oxidizers (17%) and Nitrobacter (7%) prevailed nitrite oxidizers (9%) and Nitrospira (2%), respectively.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.55-63
• /
• 1996

Nitrification reaction consists of two reactions: nitritification which oxidizes ammonia nitrogen to nitrite nitrogen and nitratification which oxidizes nitrite nitrogen to nitrate nitrogen. Each reaction is carried out by Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter, respectively. The effective maximum growth rates for both bacteria have to be determined to design aeration tank whenever the aeration tanks have to nitrify ammonia nitrogen in influent. And these values are very important to use mathematical models such as IAWPRC model to simulate nitrification in activated sludge. There are several methods to determine these valves, however, the Fed-Batch experiments can determine these values within 72 hours. In this study, the mathematical equations and experimental procedures for Fed-Batch test are presented. Also, the experimental data and reported values are compared. The estimated mean values of maximum specific growth rates for Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter are $0.5010day^{-1}$ and $0.6704day^{-1}$, respectively.

• Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.130-142
• /
• 2004

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.76-81
• /
• 1999

Characteristics and oxidizing ability of both $NH_4-N$ and$NO^2$-N were examined for the strains isolated from wastewater treatment facilities and from natural systems by using Winogradsky columns. In case of $NH_4$-N, the most efficient strain was Nitrosomonas KB1 isolated from wastewater treatment facility of K corporation and in case of $NO_2$-N, it was Nitrobacter KB2 from the same site as Nitrosomonas KB1. For Nitrosomonas KB1, 91% of $NH_4$-N was oxidized after 4 days of cultivation. Optimal growth temperature and initial pH of Nitrosomonas KB1 were $28^{\circ}C$ and 7, respectively. In comparison to oxidizing rates with changing initial concentration of $NH_4$-N, the ammonia oxidizing rate was increased up to 6.7 mg/day for the initial $NO_2$-N concentrations for the region lower than 100 mg $NH_4-N/L$, but it was gradually reduced for the region higher than 100 mg $NH_4-N/L$. For Nitrobacter KB2 90% of $NO_2$-N was removed after culturing for 4 days. Optimal growth temperature and initial pH of Nitrobacter KB2 was $28^{\circ}C$ and 7, respectively. And the nitrite oxidizing rate was increased in proportion to the initial concentrations of $NO_2$-N up to 200 mg/$\ell$, and it was maintained almost 4.2 mg/day irrespective of initial $NO_2$-N higher than 200 mg/L.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.257-264
• /
• 2006

An aerobic submerged membrane bioreactor (MBR) treating ammonium wastewater was studied in respect of nitrification characteristics and distribution of nitrification bacteria over a period of 350 days. MBR was fed with ammonium concentration of 500-1000 mg $NH_4-N/L$ at a nitrogen load of $1-2kg\;N/m^3{\cdot}d$. Overall ammonium oxidation rate increased with dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration, temperature, and sludge retention time (SRT). Under a higher concentration of free ammonia ($NH_3-N$) due to the decrease of ammonium oxidation rate, the nitrite ratio ($NO_2-N/NO_x-N$) in the effluent increased. The sudden collapse of nitrification efficiency accompanied by sludge foaming and the increase of sludge volume index (SVI) was observed unexpectedly during the operation. At the later stage of operation, additional carbon source was fed to the MBR and resulted in twice higher value of SVI and the decrease of ammonium oxidation rate. In fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis, genus Nitrosomonas which is specifically hybridized with probe NSM156 was initially the dominant ammonia oxidizing bacteria and the amount of Nitrosospira gradually increased. Nitrospira was the dominant nitrite oxidizing bacteria during whole operational period. Significant amount of Nitrobacter was also detected which might due to the high concentration of nitrite maintained in the reactor.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.138-144
• /
• 2005

This study was carried out to investigate the changes of nitrifying bacterial populations including Nitrosomonas sp. and Nitrobacter sp. in $A^2/O$ pilot plant with the configuration of anaerobic-anoxic-oxic reactors. The suspended nitrifying bacterial populations in mixed liquor and those of attached populations on granular carrier surface made by molded waste tire were analyzed by Fluorescent in situ Hybridization(FISH) method. The nitrification rate of a pilot plant showed the value of $1.97{\sim}2.98\;mg\;N/g$ MLVSS hr. The ratios of suspended ammonia oxidizer including Nitrosomonas sp. (NSO) to total bacteria in each reactor were oxic < anoxic < anaerobic. On the contrary, the ratios of suspended nitrite oxidizer including Nitrobacter sp. (NIT) were anaerobic < anoxic < oxic. The thickness, dry density and mass of the attached biomass on granular carriers were $180{\sim}188\;{\mu}m$, $38.5{\sim}43.9\;mg/cm^3$, $29.4{\sim}32.5\;mg/g$, respectively. Also, the ratios of attached nitrifier to total bacteria on granular carriers were similar regardless of ammonia/nitrite-oxidizer (NSO; 3.2%, NIT; 2.8%) and very low compared to those(NSO; $22.8{\sim}28.4%$, NIT; $17{\sim}26%$) of suspended nitrifier.

• Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.125-130
• /
• 2008

Free ammonia ($NH_3$-N) inhibition of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) has been widely studied for partial nitrification (or nitrite accumulation) and denitrification via nitrite ($NO_2^-$-N) as a low-cost treatment of ammonium containing wastewater. The literature on $NH_3$-N inhibition of NOB, however, shows disagreement about the threshold $NH_3$-N concentration and its degree of inhibition. In order to clarify the confusion, a simple and cheap respirometric method was devised to investigate the effect of free ammonia inhibition of NOB. Sludge samples from an autotrophic nitrifying reactor were exposed to various $NH_3$-N concentrations to measure the maximum specific nitrite oxidation rate ($\hat{K}_{NO}$) using a respirometer. NOB biomass was estimated from the yield values in the literature. Free ammonia inhibition of nitrite oxidizing bacteria was reversible and the specific nitrite oxidation rate ($K_{NO}$) decreased from 0.141 to 0.116, 0.100, 0.097 and 0.081 mg $NO_2^-$-N/mg NOB h, respectively, as the $NH_3$-N concentration increased from 0.0 to 1.0, 4.1, 9.7 and 22.9 mg/L. A nonlinear regression based on the noncompetitive inhibition mode gave an estimate of the Inhibition concentration ($K_I$) of free ammonia to be 21.3 mg $NH_3$-N/L. Previous studies gave $\hat{K}_{NO}$ of Nitrobacter and Nitrospira as 0.120 and 0.032 mg/mg VSS h. The free ammonia concentration which inhibits Nitrobacter was $30{\sim}50\;mg$ $NH_3$-N/L and Nitrospira was inhibited at $0.04{\sim}0.08\;mg$ $NH_3$-N/L. The results support the fact that Nitrobacter is the dominant NOB in the reactor. The variations in the reported values of free ammonia inhibition may be due to the different species of nitrite oxidizers present in the reactors. The respirometric method provides rapid and reliable analysis of the behavior and community of the nitrite oxidizing bacteria.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.22 no.10
• /
• pp.1789-1797
• /
• 2000

The objective of this study was to assess parameters affecting nitrite accumulation, which offers advantages in terms of less aeration energy and carbon consumption for denitrification. The influence of the alkalinity to $NH_4{^+}-N$ concentration ratio, pH, FA(free ammonia) concentration and temperature on nitrite accumulation was investigated. The experiment was performed with supernatant from dewatering process of anaerobic digested sludge using a submerged biofilm reactor. The influent contains high strength of ammonium nitrogen and the alkalinity was insufficient for complete nitrification. An increased nitrite accumulation was observed with increase in alkalinity to $NH_4{^+}-N$ concentration ratio. The increase in alkalinity to $NH_4{^+}-N$ concentration ratio has been a maior reason for the high pH value and FA concentration in the reactor. It can be considered that selective inhibition of Nitrobacter can be causes of nitrite accumulation. The nitrite accumulation increased with increment of temperature at fixed alkalinity to $NH_4{^+}-N$ concentration ratio.