• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.365-369
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• 2000

Methanogenic activity of granular sludge was monitored by specific methanogenic activity (SMA) assay and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) during start-up of a thermophilic UASB reactor. Autofluorescence by CLSM could visualize the methanogenic bacterial population inside sludge granules and its intensity was proportional to SMA. Considering the complex procedures of SMA measurement, fluorescence quantification by CLSM can be suggested as a routine technique measuring methanogenic activity in UASB granules.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.211-218
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• 2007

The objectives of this study have been carried out to investigate the solubilization of municipal sewage sludge by single and dual frequency ultrasonic pretreatment, and the methane production characteristics of pretreated sewage sludge by specific methanogenic activity test for sewage sludge reduction. The waste activated sludge was collected from thickened tank of Suyoung sewage treatment plant in Busan city, and its concentration was adjusted to 1.0% total solids. Ultrasonic frequency was varied 15, 20, 15+20 kHz, and acoustic density was used a maximum 176W/L. The dual frequency ultrasonic pretreatment was found to be more effective than single frequency ultrasonic in the solubilization rate and methane production. The $SCOD_{Cr}/TCOD_{Cr}$, rate were 15.2%, 13.9%, 17.0% with single frequency of 15 kH2, 20 kHz, dual frequency of 15+20 kHz, respectively. The application of dual frequency ultrasound for sewage sludge pretreatment can be interest for sewage treatment plants having problems in sludge treatment and disposal.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.59-66
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• 2000

Effects of carbon dioxide partial pressure(PCO2) on bacterial population, methane production rate and matter degradation in anaerobic digestion were investigated by using anaerobic chemostat type reactors at 35$\pm$1$^{\circ}C$, at the HRT of 7 days. At PCO2 of 0.5 atm, the specific methane production rate and specific substrate removal rate reached the maximum rates. The methane production rates in the reactors fed by mixed substrate were 26% higher than those obtained under the controlled condition. The number of acetate consuming methanogenic bacteria enumerated by the MPN(most probable number) method, decreased when PCO2 exceeded 0.7 atm. Hydrogen consuming methanogenic bacteria and homoacetogenic bacteria increased as PCO2 increased from 0.1 to 0.6 atm, however, decreased slightly at PCO2 above 0.7 atm. The number of hydrolytic bacteria, sulfate-reducing bacteria and H2-producing acetogenic bacterial were not much influenced by the change of PCO2. The potential methanogenic activity reached the maximum at PCO2 0.5 atm, however, decreased significantly when PCO2 exceeded 0.7 atm, would depend on free PCO2 concentration in solution.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.65-72
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• 2020

The aims of this study were to compare the biomethanation of CO₂ through specific methanogenic activity (SMA) test which was inoculated with four different types of mixed microbial culture obtained from full-scale anaerobic digestion (AD) plants. The experimental results showed that CH₄ conversion was the highest in the samples inoculated by seed sludge taken from ADs of food waste and brewery; under this condition, the produced biomethane contains 89.3-91.9% of CH₄. Meanwhile, the lowest level was obtained in the sample from sewage sludge. The measured ratio of CH₄ production rate to CO₂ consumption rate in all reactors was higher than the theoretical value (1) in the middle of the period and soon dropped to 0.7-0.8. It might be due to changed metabolic pathways in the reactor by the degradation of residual organic matter and the increased activity of homoacetogenic bacteria.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.136-146
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• 2007

Landfill leachate was successfully treated in upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors regardless of the addition of granular sludge. Initial operating period was significantly reduced by the addition of granular sludge. At hydraulic retention time (HRT) of one day, chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rates in Control and Granule reactor were maintained over 90%, respectively with organic loading rate (OLR) of $4-8kgCOD/m^3.d$. During the experiment, the inorganic precipitates were accumulated in and around the sludge, and in the wall of the reactors were formed in both reactors regardless of addition of granular sludge. Specific methanogenic activity (SMA) increased as adaptation of microorganism to the substrate and OLR were increased. The maximum SMA value of the sludge for Granule reactor was about $0.57gCOD/g{\cdot}VSS{\cdot}.d$. The SMA value was not decreased because of excessive inorganic accumulation, however, it was needed to have pre-treatment process of influent to remove the inorganic metals.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.151-160
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• 2006

Anaerobic treatment of landfill leachate was studied to investigate the behaviors of pollutant and the characteristics of microorganism for 10 months. The upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor achieved about 90% chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal at organic loading rates(OLR) up to $20kgCOD/m^3.d$. At higher OLR ($8-20kgCOD/m^3.d$), the propionate concentration increased, indicating that converting propionate to acetate was the rate-limiting step. Nevertheless, increase in the precipitate inside and on the surface of granules as well as on the wall of the reactor resulted in operational problems. The main inorganic precipitate in the granule was calcium compound. Although specific methanogenic activity (SMA) was not affected seriously in this study, metals had to be removed prior to anaerobic treatment so as to be free from the excessive inorganic accumulation that resulted in operational problems.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.75-82
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• 2008

Two UASB reactors were operated to investigate the effect of high concentration of sulfate on anaerobic digestion of propionate using an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor. An organic loading rate of $1.2kg\;COD/m^3{\cdot}d$ and a hydraulic retention time of 1.6 d were maintained during this study. In the absence of sulfate, the UASB reactor achieved about 95% removal of chemical oxygen demand whereas in the presence of $2,000\;SO_4^{2-}mg/L$, the COD removal rate decreased to 83% due probably to the inhibition of dissolved sulfide inhibition. Interactions between the methane producing bacteria (MPB) and sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) were measured to investigate the competition between MPB and SRB. The MPB consumed average 58% of the available electron donors at $COD/SO_4^{2-}$ ratio of 1. Propionate was consumed mainly by SRB, converting sulfate into sulfide and suppressing the methane production. The specific methanogenic activity (SMA) using acetate and propionate increased as microorganism acclimated to the substrate.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.49-54
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• 2011

This study was conducted to evaluate the performance of methane fermentation from effluent of hydrogen fermentation reactor in anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) and anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR). Two reactors were operated at organic loading rate of $1.0kg\;COD/m^3{\cdot}d$ and hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 20 day. Methane production rates of ABR and ASBR for start-up periods were 0.04 L/L/d and 0.19 L/L/d, respectively, whereas maximum methane production rates of ABR and ASBR were 0.25 L/L/d and 0.31 L/L/d, respectively. Removal rates of chemical oxygen demand (COD) in ABR and ASBR for start-up periods were 89% and 92%, respectively. After startup periods, removal rates of COD and volatile solids (VS) in ABR and ASBR were maintained over 90%. The specific methanogenic activity (SMA) increased as microorganism acclimated to the substrate.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.196-206
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• 2000

Methanogenesis and denitrification in an upflow sludge baffled filter (UBF) reactor were studied using glucose as a fermentative substrate. Experiments were carried out to investigate how to reduce ammonification by changing alkalinity and $COD/NO_3-N$ ratio. Characteristics of granular sludges were examined by specifics methanogenic activity(SMA) and specific denitrification rate(SDR) tests. Microstructures of granules were examined using a scanning electron microscopy(SEM). It was found that COD was removed efficiently owing to the diverse microorganisms. In nitrate conversion, not only $COD/NO_3-N$ ratio but also influent alkalinity played important role in the ratio of denitrification and ammonification of nitrate. This reactor achieved over 95% COD and 99% nitrate removal efficiencies when influent contained 4000 mgCOD/L and $700mgNO_3-N/L$ at the hydraulic retention time of 24 hours. As $COD/NO_3-N$ ratio decreased, granular methanogenic activities using acetate and butyrate as substrates increased while activities using propionate and glucose decreased. There were three types in granules according to the surface color; gray, yellowish gray, and black. Gray or yellowish gray-colored granules were composed two layers, which were composed of black inner side and gray or yellowish gray surface substances. SEM illustrated that both were rod-type and cocci-type microorganisms resembling Methanothrix sp. and Methanococci sp. This study showed that by controlling the influent alkalinity and $COD/NO_3-N$ ratio, ammonification and denitrification could be manipulated.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.78-85
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• 2000

Leachate from acidogenic fermentation of food waste was effectively treated by the UASB reactor at $37^{\circ}C$. The efficiency of COD removal was consistently over 96% up to the loading rates of $15.8g\;COD/{\ell}{\cdot}d$. The methane production rate increased to $5.5{\ell}/{\ell}{\cdot}d$. Of all the COD removed, 92% was converted to methane and the rest presumably to biomass. At loading rates over $18.7g\;COD/{\ell}{\cdot}d$, the efficiency of COD removal decreased due to the sludge flotation and washout in the reactor, which resulted from short HRT of less than 10.6 hr. The SMA(specific methanogenic activity) analysis showed that the VFA-degrading activity of granule was the highest for butyrate, and the lowest for propionate. This result was consistent with the observation that the residual propionate concentration was the highest among the VFAs in the effluent. Typical granules were found to be mainly composed of microcolonies of Methanosaeta. Though the original seed sludge contained 64.3% of particles smaller than 1.4mm, the sludge particles had been growing during the fermentation, and at the final step of this study, 75.1% of the particles were found to be larger than 1.4 mm in the UASB reactor.