• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.645-655
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• 2008

The Cr(VI) concentrations at the shallow aquifer well (MPH-0-1) of the Moonpyung groundwater monitoring station were in the range of 0.5 to 3.1 mg/L exceeding 10 to 62 times the guideline for drinking-water quality, indicating continuous contamination. However, Cr was not detected at the deep bedrock well and the other subsidiary monitoring wells except for MPH-1 and 6. Cross-correlation analyses were conducted for rainfall and groundwater level time series, resulting in the mean time of recharge after precipitation events to be 5.6 days. For rainy season, the water level was raised and the Cr(VI) concentration was several times lower than that during dry season at well MPH-0-1 well. Correlation of the Cr(VI) concentration with the groundwater-level showed that the Cr(VI) reduction was closely related with the groundwater-level rise in the well. However, the groundwater level rise during high water season induced the lateral migration of the Cr(VI)-contaminated groundwater at well MPH-4. We enriched and isolated a chromium reducing bacteria, Enterobacter aerogenes, from the Cr(VI)-contaminated groundwater in the wells MPH-0-1 and MPH-1. The bacteria may play an important role for immobilizing Cr(VI) in the Cr(VI)-contaminated groundwater. Therefore, the migration of the contaminant (Cr(VI) must has been restricted because of the natural attenuation by microbial reduction of Cr(VI) in the groundwater. This research suggests that the bioremediation of the Cr(VI)-contaminated groundwater by the indigenous bacteria may be feasible in the Cr(VI) contaminated groundwater.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.111-118
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• 2015

Probiotic, prebiotic, and synbiotic substances as well as microorganisms were added to infant formula in an attempt to influence the intestinal microflora with an aim to stimulate the growth of lactic acid bacteria, especially bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. Over the last 10 years, new synbiotic infant formulas containing probiotics and prebiotics have been proposed in order to simulate the effect of breast-feeding on the intestinal microflora. Owing to their synergistic effect, the new synbiotics are expected to be more helpful than using probiotics and prebiotics individually. Maintenance of the viability of the probiotics during food processing and the passage through the gastrointestinal tract should be the most important consideration, since a sufficient number of bacteria ($10^8cfu/g$) should reach the intended location to have a positive effect on the host. Storage conditions and the processing technology used for the manufacture of products such as infant formula adversely affect the viability of the probiotics. When an appropriate and cost-effective microencapsulation methodology using the generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status and substances with high biological value are developed, the quality of infant formulas would improve. The effect of probiotics may be called a double-effect, where one is an immunomodulatory effect, induced by live probiotics that advantageously alter the gastrointestinal microflora, and the other comprises anti-inflammatory responses elicited by dead cells. At present, a new terminology is required to define the dead microorganisms or crude microbial fractions that positively affect health. The term "paraprobiotics" (or ghost probiotics) has been proposed to define dead microbial cells (not damaged or broken) or crude cell extracts (i.e., cell extracts with complex chemical composition) that are beneficial to humans and animals when a sufficient amount is orally or topically administered. The fecal microflora of bottle-fed infants is altered when the milk-based infant formula is supplemented with probiotics or prebiotics. Thus, by increasing the proportion of beneficial bacteria such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, prebiotics modify the fecal microbial composition and accordingly regulate the activity of the immune system. Therefore, considerable attention has been focused on the improvement of infant formula quality such that its beneficial effects are comparable to those of human milk, using prebiotics such as inulin and oligosaccharides and potential specific probiotics such as bifidobacteria, which selectively stimulate the proliferation of beneficial bacteria in the microflora and the indigenous intestinal metabolic activity of the microflora.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.361-366
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• 2019

In this study, microbial contamivation semisulcospira libertine and effect of sedimentation treatment of major bacterial and fungal pathogens were investigated. The total aerobic bacteria, coliforms, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and yeast and mold present in raw and water-dipped Semisulcospira libertine were enumerated using the standard plate count methods on using the standard plate method on potato dextrose agar (PDA), 3M Petrifilm for coliforms / E. coli, 3M Petrifilm for S. aureus, and plate count agar (PCA), respectively. In analysis of microbial contamination of raw Semisulcospira libertine, the total aerobic bacteria, coliforms, and yeast and mold were monitored as 6.40, 2.70, and $6.79{\log}_{10}CFU/g$, respectively. Both E. coli and S. aureus were not detected (detection limit: 10 CFU/g). However, Semisulcospira libertine dipped in ground water for 3 hours had higher contamination levels of all natural indigenous microorganisms than raw Semisulcospira libertine. Especially, E. coli was detected as $2.46{\log}_{10}CFU/g$ in the ground water-dipped Semisulcospira libertine. The total aerobic bacteria in the ground water-dipped Semisulcospira libertine was not significantly reduced (p>0.05) compared to that in the raw Semisulcospira libertine. Moreover, coliforms were significantly increased (p>0.05) in all water-dipped Semisulcospira libertine. Only fungi were slightly reduced (less than 0.2 log) (p>0.05) in the tap water-dipped Semisulcospira libertine by comparison with the raw Semisulcospira libertine. The results of this study suggest that the use of chemical sterilizing agents and other physical methods in the washing stage will be necessary for the microbial reduction in raw Semisulcospira libertine because the use of sediment removal treatment by ground or tap water did not affect the microbiological safety of the raw Semisulcospira libertine.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.11
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• pp.1562-1570
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• 2007

This experiment was conducted to develop fertilizer which promotes plant growth as well as suppressing pathogenic fungi. The fertilizer was made from the mixture of Ju-Back (Korean rice wine cake) and indigenous rhizosphere-bacterium. The main ingredients of Ju-Back were investigated as 6.04% total nitrogen, 42.59% total carbohydrate, 1.01% available phosphate, 73.42% organic matter, 7.72% potassium oxide, 1.35% calcium oxide, 0.53% magnesium oxide. The enzyme activities of Ju-Back were estimated to be 980 units/g for ${\alpha}-amylase$, 300 units/g for glucoamylase, and 1800 units/g for acid pretense. Indigenous rhizosphere bacteria which produced antifungal agent were isolated from soil, and was selected KMU-13 strain which can antagonize against various plant pathogenic fungi (Botrytis cinerea KACC 40573, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum KACC 41065, Fusairum oxysporum KACC 40052, Pythium aphanidermatum KACC 40156, Phytophthora capsici KACC 40476 and Glomerella cingulata KACC 40299). KMU-13 strain was identified as Bacillus subtilis KMU-13 by biochemical and 16s rDNA analysis. The organic fertilizer was made as prototype which was composed 20% Ju-Back, 70% carrier, 9.7% microorganism cultivated solution, 0.3% trace-element. We also investigated an application of fertilizer using Ju-Back for cultivating lettuce (Lactuca sativar) which were grown in three soil conditions that had chemical fertilizer, barnyard manure, lime power, urea, potassium chloride and superphosphate as a control, the whole quantity (80 kg/10a) of posted fertilizer with the control and the half quantity (40 kg/10a) with the control. The growth characteristics were examined and analysed with several weeks interval from 3 weeks to 8 weeks on head length (cm), head width (cm/head), number of leaf and fresh weight (g/plant). The results are summarized as follows. The head width and fresh weight of lettuce were the highest at posted fertilizer 1 (whole quantity) was applied chemical, organic matter (Ju-Back) and carrier. The head length was the highest at posted fertilizer 2 (whole quantity) was applied Ju-Back only.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.431-437
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• 2005

In this study, the profiles of the bacterial regrowth of indigenous bacteria in tap water and Pseudomonas fluorescence P17 were investigated for cases when carbon (glucose), and/or nitrogen ($NO_3^-$-N), and/or phosphorus ($PO_4^{3-}$-P) were added below sufficient nutrient concentration (SNC) and when carbon sources (glucose and acetate) and nitrogen sources ($NH_4^+$-N and $NO_3^-$-N) were added together. The bacterial regrowth was decreased with limitation of nutrients, and were lowered relatively in the sample, which plural nutrients were limited. In addition, phosphate might be the effective nutrient to control the bacterial regrowth in drinking water because the bacterial regrowth was significantly decreased by the limitation of phosphate. In contrast, the bacterial regrowth was retarded with increasing the concentration of $NO_3^-$-N. For simultaneously adding carbon(glucose or acetate) and nitrogen sources ($NH_4^+$-N and $NO_3^-$-N), the regrowth counts appeared highly in the condition, for both glucose and acetate. And, the regrowth was increased with increasing $NH_4^+$-N concentration as a nitrogen source.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.605-612
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• 2012

Spore-forming bacteria are being used as probiotic supplements for human and animal use, due to their low pH stability and ability to survive the gastric barrier. In this study, the BCNU 9028 strain was screened from meju, a Korean fermented soybean food starter. Biochemical and physiological characteristics, as well as 16S rDNA sequence analyses, indicate that this strain belongs to the genus $Bacillus$. $Bacillus$ sp. BCNU 9028 showed a 92% survivability at pH 2.5 and could also withstand 0.3% ox bile. Furthermore, it was postulated that $Bacillus$ sp. BCNU 9028 could prevent biofilm formation and adherence of food-borne pathogens such as $Listeria$ $monocytogenes$, $S.$ $aureus$ and $E.$ $coli$ on the basis of its autoaggregation and coaggregation capacity with food-borne pathogens. It was shown that BCNU 9028 has good abilities to adhere to the intestinal tract from its hydrophobic character (63.3%). The $Bacillus$ sp. BCNU 9028 strain especially elicited antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and -negative pathogens. These findings suggested that the $Bacillus$ sp. BCNU 9028 strain could be used as a potential probiotic.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.53-59
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• 2012

This study investigated characteristics of decomposition of tetrabutoxysilane (TBOS) as a slow release substrate (SRS) and on effect of TBOS decompostion compounds (acetate and butylate) for anaerobic dechlorination of trichloroethylene (TCE). In the batch experiment, TCE, cis-dichloroethene (cis-DCE), 1-butanol and TBOS were analysed by GC/FID and acetate and butylate were measured by HPLC. 1M of TBOS transferred and accumulated 4M of 1-butanol by abiotically hydrolysis reaction. The hydrolysis rate was in a range of 0.186 ${\mu}M/day$. On other hand, 1-butanol fermented to butyrate and acetate with indigenous culture from natural sediments. This results showed that TBOS could be used a slow release substrate in the natural sites. The dechlorinated potential of TCE with acetate and butyrate was increased with a decreasing initial TCE concentrations. In addition, first order coefficients of dechlorination with acetate as electron donor was higher then that with butyrate. It is because that dechlorination of Geobacter lovleyi was affected by substrate affinity, biodegradability and microbial acclimation on various substrates. However, dechlorinated potential of Geobacter lovleyi was decreased with accumulation cis-DCE in the anaerobic decholoronation process. The overall results indicated that SRS with Geobacter lovleyi might be a promising material for enhancing dechlorination of TCE on natural site and cis-DCE should be treated by ZVI as reductive material or by coexisting other dechlorinated bacteria.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.133-140
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• 2015

We have examined the correlation between the physicochemical and microbiological environment variables for the different layers of oak forest soil in Mt. Gyeryong, Korea. The result shows that there is a high correlation in the environment variables between the soil parameters of the fermented (F) layer and humus (H) layer. In particular, the pH level in the F layer shows a high correlation with C and N, while the various organic acids of the H layer turns out to be closely correlated with soil bacteria density. As we evaluated phylogenetic characteristics of bacterial populations by DGGE analysis with DNA extracted. Total of 175 bands including 43 bands from litter (L) layer, 42 bands from F layer, 43 bands from H layer and 47 bands from rhizosphere (A) layer were selected as the major DGGE band of oak forest soil. Based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences, 175 DGGE bands were classified into 32 orders in 7 phylum. The heat map was analyzed in order to compare the quantity of the base sequences of each order and based on the clustering of the different layers of oak forest soil, the result confirms that the F layer and H layer belong to a different cluster from that of L layer and A layer. Furthermore, it also showed that approximately 50% of the total microbial population in different layers is ${\alpha}$-proteobacteria, which indicates that they belong to the dominant system group. In particular, Rhizobiales, Burkholderiales and Actinobacteriales were observed in all the seasons and layers of oak forest soil, which confirms that they are the indigenous soil bacterial community in oak forest soil.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.192-199
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• 2012

Microalgal biotechnology has gained prominence because of the ability of microalgae to produce value-added products including biodiesel through photosynthesis. However, carbon and nutrient source is often a limiting factor for microalgal growth leading to higher input costs for sufficient biomass production. Use of municipal wastewater as a low cost alternative to grow microalgae as well as to treat the same has been demonstrated in this study using mini raceway open ponds. Municipal wastewater was collected after primary treatment and microalgae indigenous in the wastewater were encouraged to grow in open raceways under optimum conditions. The mean removal efficiencies of TN, TP, COD-$_{Mn}$, $NH_3$-N after 6 days of retention time was 80.18%, 63.56%, 76.34%, and 96.74% respectively. The 18S rRNA gene analysis of the community revealed the presence of Chlorella vulgaris and Scenedesmus obliquus as the dominant microalgae. In addition, 16S rRNA gene analysis demonstrated that Rhodobacter, Luteimonas, Porphyrobacter, Agrobacterium, and Thauera were present along with the microalgae. From these results, it is concluded that microalgae could be used to effectively treat municipal wastewater without aerobic treatment, which incurs additional energy costs. In addition, municipal wastewater shall also serve as an excellent carbon and nitrogen source for microalgal growth. Moreover, the microalgal biomass shall be utilized for commercial purposes.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.92-97
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• 2014

Perchlorate ($ClO_4^-$) is an emerging contaminant of soil/groundwater and surface water. $ClO_4^-$ has been shown to inhibit iodide uptake into the thyroid gland and cause a reduction in thyroid hormone production. $ClO_4^-$ is highly soluble and very stable in water. Biodegradation by $ClO_4^-$-reducing bacteria (PRB) is considered the most important factor in natural attenuation of $ClO_4^-$. Rivers in an industrial complex have potential to be contaminated with $ClO_4^-$ discharged from point or non-point sources. In this study, water samples were taken from the rivers running through the Gumi industrial complexes and used for batch test to analyze $ClO_4^-$-degradation potential of river microorganisms. The results of 83-h batch culture showed that $ClO_4^-$-removal efficiency of all samples was 0.77% or less without addition of an external electron ($e^-$) donor. However $ClO_4^-$-removal efficiency was higher when an $e^-$ donor (acetate, thiosulfate, $S^0$, or $F^0$) was added into the batch culture, showing up to 100% removal efficiency. The removal efficiency was various depending on type of $e^-$ donor and site of sampling. When acetate was used as an $e^-$ donor, the highest $ClO_4^-$-removal efficiency was observed among the $e^-$ donors used in this study, suggesting that activity of heterotrophic PRB was dominant. The results of this study provide basic information on natural attenuation of $ClO_4^-$ by river microorganisms. The information can be useful to prepare a strategy to enhance efficiency of $ClO_4^-$ biodegradation for in situ bioremediation.