• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.185-194
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• 1998

Laboratory-scale investigation into initial anaerobic biofilm development was carried out by circulating mixed liquor from a steady-state anaerobic reactor through silicone tubing and then rerurning the mixed liquor to the reactor. The wall of the silicone tubing was the surface upon which anaerobic biofilm accumulation or development was monitored. Methanogenic bacteria accumulation was monitored by F$_{420}$ fluorescence (picomoles F$_{420}$/cm$^{2}$) of the extracted biofilm material. Biofilm accumulation was measured by the increase in COD of the extracted material ($\mu $g COD/cm$^{2}$). Experiments were conducted for 25 days, and biofilm analyses were performed at 5 days intervals. The results indicated that the initial rates of methangen and anaerobic biofilm accumulation increased with increasing organic loading rate and higher initial rates were observed for 15 days than 15 day liquid HRT or SRT. When the initial rates were plotted against the corresponding mixed liquor volatile suspended solids the difference between the results at the two HRT's became much less significant. Thus, the concentration of mixed liquor volatile suspended solids was found to be a very important parameter affecting initial anaerobic biofilm development. The ratio of methanogens to anaerobic biofilm was also investigated. The results showed that the ratio remained constant through the 25 days of each experiment and for high organic loading rates. Based on the results of this research, a reduction, a reduction of start-up period of anaerobic fixed film reactors might be achieved by maintaining a high organic loading and a large concentration of anaerobic microorganisms in the mixed liquor during the start-up period.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.91-99
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• 2014

Ordinary heterotrophic organism (OHO) active biomass plays key roles in biological wastewater treatment processes. However, due to the lack of measurement techniques, the OHO active biomass exists hypothetically within the design and simulation of biological wastewater treatment processes. This research was purposed to develop a quick and easy quantifying technique for the OHO active biomass applying a modified batch aerobic growth test. Two nitrification-denitrification activated sludge systems, with 10- and 20-day sludge ages, were operated to provide well-cultured mixed liquor to the batch tests. A steady state design model was firstly applied to quantify the "theoretical" OHO active biomass concentration of the two parent systems. The mixed liquor from the parent systems was then inoculated to a batch growth test and a batch digestion test to estimate the "measured" OHO active biomass concentration in the mixed liquor. The measured OHO active biomass concentrations with the batch growth test and the batch digestion test were compared to the theoretical concentrations of the parent system. The measured concentrations with the batch growth test were generally smaller than the theoretical concentrations. However, the measured concentrations with the batch aerobic digestion tests showed a good correlation to the theoretical concentrations. Thus, a different microbial growth condition (i.e., a higher food/biomass ratio) in the batch growth test, compared to the parent system or the batch digestion test, was found to cause underestimation of the OHO active biomass concentrations.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.11-22
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• 2016

The characterization of treatment performance with respect to mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentration enables greater control over system performance and contaminant removal efficiency. Hybrid membrane bioreactors (HMBRs) have yet to be well characterized in this regard, particularly in the context of greywater treatment. The aim of this study, therefore, was to determine the optimal MLSS concentration for a decentralized HMBR greywater reclamation system under typical loading conditions. Treatment performance was measured at MLSS concentrations ranging from 1000 to 4000 mg/L. The treated effluent was characterized in terms of biochemical oxygen demand ($BOD_5$), chemical oxygen demand (COD), turbidity, ammonia ($NH_3$), total phosphorus (TP), total kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), and total nitrogen (TN). An MLSS concentration ranging from 3000 to 4000 mg/L yielded optimal results, with $BOD_5$, COD, turbidity, $NH_3$, TP, TKN, and TN removals reaching 99.2%, 97.8%, 99.8%, 99.9%, 97.9%, 95.1%, and 44.8%, respectively. The corresponding food-to-microorganism ratio during these trials was approximately 0.23 to 0.28. Operation at an MLSS concentration of 1000 mg/L resulted in an irrecoverable loss of floc, and contaminant residuals exceeded typical guideline values for reuse in non-potable water applications. Therefore, it is suggested that operation at or below this threshold be avoided.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.313-320
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• 2014

Black liquor (BL) is a by-product of rice straw pulping process. It is a low costs raw material for production value-adding proteins and enzymes, which has been paid more and more attention to reduce its environmental pollution. Mixed cultures of micelial fungi, Trichoderma reesei Northern Regional Research Laboratory (NRRL)11236, Trichoderma reesei NRRL 6165 and Aspergillus niger strains NRC 5A, NRC 7A, and NRC 9A were evaluated for their ability to produce xylanase using crude hemicellulose (CHC) prepared from BL and peat moss as an inert support under solid state fermentation (SSF). The most potent strains, A. niger NRC 9A (818.26 U/g CHC) and T. reesei NRRL 6165 ($100.9{\pm}57.14$ U/g CHC), were used in a mixed culture to enhance xylanase production by co-culturing under SSF. In the mixed culture, xylanase production ($1070.52{\pm}12.57$ U/g CHC) was nearly1.3 and 10.6-fold increases over the activities attained in their monocultures, A. niger NRC 9A and T. reesei NRRL 6165, respectively. Optimization of the culture parameters of the mixed culture SSF process, concentration of ammonium sulfate and corn steep liquor, CHC/peat moss ratio, inoculum size and ratios of the two strains, initial pH value, initial moisture content and incubation time, exhibited a significant increase ($2414.98{\pm}84.02$ U/g CHC) in xylanase production than before optimization.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.236-245
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• 1999

Andong Soju is a Korean traditional distilled liquor brewed with Nuruk which is cultured with wild microorganisms. To provide useful information for scientific production and systematic quality control of traditional distilled liquor, the effects of mixed culture of the alcoholic yeasts and saccharifying molds isolated from the Nuruk, and mashes on the flavor and sensory characteristics were investigated. Distillate from mashes cocultured with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Hansenula anomala using Mucor Nuruk was compared with distillate from mashes brewed with Andong Nuruk and with distillate from plant fermented mashes to analyze their flavor characteristics. The volatile flavor compounds in distillates were analyzed by GC and GC-MS using direct injection, solvent extraction, and purge & trap methods. Alcohols such as 3-methyl-1-butanol, 2-methyl-1-propanol, 1-propanol, and 2-phenyl ethanol; aldehydes such as acetaldehyde and 2-furancar-boxaldehyde; esters such as ethyl ester of acetic acid, hexanoic acid, octanoic acid, decanoic acid; alkanes, alkenes, ketone, sulfur, and pyrone compounds were detected. Alcohols were chief components of flavor compounds. No significant difference in overall acceptability test was shown among three experimental groups(p<0.05), but Nuruk-like aroma, Kaoliangchiew-like aroma, sweet taste, and well rounded mouthfeel showed significant differences among them(p<0.05).

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.561-567
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• 2002

This study was investigated to evaluate the effect of the sodium ion and pH on toxicity of dinitrophenol at high concentrations (0.41 to 0.54 mM), over a sodium concentration range of 0.1 mM to 107 mM and over a pH range of 5 to 9. The concentration of sodium ions in the activated sludge mixed liquor seemed to have very little effect on dinitrophenol toxicity. However, lack of sodium in the growth media resulted in a reduction of the dinitrophenol degradation rate by bacterial isolate from the activated sludge culture, which has been identified as Nocardia asteroides. Dinitrophenol inhibition was found to be strongly dependent on mixed liquor pH. The dinitrophenol degradation rate was highest in the pH range of 6.95 to 7.84; at pH 5.94 degradation of 75 mg/L dinitrophenol was significantly inhibited; at pH < 5.77, dinitrophenol degradation was completely inhibited after approximately 30% of the dinitrophenol was degraded.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.561-567
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• 2013

Mixed hardwood chips were pre-pulping extracted with green liquor prior to kraft pulping in order to recover hemicelluloses for use as biofuels. This green liquor solution containing mainly sodium sulfide and sodium carbonate was applied at different alkali charges (expressed as $Na_2O$) of 0, 1, 3, and 5% on dry wood weight. The extractions were performed at $160^{\circ}C$ for residence times ranging from about 1-2 h to determine the effect of extraction severity on composition of the pre-pulping extract. The severity of hemicellulose extraction time and green liquor charge controls the concentration of acetic acid and monosaccharide sugars available for downstream processing, the accumulation of degradation products such as organic acids and furans in the extract. As the alkali charge was increased, the amount of acetate side chains on the hemicelluloses and the dissolved lignin in the extract increased but the carbohydrate and sugars in the extract decreased appreciably. Hot water extraction (0% alkali addition) released the greatest amount of carbohydrates, up to 29.80 g/L measured as component sugars, but resulted in the greatest decrease in pulp yield. Meanwhile, pre-pulping extraction with 3% green liquor increased the pulp yield while greatly reducing the component sugars to 7.08 g/L. Fundamental data obtained in this study will allow selection of optimum hemicellulose extraction conditions for integrating the extraction operation into the Kraft pulping process.

• Proceedings of the Membrane Society of Korea Conference
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• 1998.06a
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• pp.113-133
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• 1998

In activated sludge process, sludge settling condition is affected by organic loading rate or operation condition, and if settling condition is getting worse, it is common that overall process fails due to wash-out of biomass causing low concentration in the aeration tank. Also activated sludge process has such several problems as requiring large area, consuming a lot of power and producing large volume of sludge. Increased public concern over health and the environment combined with a strong desire to reduce capital, operating and maintenance costs, have created a need for innovative technologies for building new high quality effluents which vail meet 21st century crkeria. MBR(Membrane Bioreactor) process consists of a biological reactor and ultrafiltration(UF) membrane system that replaces the conventional clarifier of an activated sludge process. The main operating advantages of this system are that the quality of the effluent is independent of the settleability of the mixed liquor and that the effluent is free of suspended solids in any operating condition. It is possible to eliminate clarifier and to reduce the volume of aeration tank because it can afford to accumulate high biomass concentration in the bioreactor(20, 000~30, 000mg/L), which would not be possible in a conventional activated sludge process. Therefore, this process reduces overall treatment plant area. In addition to those advantages, Longer SRT condition enables higher sludge digestion in MBR process so the sludge volume produced is 50 to 70% lower than that of conventional activated sludge process There are two kinds of MBR process according to the allocations of membrane. One is cross flow type MBR of which module is located outside of the bioreactor and mixed liquor is driven into the membrane module. The other is submerged type MBR process of which module is submerged in the bioreactor and mixed liquor is generally sucked from the lumen side. addition to that the cake layer is often removed by the uplifting flow of bubbling air. A submerged MBR process is superior to a crossflow MBR in regard to the power consumption because suction pressure of a submerged MBR is generally lower than that of a crossflow MBR which has recirculation pump. A submerged MBR, therefore, has the potential to be applied to small wastewater treatment plants that need low cost treatment systems.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.501-512
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• 2015

A laboratory-scale submerged membrane bioreactor (MBR) was continuously operated for 100 d at an infinite sludge retention time (SRT) with the aim of identifying possible relation between the filterability of mixed liquor and sludge properties, such as extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), soluble microbial products (SMP), viscosity of mixed liquor, zeta potential of flocs and particle size distributions (PSD). Research results confirmed that MBR can operate with a complete sludge retention ensuring good treatment performances for COD and $NH_3-N$. However, the long term operation (about 40 d) of MBR with no sludge discharge had a negative influence on sludge filterability, and an increase in membrane fouling rates with the time was observed. There as a strong correlation between the sludge filterability and the fouling rate. Among the different sludge properties parameters, the concentration SMP and EPS had a more closely correlation with the sludge filterability. The concentrations of SMP, especially SMP with MW above 10 kDa, had a strong direct correlation to the filterability of mixed sludge. The protein fractions in EPS were biodegradable and available for microorganism metabolism after about 60 days, and the carbohydrates in EPS had a significantly negative effect on sludge filterability in MBR at an infinite SRT.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.446-455
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• 2014

In this study, we aimed to develop mixed grain-derived hard liquor with enhanced favor and taste. First, fermentation characteristics analysis according to the grain used showed that rice and adlay produced high alcohol outputs of 15.2% and 13.3%, respectively, while that of barley was low at 5.6%. In an experiment in which different amounts sorghum flour were added, the sample without sorghum flour showed an alcohol content of 19.0%. The effect of adding up to 7% ipkuk (koji) was examined in a sensory test. Comprehensive preference increased with increasing amounts of added ipkuk. Fermentation characteristics analyses of distilled liquor into which milled rice (5% degrees of milling of unpolished waxy rice) was added showed that alcohol content and acidity were not greatly affected by its addition. Finally, an analysis of aromatic ingredients showed that the percentage of ethyl palmitate, which produces a smooth aroma, was the highest in distilled liquor made of mixed grains.