• Geosystem Engineering
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.243-250
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• 2018

This study investigated nitrite ($NO_2{^-}$) accumulation due to FA (Free Ammonia: $NH_3$) inhibition in an anaerobic-aerobic-anoxic (AOA) process reactor to mainly treat wastewater containing 302-610 mg/L of $NH_3/NH_4{^+}-N$. Based on an experimental operation focusing on the nitrification, it was observed that $NO_2{^-}$ was accumulated in the aerobic nitrification zone as pH increased, due to inhibition of $NO_2{^-}$ conversion to $NO_3{^-}$ by FA. This result implied FA inhibition to NOB ($NO_2{^-}$-Oxidizing Bacteria) for converting $NO_2{^-}$ to $NO_3{^-}$. The objective of this study is to develop a feasible monitoring procedure for early detection of the FA inhibition toward $NO_2{^-}$ accumulation and poor nitrification. Thus, in order to rapidly assess FA concentrations, an $NH_3$ probe was utilized to measure $NH_3$ concentrations together with applying a simple model prediction using the measured $NH_4{^+}$ concentrations, the Henry's law constant of $NH_3$ and measured pH. The predictive model $NH_3$ levels were verified by a good correlation (89%) with the corresponding measured data, but the model prediction underestimated FA concentrations at less than 7.4 and a little overestimated at pH above 7.5. Interestingly, accumulated $NO_2{^-}$ levels were roughly correlated with FA levels that were observed at delayed time points. This reflects the detected FA levels can be good indicators of $NO_2{^-}$ levels with some delayed time. $NO_2{^-}$ accumulation started at measured FA concentrations of higher than approximately 3 mg/L and ceased below that FA level.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.26 no.4B
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• pp.421-426
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• 2006

The effect of initial concentration of ammonium ion ($N_0$) and active nitrifiers ($X_0$) on nitrification was examined by continuous monitoring of the ammonium removal rate. The concentration of the active nitrifiers in the culture sludge, measured by the oxygen uptake rate (OUR), was found to be 42.8% of the culture sludge. Experiments were carried out under different ratios of $N_0/X_0$, viz., 0.025 to 0.493. The results from this study show that the oxidation rate was similar under the same $N_0/X_0$ ratio despite different initial concentration of ammonium ion ($N_0$) and active nitrifiers ($X_0$). Moreover, the Contois kinetic expression which includes biomass concentration, was found to describe the mechanism behind nitrification process. The ammonium oxidation rate ($q_{Nmax}$) and half saturation constant per unit activated nitrifiers ($K_N{^{\prime}}$) were theoretically determined using the Contois expression. These values were found to be 4.32 gN/gVSS/day and 0.013 gN/gVSS respectively.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.38 no.12
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• pp.635-640
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• 2016

Although microbial fuel cell (MFC) can produce electricity from organics in wastewater, nitrogen removal is required for application of process for wastewater treatment plant. This study developed flat-panel air-cathode MFCs (FA-MFCs) comprised of two large separator electrode assemblies (SEAs) and evaluate total nitrogen removal according to three inoculum sources and pre-nitrification acclimation. The nitrification efficiencies were >99% regardless of inoculum sources under the phase for pre-nitrification acclimation. The total nitrogen removal efficiencies of FA-MFCs without pre-nitrification acclimation were the highest at the low organic conditions (<300 mg-COD/L) under the phase for nitrification and denitrification. The increase of organic concentration influenced the total nitrogen removal efficiency, positively. The organics were removed >95% but were not used for heterotrophic denitrification totally. This study suggests that application of FA-MFC system for wastewater treatment can allow the simultaneous removal of organic and nitrogen compounds, although this affects the low electricity production.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.783-792
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• 2007

To investigate the effects of alkalinity on the nitrification capability of the nonwoven fabric filter bioreactor(NFBR), an experiment was performed for 641 days at a hydraulic retention time of approximately 11 hours by changing the influent concentration of $NH_3-N$ from 54 mg/L to 1,400 mg/L and alkalinity from 43 mg/L to 10,480 mg/L. The MLSS concentration reduced from an initial value of 2,650 mg/L down to 830 mg/L, then increased up to 8,340 mg/L. Though the volumetric loading rate varied in a range of $0.120\sim3.130$ kg $NH_3-N/m^3-day$, the F/M ratio showed a narrow range of $0.067\sim0.414$ kg $NH_3-N/kg$ MLSS-day. The average nitrification efficiency at each experimental stage resulted in the range of $35.2\sim100%$, and the maximum nitrification rate was 2.970 kg $N/m^3-day$ or 0.489 g N/g MLVSS-day. The nitrifiers' fraction of the MLVSS increased up to 100% from an initial value of 7.1% and the biofilm formed on the nonwoven fabric filter showed a very low nitrifiers' fraction of mere 2.2%. The growth yield of the MLSS and the alkalinity consumption rate were computed to be 0.117 g VSS/g N removed and 7.08 g alkalinity/g $NO_x^--N$ produced, respectively. Results of the research suggest that NFBR could be an adequate process for nitrification of wastewaters with high ammonia concentrations.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.7-15
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• 2009

The objective of this study was to investigate difference in nitrogen, organic, phosphorus and $NH_3$-N removal efficiency according to organic loading, comparing M-DEPHANOX process which has two nitrification reactor with M-eBNR process which has one nitrification reactor. As a result of this study, $NH_3$-N removal efficiency of M-DEPHANOX and M-eBNR resulted in average level of 91.8%, 96.9%, respectively. M-DEPHANOX and M-eBNR processes showed high removal efficiency in view of $NH_3$-N removal efficiency. Comparing organic removal efficiency by M-DEPHANOX and M-eBNR processes, the average removal efficiency in terms of TCOD, SCOD was 84.1%, 78.2% and 83.4%, 75.6%. Also, the results that observed about $NH_3$-N removal efficiency regarding organic loading revealed that nitrification reactor of RBC type are little influenced by flowing organic without precipitating at settling tank. Therefore, although inflow characteristics of municipal wastewater changes, M-eBNR process appeared to remove $NH_3$-N reliably.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.52-61
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• 1998

Nitrification and denitrification are important processes in the landfill site as they are deeply related with degradation and stabilization of refuse. Also nitrous oxide ($N_2O$) which is released from both nitrification and denitrification is known as greenhouse gas (GHG). The purpose of this study was to clarify the process by which $N_2O$ produced using $^{15}N$ isotope. Nitrate which was labeled to 10.08% with $^{15}KNO_3$ was used and $N_2O$ was analyzed with GC mass. Results was that even also when $O_2$ of bulk was 15%, $N_2O$ was released from denitrification. And as concentrations of $O_2$ increase, sum of $N_2O$ was released from denitrification. And as concentrations of $O_2$ increase, sum of $N_2O$ and $N_2$ was decreased and ratios of $N_2O$ in the reduced gases were increased. FISH technics also adaped to confirm whether which of nitrifiers existed in the substrates. When NEU was used of which the target was ammonia oxidizing bacteria, nitrifier was not detected at all. So it was confirmed that during the reaction denitrification was dominant process. Total bacteria distributions which were detected by EUB probe explained that as $O_2$ increase the number of bacteria also increase, but between the 10-15% of $O_2$ there was no any differences.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.296-302
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• 2009

This paper was investigated the research regarding the effects of several factors such as initial ammonium nitrogen concentration, aeration rate. biomass amount and C/N ratio on nitrification process using synthetic wastewater and activated sludge obtained from wastewater treatment facility. As a result, in high ammonium nitrogen concentration above 100 mg/L, the pH of wastewater was dropped to pH 6.8. The increases of initial ammonium nitrogen concentration, aeration rate and initial biomass amount were linearly enhanced the removal rate of ammonium nitrogen. In the condition of C/N ratio of 0 to 3, high ammonium nitrogen removal rate was obtained.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.542-548
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• 2005

A fluidized bed reactor containing porous media has been known to be effective for nitrogen and organic matters removal in wastewater. The porous media which attached microbes plays important roles in simultaneous nitrification/denitrification (SND) due to coexistence of oxic, anaerobic and anoxic zone. For SND reaction, oxygen and organic substrates should be effectively diffused from wastewater into the intra-carrier zone. However, the overgrowth heterotrophic microbes at the surface of porous media may restrict from substrates diffusion. From these viewpoints, the existence and effect of heterotrophic bacteria at surface of porous media might be the key point for nitrogen removal. A porous media-membrane hybrid process was found to have improved nitrogen removal efficiency, due to stimulated denitrification as well as nitrification. Microelectrode studies revealed that although intra-media denitrification rate in a conventional fluidized bed was limited by organic carbon, this limitation was reduced in the hybrid process, resulting in the increased denitrification rate from 0.5 to $4.2\; mgNO_3-N/L/hr$.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.6-9
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• 2011

Step feed process was analyzed stoichiometrically for the optimal operation conditions in this study. In case of optimal operation conditions, minimum R (sludge recycling) value, r (internal recycling ratio) value, and n (influent allocation ratio) value for the step feed process to acquire the maximum TN removal efficiency were identified by theoretical analysis. Maximum TN removal efficiency, based on stoichiometric reaction, can be obtained by controlling n value for the step feed process.

• Proceedings of the Korea Air Pollution Research Association Conference
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• 2006.04a
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• pp.519-522
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• 2006