• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.525-537
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• 2024

Pilins are protein subunits of pili. The pilins of type IV pili (T4P) in pathogenic bacteria are well characterized, but anything is known about the T4P proteins in acidophilic chemolithoautotrophic microorganisms such as the genus Acidithiobacillus. The interest in T4P of A. thiooxidans is because of their possible role in cell recruitment and bacterial aggregation on the surface of minerals during biooxidation of sulfide minerals. In this study we present a successful ad hoc methodology for the heterologous expression and purification of extracellular proteins such as the minor pilin PilV of the T4P of A. thiooxidans, a pilin exposed to extreme conditions of acidity and high oxidation-reduction potentials, and that interact with metal sulfides in an environment rich in dissolved minerals. Once obtained, the model structure of A. thiooxidans PilV revealed the core basic architecture of T4P pilins. Because of the acidophilic condition, we carried out in silico characterization of the protonation status of acidic and basic residues of PilV in order to calculate the ionization state at specific pH values and evaluated their pH stability. Further biophysical characterization was done using UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopy and the results showed that PilV remains soluble and stable even after exposure to significant changes of pH. PilV has a unique amino acid composition that exhibits acid stability, with significant biotechnology implications such as biooxidation of sulfide minerals. The biophysics profiles of PilV open new paradigms about resilient proteins and stimulate the study of other pilins from extremophiles.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.61-69
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• 2014

As we are trying to in-situ treat (purify or immobilize) heavy metals or radionuclides in groundwater, one of the geochemical factors to be necessarily considered is the value of oxidation/reduction potential (ORP) of the groundwater. A biogeochemical impact on the characteristic ORP change of groundwater taken from the KAERI underground was observed as a function of time by adding electron-donor (lactate), electron-acceptor (sulfate), and indigenous bacteria in a laboratory condition. There was a slight increase of Eh (slow oxidation) of the pure groundwater with time under a $N_2$-filled glove-box. However, most of groundwaters that contained lactate, sulfate or bacteria showed Eh decrease (reduction) characteristics. In particular, when 'Baculatum', a local indigenous sulfate-reducing bacterium, was injected into the KAERI groundwater, it turned to become a highly-reduced one having a decreased Eh to around -500 mV. Although the sulfate-reducing bacterium thus has much greater ability to reduce groundwater than other metal-reducing bacteria, it surely necessitated some dissolved ferrous-sulfate and finally generated sulfide minerals (e.g., mackinawite), which made a prediction for subsequent reactions difficult. As a result, the ORP of groundwater was largely affected even by a slight injection of nutrient without bacteria, indicating that oxidation state, solubility and sorption characteristics of dissolved contaminants, which are affected by the ORP, could be changed and controlled through in-situ biostimulation method.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.177-189
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• 2003

The main purposes of this study are to utilize mineralogical studies such as optical microscope, XRD and SEM/EDS analyses to characterize the oxidation of sulfide minerals and the mechanisms controlling the movement of dissolved metals from waste rocks at the abandoned Seobo mine. Mineralogical research of the waste rocks confirms the presence of anglesite, covellite, goethite, native sulfur and nsutite as secondary minerals, suggesting that these phases control the dissolved concentrations of As, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn. The dissolved metals are precipitated, adsorbed and/or coprecipitated with(or within) Fe(Mn)-hydroxides and Mn(Fe)-hydroxides. The main phases of secondary mineral, Fe-hydroxide, can be classified as amorphous or poorly crystalline and more crystallized phases(e.g. goethite) by crystallinity. Amorphous or poorly crystalline Fe-hydroxide has relatively high As contents(9-24 wt.%). This poorly crystalline Fe-hydroxide changes toward more crystallized phase(e.g. goethite) which contains relatively low As(0.6-7.7 wt.%). These results are mainly due to the progressive release of As with the crystallization evolution of the As-trapping poorly crystalline Fe-hydroxides. It is also attributed to the differences of specific surface areas between the poorly crystalline Fe-hydroxides and well crystallized phases. The dissolved metals from waste rocks at Seobo mine area are naturally attenuated by a series of precipitation(as Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb), coprecipitation(Fe, Mn) and adsorption(As, Cu, Pb, An) reactions. The results of mineralogical researches permit to assess the environmental impacts of mine waste rocks in the areas, and can be used as a useful data to lay available mine restoration plan.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.30 no.9
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• pp.918-924
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• 2008

This research investigates the influences of the presence of aquatic macrophytes on the changes of biogeochemistry in the sediments through the comparative analysis of porewater and sediments. From the in situ measurements, elevated SO$_4{^{2-}}$ concentrations were observed in the rhizosphere during the growing season, which was resulted from the oxidation of reduced sulfide in the sediments by the oxygen release from the plant roots. There was sufficient AVS in the sediments to induce observed SO$_4{^{2-}}$ concentrations. The amount of oxygen in the oxidation of AVS to produce observed SO$_4{^{2-}}$ concentrations is 0.85 g/m$^2$ day which is relevant to the results of other researches. The AVS concentrations in the vegetated sediments increased with the depth whereas there is higher mass of AVS in the surface of the non-vegetated sediments. This shows that evapotranspiration induces the transportation of SO$_4{^{2-}}$ in the surface water into the anaerobic sediments. In addition, the elevated organic content caused by the presence of plants increased $\beta$-glucosidase activities which play an important role in the carbon cycle of the sediments.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.574-581
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• 2001

The microbial properties and acid tolerance of the three kinds of Acetobacter sp. isolated from persimmon vinegar were investigated. Acid tolerance was also evaluated. Acetobacter sp. were gram negative, short rod, nonspore forming and motile. They reacted positively catalase, methyl red, oxidation fermentation, Voges-Proskauer and nitrate reduction tests and negative to hydrogen sulfide test and ONPG. Acetobacter sp. showed normal growth curve in Carr broth and there was no significant difference between isolates and (standard on) typical strains such as Acetobacter aceti (KCTC1010), Acetobacter liquefaciens (KCTC2804), Acetobacter diazotrophicus (KCTC 2859). Optimum temperature and initial ethanol concentration in incubation were $30^{\circ}C$ and 6%, respectively. Growth and acid production of Acetobacter sp. were suppressed by the concentration of above 4% acetic acid. The amount of $Mg^{++}$ release from Acetobacter sp. cells in medium was increased by acetic acid, and almost in the concentration of 6% acetic acid. Glycolysis by Acetobacter sp. had optimal pH about 6.0 to 7.0 and more stable in acidic condition than in alkalic. The $H^+-ATPase$ of Acetobacter sp. S-1 and S-3 showed a maximal activity between pH values of approximately 5.5 to 7.5 and 6.0 to 7.5, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.472-479
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• 2012

The formation of volatile fatty acids(VFAs) and changes in pH, oxidation and reduction potential(Eh) and acid volatile sulfide(AVS) with the addition of yellow clay were investigated using microcosm systems to examine the effects of yellow clay dispersion on the anaerobic decomposition of Cochlodinium polykrikoides in marine sediments. The acetate concentration reached a maximum by day 4 and was 1.2-1.8 fold less in the sample treated with yellow clay compared to the untreated sample (224-270 vs. 333 uM). The formate concentration reached a maximum by day 1 and was 1.3-2.8 fold less in the sample treated with yellow clay compared to the untreated sample (202-439 vs. 563 uM). The propionate concentration reached a maximum by day 2 and was 1.5-1.8 fold less in the sample treated with yellow clay compared to the untreated sample (32.6 vs. 57.2 uM). After the amounts of acetate, formate and propionate peaked the levels dropped dramatically due to the utilization by sulfate reducing bacteria. The Eh of the samples treated with yellow clay was similar to the untreated sample on day 0 but was higher in the sample treated with yellow clay(140-206 mV) from days 4 to 17. AVS started to form on day 3 and this was sustained until day 6, and 1.2-2.2 fold less was produced in the sample treated with yellow clay compared to the untreated sample (40.2-69.3 vs. 83.2-93.8 mg/L). Accordingly, during the anaerobic decomposition of C. polykrikoides in marine sediments, yellow clay dispersal seems to suppress the reduction state of Eh and the formation of volatile fatty acids(acetate, formate and propionate) used as an energy source by sulfate reducing bacteria, indicating that this process controls the production of hydrogen sulfide that negatively affects marine organisms and the marine sediment environment.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.93-99
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• 2001

There are several ways to remove and treat toxic heavy metals in the environment: chemical, physical and biological ways. The biological treatment utilizes the natural reactions of microorganisms living in the environments. These reactions include biosorption and bioaccumulation, oxidation and reduction, methylation and demethylation, metal - organic complexation and insoluble complex formation. The biological reactions provide a crucial key technology in the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils and waters. According to recent reports, various kinds of heavy metal species were removed by microorganisms and the new approaches and removal conditions to remediate the metals were also tried and reported elsewhere. This was mostly carried out by microorganisms such as fungi, bacteria and alga. In addition, a recent development of molecular biology shed light on the enhancing the microorganism's natural remediation capability as well as improving the current biological treatment.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.10 no.10
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• pp.2779-2785
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• 2009

Among the livestock, chickens are raised because of the merit ingested protein in low-priced cost of production and are primary livestock increased the consumption of meat. The factors of influencing condition, odor is the most important factor. Odor substances are ammonia, amines, hydrogen sulfide and mercaptan which come from night soil. Livestock are prevented from rearing by means of these odor substances. Though the henhouse is heated using hot air type heater in the winter season, it is ventilated for the control of odor because of the increase of odor concentration. In the present work, composite catalytic system combined the existing facilities(hot air type heater) with catalytic system was developed, it could controled odor and hazardous gas using the oxidation/reduction reaction without extra operating cost. Moreover, the purpose of this work is to develop the catalysts which are cost competitive and can maximize energy efficiency. The catalysts are noble metal(Pt-Rh) and composite transition metal(Mn) type.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.51-58
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• 2006

The effluent limitations for individual industry based on the best available technology economically achievable (BAT) have been required to achieve effective regulation. BAT assessment criteria that are suitable for the circumstances of Korean industry were developed in the previous study. The criteria were applied to determine the BAT for leather tanning and finishing industry. For the evaluation BAT, a subcategorization for the industry considering wastewater characteristics, source equipments, raw material and so on should be suggested. Three subcategories: A) Unharing, Chrome Tan, Retan-Wet Finish, B) Chrome Tan, Retan-Wet Finish, and C) Furskins were proposed in this study. Wastewater discharged from the each category contains high concentration of COD, chrome, nitrogen and sulfide. In particular, the concentration of nitrogen from the subcategory A is significantly greater. Twenty sites were surveyed and wastewater qualities were analyzed. Therefore, six different technologies were applied to the subcategory A for the end-of-pipe treatment technology, and a technology was used in the subcategory B and C, respectively. The technology candidates were evaluated in terms of environmental impacts, economically achievability, treatment performance and economical reasonability. As the result, the technology options for each subcategories: A) primary chemical precipitation + modified Ludzack-Ettinger process (MLE) + secondary chemical precipitation, B) chemical precipitation + typical activated-sludge process + Fenton oxidation, C) chemical precipitation + typical activated-sludge process + batch Fenton oxidation or batch activated carbon treatment were selected as the BAT, respectively.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.482-487
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• 2022

In this study, the activity test and characterization were performed to evaluate the hydrogen sulfide removal characteristics using a V/TiO₂ catalyst at room temperature. The optimal vanadium loading was 10 wt%, and the durability was greater than 60 minutes at 60~80% relative humidity. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area and raman spectroscopy results confirmed that the structure of the vanadium site exposed to the surface was a dominant factor in catalyst activity. From Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray crystallography (XRD) analyses, it was found that sulfur can be accumulated on the catalyst surface, which results in a decrease in durability under catalytic activity tests. Therefore, it is judged that a combined process of catalytic oxidation and regeneration is needed.