• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.125-130
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• 2008

Free ammonia ($NH_3$-N) inhibition of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) has been widely studied for partial nitrification (or nitrite accumulation) and denitrification via nitrite ($NO_2^-$-N) as a low-cost treatment of ammonium containing wastewater. The literature on $NH_3$-N inhibition of NOB, however, shows disagreement about the threshold $NH_3$-N concentration and its degree of inhibition. In order to clarify the confusion, a simple and cheap respirometric method was devised to investigate the effect of free ammonia inhibition of NOB. Sludge samples from an autotrophic nitrifying reactor were exposed to various $NH_3$-N concentrations to measure the maximum specific nitrite oxidation rate ($\hat{K}_{NO}$) using a respirometer. NOB biomass was estimated from the yield values in the literature. Free ammonia inhibition of nitrite oxidizing bacteria was reversible and the specific nitrite oxidation rate ($K_{NO}$) decreased from 0.141 to 0.116, 0.100, 0.097 and 0.081 mg $NO_2^-$-N/mg NOB h, respectively, as the $NH_3$-N concentration increased from 0.0 to 1.0, 4.1, 9.7 and 22.9 mg/L. A nonlinear regression based on the noncompetitive inhibition mode gave an estimate of the Inhibition concentration ($K_I$) of free ammonia to be 21.3 mg $NH_3$-N/L. Previous studies gave $\hat{K}_{NO}$ of Nitrobacter and Nitrospira as 0.120 and 0.032 mg/mg VSS h. The free ammonia concentration which inhibits Nitrobacter was $30{\sim}50\;mg$ $NH_3$-N/L and Nitrospira was inhibited at $0.04{\sim}0.08\;mg$ $NH_3$-N/L. The results support the fact that Nitrobacter is the dominant NOB in the reactor. The variations in the reported values of free ammonia inhibition may be due to the different species of nitrite oxidizers present in the reactors. The respirometric method provides rapid and reliable analysis of the behavior and community of the nitrite oxidizing bacteria.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.15-22
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• 2020

The landfill gas produced in landfill is generally made up of methane(CH4) and carbon dioxide(CO2) of more than 90%, with the remainder made up of hydrogen sulfide(H2S). However, separate pre-treatment facilities are essential as hydrogen sulfide contained in landfill gas is combined with oxygen during the combustion process to generate sulfur oxides and acid rain combined with moisture in the atmosphere. Various desulfurization technologies have been used in Korea to desulfurize landfill gas. Although general desulfurization processes apply various physical and chemical methods, such as treatment of sediment generation according to the CaCO3 generation reaction and treatment through adsorbent, there is a problem of secondary wastes such as wastewater. As a way to solve this problem, a biological treatment process is used to generate and treat it with sludge-type sulfide (S°) using a biological treatment process.In this study, as a basic study of technology for utilizing the biological treatment by-products of hydrogen sulfide in landfill gas, an experiment was conducted to use the by-product as a mixture of concrete. According to the analysis of the mixture concrete strength of sulfur products, the mixture of sulfur by-products affects the strength of concrete and shows the highest strength value when mixing 10%.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.331-340
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• 2000

The existing two-phase biological fluidized bed has some problems such as limit of oxygen transfer and blockade of fluidized distributor. In this study, three-phase swirl flow biological fluidized bed has designed to solve the problems and to investigate its running characteristics. TOC of influent synthetic wastewater was approximately $70mg/{\ell}$. HRT of reactor was 1.6 hours. Mean particle size of sand, as packing media, was 0.397mm and packing volume was varied from $200m{\ell}/{\ell}$ to $600m{\ell}/{\ell}$ by stages in the bed. The amount of biomass and effluent water quality was throughly investigated in the bed. Showing experiment results from the above conditions, it was possible to solve the problems of existing fluidized bed and to keep DO of $3mg/{\ell}$ or more. And it was also TOC removal rate of 91 to 94 %, MLVSS of 2,360 to $3,860mg/{\ell}$, MLVSS per g-media of 8.4 to 17.3 mg/g, F/M ratio of 0.59 to $1.04kg-TOC/kg-MLVSS{\cdot}day$, biofilm thickness of $35{\sim}71{\mu}m$ and sludge productivity of 1.03 to $2.35kg-SS/m^3{\cdot}day$. Optimal conditions in this experimental were as follows.; those were biofilm thickness of approximately $54{\mu}m$. MLVSS per g-media of 13 mg and media packing volume of 350 to $400m{\ell}/{\ell}$ when F/M ratio was low, treatment efficiency was high and sludge productivity was low. Showing the media with optics microscope in this optimal condition, attached microbes such as Epistylis sp. were observed. From SEM photographs, it showed that Coccus adhere to and grow on the media surface.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.831-838
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• 2008

This study investigated the characteristics of nitrogen removal and microbial community in a lab-scale A$_2$O activated sludge process filled with the fluidized media at an aerebic basin. The change of microbial community was monitored based on quinone profiles of activated sludge according to feeding sewage with/without external carbon source. Low C/N ratio(COD$_{Cr}$/T-N of 1.24) sewage was fed. The obtained results from this study were as follows; Ubiquinone(UQ) in the influent was in the descending order of UQ-8, UQ-10 and UQ-9. Menaquinone(MK) was simpler and much less than UQ. The ratio of UQ/MK was less than 0.41 and the dissimilarity was below 0.26. Without an external carbon source, MK-8 was the dominant species and there were 3 kinds of quinone species and low DQ and EQ values in an anaerobic basin. The ratio of UQ/MK increased to 2.3 in an anoxic basin. In an oxic basin, UQ-7 and UQ-8 were the dominant species. UQ-7 was dominating in suspended microorganisms, while UQ-8 was in attached microorganisms. With an external carbon source addition, MK-8 decreased but UQ-8 increased in an anaerobic basin. So did quinone species, DQ and EQ values. There was also a change in an anoxic basin with the improvement of denitrification. UQ-8 decreased instead, MK-7 and MK-8 increased. UQ/MK ratio decreased 2.3 to 1.4. It means that the dominant species change from Pseudomonas sp. to Bacillus and Micrococcus species. etc. In an oxic basin, UQ-8 replaced UQ-7 in suspended microorganisms and UQ-10 replaced UQ-8 in attached microbials. This seemed related with the growth of Nitrosomonas and Nitrobactor species.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.272-279
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• 2012

In order to effectively treat livestock wastewater in constructed wetlands by natural purification method, removal velocities of pollutants under different injection methods in constructed wetlands were investigated. The removal velocities of chemical oxygen demand (COD), suspended solid (SS), T-N and T-P by continuous injection method were slightly rapid than those by intermittent injection method in full-scale livestock wastewater treatment plant. The removal velocity (K; $day^{-1}$) of COD by continuous injection method was $0.38\;d^{-1}$ for $1^{st}$ bed, $0.13\;d^{-1}$ for $2^{nd}$ bed, $0.17\;d^{-1}$ for $3^{rd}$ bed, $0.05\;d^{-1}$ for $4^{th}$ bed and $0.17\;d^{-1}$ for $5^{th}$ bed. The removal velocities (K; $day^{-1}$) of COD in $1^{st}$, $2^{nd}$, $3^{rd}$, $4^{th}$ and $5^{th}$ beds by intermittent injection method were $0.210\;d^{-1}$, $0.086\;d^{-1}$, $0.222\;d^{-1}$, $0.053\;d^{-1}$ and $0.137\;d^{-1}$, respectively. The removal velocity (K; $day^{-1}$) of SS by continuous injection method was $0.750\;d^{-1}$ for $1^{st}$ bed, $0.108\;d^{-1}$ for $2^{nd}$ bed, $0.120\;d^{-1}$ for $3^{rd}$ bed, $0.086\;d^{-1}$ for $4^{th}$ bed and $0.292\;d^{-1}$ for $5^{th}$ bed. The removal velocities (K; $day^{-1}$) of SS in $1^{st}$, $2^{nd}$, $3^{rd}$, $4^{th}$ and $5^{th}$ beds by intermittent injection method were $0.485\;d^{-1}$, $0.056\;d^{-1}$, $0.174\;d^{-1}$, $0.081\;d^{-1}$ and $0.227\;d^{-1}$, respectively. The removal velocity (K; $day^{-1}$) of T-N by continuous injection method was $0.361\;d^{-1}$ for $1^{st}$ bed, $0.121\;d^{-1}$ for $2^{nd}$ bed, $109\;d^{-1}$ for $3^{rd}$ bed, $0.047\;d^{-1}$ for $4^{th}$ bed and $0.155\;d^{-1}$ for $5^{th}$ bed. The removal velocities (K; $day^{-1}$) of T-N in $1^{st}$, $2^{nd}$, $3^{rd}$, $4^{th}$ and $5^{th}$ beds by intermittent injection method were $0.235\;d^{-1}$, $0.071\;d^{-1}$, $0.171\;d^{-1}$, $0.058\;d^{-1}$ and $0.126\;d^{-1}$, respectively. The removal velocity (K; $day^{-1}$) of T-P by continuous injection method was $0.803\;d^{-1}$ for $1^{st}$ bed, $0.084\;d^{-1}$ for $2^{nd}$ bed, $0.076\;d^{-1}$ for $3^{rd}$ bed, $0.118\;d^{-1}$ for $4^{th}$ bed and $0.301\;d^{-1}$ for $5^{th}$ bed. The removal velocities (K; $day^{-1}$) of T-P in $1^{st}$, $2^{nd}$, $3^{rd}$, $4^{th}$ and $5^{th}$ beds by intermittent injection method were $0.572\;d^{-1}$, $0.049\;d^{-1}$, $0.090\;d^{-1}$, $0.112\;d^{-1}$ and $0.222\;d^{-1}$, respectively.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.429-434
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• 2012

The objective of this study was to identify Pb pollution sources of sediments in Lake Andong. We analysed Pb isotopes in sediments from Lake Andong, soils and mining tails from the watershed as well as sludges and wastewater from zinc smelting facilities which exists in upper stream of Lake Andong. The Pb isotope ratios ($^{207}Pb/^{206}Pb$ and $^{208}Pb/^{206}Pb$) for sediments are $0.827{\pm}0.004$ and $2.041{\pm}0.015$, which showed similar values with those of mining tails, $0.815{\pm}0.002$ and $2.016{\pm}0.006$, respectively. The isotopic ratio values of soils existed in the range of 0.756~0.881 and 1.872~2.187. In imported zinc ores, the isotopic ratio values existed in the range of 0.816~0.956 (mean 0.832) and 2.029~2.219 (mean 2.059). These values were similar to those in zinc and lead concentrate originated from Canada and South America. Additionally, isotopic ratio values for sludge and wastewater were $17.515{\pm}0.155$, $15.537{\pm}0.018$, and $37.357{\pm}0.173$, respectively. The Pb isotopic ratio of sediments showed binary combination patterns with soil and mining tails, which were similar to those for Korean Pb ore.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.144-152
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• 1993

A bacterium which degrades efficiently synthetic detergents was isolated from the polluted waters, activated sludge of wastewater treatment plants or polluted soil. This bacterium showed considerably higher growth rate in the agar plate containing $2,000{\mu}g/ml$ of synthetic detergents than any other isolated strains, was identified as a Pseudomonas fluorescens or strains similar to it. The strain was named as a Pseudomonas fluorescens S1. Optimum pH and temperature for the growth of the Pseudomonas fluorescens S1 were pH 7.0 and $30^{\circ}C$, respectively. The strain was resistant to streptomycin and gentamycin, but sensitive to kanamycin. The strain was greatly resistant to zinc chloride, lead nitrate and copper sulfate, but unable to grow in the presence of relatively low concentrations of mercury chloride and silver nitrate. This strain utilized benzene, catechol, cyclohexane and xylene as a sole carbon source. The strain was well grown in the medium containing ABS 10,000${\mu}g$/ml. Degradation of ABS was 55% and 60% at 20${\mu}g$/ml and 100${\mu}g$/ml of ABS, respectively. Benzene ring was degraded 45% in 100${\mu}g$/ml of ABS. During the incubation of the strain in the medium containing ABS 100${\mu}g$/ml and COD 10,000${\mu}g$/ml for 4 days, degradation of ABS and COD were reduced to 40${\mu}g$/ml and 3,200${\mu}g$/ml, respectively. Total amino acid content of the Pseudomonas fluorescens S1 grown with 1,000${\mu}g$/ml of ABS was 115mg/g cell, whereas its content was decreased in the bacterium grown without synthetic detergent by 9.4%.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.42-47
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• 2006

The biological nutrient treatment is formed with repetition and rearrangement of anaerobic, anoxic and oxic tank. In this case, VFAs is generated in the anaerobic tank and the anoxic tank. The VFAs is an important factor for removal of nitrogen and phosphate and SVI. So, in this study I investigated to find a relationship among the generation rate of the VFAs according to the change of F/M ratio and the characteristic which can eliminate organic matter and nitrogen according to the change of residual concentration of the VFAs and the efficiency of the process and also SVI in wastewater treatment. $A^2/O$ process was used for wastewater treatment. F/M ratio was under the control of the change of MLSS concentration. When the F/M ratio was changed from 0.16 to 0.08 kg-BOD/kg-MLSS/day, the VFAs's production volume increased based on the reduction of F/M ratio in batch reaction. And the residual concentration of the VFAs decreased at first and then increased later. SVI and SS were high when F/M ratio was $0.16kg/kg{\cdot}d$ and showed stable status when F/M ratio decreased $0.11{\sim}0.13kg/kg{\cdot}d$. However, SVI and SS continuously increased with decrease of F/M ratio and were high at $0.08kg/kg{\cdot}d$. In the result of comparison between residual concentration of the VFAs and denitrification rate in anoxic tank, the less residual volume of the VFAs was in anoxic tank, the higher denitrification ratio became. The optimal residual-concentration of the VFAs considering SVI and removal efficiency of nitrogenwas $1.4{\sim}2.2mg/L$. At that time F/M ratio was $0.11{\sim}0.13$ kg-BOD/kg-MLSS/day.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.1101-1106
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• 2006

Many BNR (Biological Nutrient Removal) plants have experienced a bulking problem, mainly due to the growth of filamentous organisms, particularly during the winter months. This study investigated the problem of bulking due to the growth of M. parvicella both at a full-scale municipal wastewater treatment plant and a pilot scale plant located in the C city. The full-scale facility was operated at a flow rate of $51,000m^3/d$, an F/M (Food-to-Microorganism) ratio of 0.12 kgBOD/kgMLVSS/d and an SRT (Solids Retention Time) higher than 25 days, respectively. This plant experienced bulking and foaming problems at low temperatures below $15^{\circ}C$ since it was retrofitted with the BNR system in 2003. The pilot plant employed had an identical process configuration as the full scale one and used the same wastewater source. It was operated at a flow rate of $3.8m^3/d$, temperatures between 10 to $25^{\circ}C$ and SRTs between 10 and 25 days. At full scale, the M. parvicella growth and SVI (Sludge Volume Index) patterns were studied in conjunction with temperature variations. At pilot scale, DO and SRT variations were also explored, in addition to the filamentous bacteria growth and SVI patterns. During the full-scale investigation, over a 3 year period, it was noted that the SVI was maintained within acceptable operational values (i.e. under 160) during the summer months. Moreover settling in the secondary clarifiers was good and was not affected by the presence of M. parvicella. In contrast, at low mean temperatures during winter, the SVI increased to over 300. Overall, as the temperature decreased, the predominance of M. parvicella became apparent. According to this study, M. parvicella growth could be controlled and SVI could drop under 160 by a change in operational conditions which involved an increase in DO concentration between 2 and 4 mg/L and a decrease in SRT to less than 20 days.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.14-20
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• 2006

In this study, the feasibility of simultaneous removal of organic materials and nitrogen in the waste-water from fisheries processing plant was evaluated using entrapped mixed microbial cell technique(EMMC) process. The experiment was performed using activated sludge from municipal sewage treatment plant which was immobilized with gel matrix by cellulose triacetate. It was found that the stable operation at the treatment system which is composed of anoxic and oxic tank, was possible when the organic and nitrogen loading rates were increased stepwise. The organic and nitrogen loading rates were applied from 0.65 to $1.72kgCOD/m^3/d$ and from 0.119 to $0.317kgT-N/m^3$ with four steps, respectively. The maximum nitrogen loading rate which could satisfy the regulated effluent standard of nitrogen concentration, was $0.3kgT-N/m^3/d$. The removal efficiency of total nitrogen was decreased apparently as increasing nitrogen loading rates, whereas the removal efficiency of ammonium nitrogen was effective at the all tested nitrogen loading rates. Therefore, it was concluded that nitrification was efficient at the system. Nitrate removal efficiency ranged from 98.62% to 99.51%, whereas the nitrification efficiency at the oxic tank ranged 94.0% to 96.9% at the tested loading rates. The removal efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand(COD) and those of total nitrogen at the entire system ranged from 94.2% to 96.6% and 73.4% to 83.4%, respectively.