Jin Ho Joo

Effects of applied voltages and dissolved oxygen on sustained power generation by microbial fuel cells

Oxygen intrusion into the anode chamber through proton exchange membrane can result in positive redox conditions in fed-batch, two chamber MFCs at the end of a cycle when the substrate is depleted. A slight increase in dissolved oxygen to 0.3 mg/L during MFC operation was not found to adversely affect power generation over subsequent cycles if sufficient substrate (acetate) was provided. Purging the anode chamber with air or pure oxygen for up to 10 days and 10 hrs also did not affect power generation, as power rapidly returned to previous levels when the chamber was sparged with nitrogen gas. When MFCs are connected in series, voltage reversal can occur resulting in a positive voltage applied to the anode biofilm. To investigate if this adversely affected the bacteria, voltages of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 9 V, were applied for 1 hr to the MFC before reconnecting it back to a fixed external load (1,000 Omega). A voltage of <2 V did not affect power generation. However, applying 3 V resulted in a 15 h lag phase before recovery, and 9 V produced a 60 h lag phase suggesting substantial damage to the bacteria that required re-growth of bacteria in the biofilm. These results indicate that charge reversal will be a more serious problem than oxygen intrusion into the anode chamber for sustained performance of MFCs.

Isolation and characterization of Acidithiobacillus caldus from a sulfur-oxidizing bacterial biosensor and its role in detection of toxic chemicals

A novel toxicity detection methodology based on sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) has been developed for the rapid and reliable detection of toxic chemicals in water. The methodology exploits the ability of SOB to oxidize sulfur particles in the presence of oxygen to produce sulfuric acid. The reaction results in an increase in electrical conductivity (EC) and a decrease in pH. The assay is based on the inhibition of SOB in the presence of toxic chemicals by measuring changes in EC and pH. We found that SOB biosensor can detect toxic chemicals, such as heavy metals and CN-, in the 5-2000ppb range. One bacterium was isolated from an SOB biosensor and the 16S rRNA gene of the bacterial strain has 99% and 96% sequence similarity to Acidithiobacillus sp. ORCS6 and Acidithiobacillus caldus DSM 8584, respectively. The isolate was identified as A. caldus SMK. The SOB biosensor is ideally suited for monitoring toxic chemicals in water having the advantages of high sensitivity and quick detection.

Pathogenicity of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae against Galleria mellonella

The greater wax moth Galleria mellonella L. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is occasionally found in beehives and is a major pest of stored wax. Entomopathogenic fungi have recently received attention as possible biocontrol elements for certain insect pests. In this study, 90 isolates of Beauveria bassiana and 15 isolates of Metarhizium anisopliae were screened for proteases and lipases production. The results showed significant variations in the enzymatic action between the isolates. In the bioassay, the selected isolates evinced high virulence against the 4th instar of the G. mellonella larvae. The isolates BbaAUMC3076, BbaAUMC3263 and ManAUMC3085 realized 100% mortality at concentrations of 5.5 × 106 conidia ml−1, 5.86 × 105 conidia ml−1, and 4.8 × 106 conidia ml−1, respectively. Strong enzymatic activities in vitro did not necessarily indicate high virulence against the tested insect pest. The cuticle of the infected larvae became dark and black-spotted, indicating direct attack of fungus on the defense system of the insects. The LC50 values were 1.43 × 103, 1.04 × 105 and 5.06 × 104 for Bba3263AUMC, Bba3076AUMC and Man3085AUMC, respectively, and their slopes were determined by computerized probit analysis program as 0.738 ± 0.008, 0.635 ± 0.007 and 1.120 ± 0.024, respectively.

Heavy Metal Tolerance of Fungi Isolated from Contaminated Soil

This study was conducted to investigate the tolerance of some resistant fungal strains from soils contaminated with heavy metals. Various fungal strains were isolated from soil samples collected from studied sites which heavy metals and other pollutants have been emitted in effluents for several years. Fungi isolated belong to different genera; however, Penicillium spp. showed the most frequent species. The microbial number was remarkably higher in the control soil than contaminated soil samples collected from mining areas. Pb²? and Zn²? had the highest concentration in the polluted soils ranging from 89 - 3,521 ppm and 98 - 4,383 ppm, respectively. The minimum inhibition concentrations (MICs) of Pb?² and Zn?² showed the highest values against the fungal strains. Ni?² and Co?² were the lowest contaminants in the polluted soils with the concentration of 5 to 12.1 ppm and 1.8 to 4.8 ppm, respectively. The tested resistant strains showed the strongest inhibition for Ni?² and Co?² up to 200-400 ppm. Cadmium was the most highly toxic heavy metal for most of strains, however, 1 mM of Cr³?, Cu²? and Pb²? accelerated the growth of Penicillium verrucosum KNU3. Cu?² and Zn?² at concentration of 1 mM did not affect the growth rate P. funiculosum KNU4. Tolerance of fungal species to heavy metals appears to be strain and origin dependent.

Nitrification and denitrification using biofilters packed with sulfur and limestone at a pilot-scale municipal wastewater treatment plant.

A pilot-scale municipal wastewater treatment plant composed of a fixed film activated sludge (IFAS) system with sulfur–limestone autotrophic denitrification (SLAD) was operated for a year and the influence of different operational factors was investigated. Nitrification efficiency was found to be above 91% at temperatures above 25°C even at short hydraulic residence times (HRTs), but declined to 51±2% when the temperature dropped to 22±3°C. The minimum HRT (HRTmin) to achieve nitrification efficiency>90% was found to be 12 h at temperatures above 25°C. Denitrification efficiencies were found to be 89% and 79% at a nitrate loading of 0.36 kg NO -N m−3 d−1 and at 0.18 kg NO -N m−3 d−1, respectively. The minimum empty bed residence time (EBRT) to achieve denitrification efficiency above 80% without methanol addition was 3 h at a nitrate loading rate of 0.27–0.38 kg NO -N m−3 d−1. The amount of nitrate removed as a function of the sulfate formed was found to be 0.188 g NO -N/g SO . The nitrate load removed by the biofilter as a function of the alkalinity consumed was found to be very close to the theoretical stoichiometric value. The application of the pilot plant was proven to be feasible and the performance of the SLAD system, especially with respect to the minimum EBRT to achieve denitrification efficiency above 80%, the maximum denitrification rate and performance at temperatures below 10°C. To achieve a nitrification efficiency above 90% in the IFAS system, temperature changes and the minimum HRT were found to be the most influential operational parameters.

Applicability of PAM(Polyacrylamide) in Soil Erosion Prevention: Rainfall Simulation Experiments

Surface runoff and erosion are responsible for extensive losses of top soil and agricultural productivity. In this study, a laboratory experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different polyacrylamides (PAM) on the protection of soil from erosion and turbidity in loamy sand soil. To accomplish this, 10 and 40 kg of PAM were applied to the soil surface. The effects of rainfall on 10 and 20% slopes were then evaluated in the laboratory using a rainfall simulator. After air drying, the surface was subjected to rain at 30 mm . The silt+clay of the runoff from samples treated with 10 kg PAM reduced by 43% and 13% when the 10% and 20% slopes were evaluated, respectively, when compared with the tap water without PAM treatment as control. The mean contents of silt+clay were reduced as the amount of PAMs applied increased at both slopes. Specifically, samples treated with 40 kg PAM showed reductions in the silt+clay of the runoff to 88% and 85% when the 10% and 20% slopes were evaluated, respectively, when compared to control. Furthermore, the mean turbidity of runoff in the 40 kg PAM treatment was reduced to 94.7% and 84.8% when the samples were subjected to 10% and 20% slopes, respectively, when compared to the control. Taken together, these findings indicate that PAM treatment will improve water pollution and agricultural productivity on sloped land via a reduction in soil erosion.

Assessment of Pollutant Loads from Alpine Agricultural Practices in Nakdong River Basin

To assess pollutant loads in Nakdong river from highland agriculture in Kyungbuk province we. analyzed water qualities such as BOD, COD, T-N, T-P and SS in year 2005. BOD values in rainy period (June and July) were relatively higher than those in dry period, and those in 4 sites among 17 sites ranged from 10.71-19.25 mg/L which exceeded water criteria (8 mg/L) for agricultural use. COD values showed similar trends like BOD values. These trends might be caused by outflow of nutrients applied in agricultural lands. T-N content ranged from 0.1 to 14 mg/L. Those in lower reaches of stream were greater in those in upper stream. Compared to T-N contents during non-farming season, T-N content in farming season were higher. These phenomenon could be due to continuous input of nutrients from small watercourses. Averaged T-P content in lower stream during farming season was 0.4 mg/L, which was eight times higher than the limiting level for algae occurrence (0.05 mg/L). BOD, T-P, T-N loads from alpine agricultural practices were 12.25 , 0.55 and 32.35 , respectively. These values were greater than those from forestry. Therefore, Best management Practices (BMP) for alpine agricultural field are needed to reduce pollutant loads in Nakdong river.

Effect of Winter Rye Cultivation to Improve Soil Fertility and Crop production in Alpine Upland in Korea

Soil erosion is one of the most serious problems in alpine upland in Korea. Soil fertility has continuously decreased due to serious soil erosion. To increase soil fertility, new sources of organic matter should be inputted. Therefore, the objectives of this research were to select winter cover crop as new sources of organic matter and to investigate the effect of winter cover crop on soil property changes, major crop productivity (Chinese cabbage, potato) production in highland, and disease occurrence with different cropping systems. Among 17 candidates for winter coverage crop, rye was most suitable due to its soil covering rate, and over-wintering rate. The optimum sowing period for rye ranged from late August to late September. Soil porosity and organic matter content increased with rye cultivation. Rye cultivation during winter increased amounts of crop (both Chinese cabbage and potato) productivity up to 8%. There was little difference on amount of crop productivity depending on cropping systems such as monoculture (Chinese cabbage or potato) and Chinese cabbage-potato rotation.

Adsorption of Heavy Metal Ions from Aqueous Solution by Chestnut Shell

In Korea, large amounts of chestnut shell as by-products are produced from food industries. However, most of the by-products exist with no disposal options. Biosorption uses biomass that are either abundant or wastes from industrial operations to remove toxic metals from water. Objective of this research was to evaluate the feasibility of using chestnut shell as by-products for removal of metal ions(Pb, Cu and Cd) from aqueous solution. The chestnut shell was tested for its efficiency for metal removal by adopting batch-type adsorption experiments. The adsorption selectivity of chestnut shell for metals was Pb > Cu > Cd at solution pH 5.5. The Langmuir isotherm adequately described the adsorption of chestnut shell for each metal. Using The maximum adsorption capacity predicted using Langmuir equation was 31.25 mg g -1 , 7.87 mg g -1 and 6.85 mg g -1 for Pb, Cu and Cd, respectively. Surface morphology, functional group and existence of metals on chestnut shell surface was confirmed by FT-IR, SEM and EDX analysis. The chestnut shell showed an outstanding removal capability for Pb compared to various adsorbents reported in the literatures. The overall results suggested that chestnut shell might can be used for biosorption of Pb from industrial wastewater.

Biosorptive capacity of Cd(II) and Pb(II) by lyophilized cells of Pleurotus eryngii

The discharge of heavy metals into aquatic ecosystems has become a matter of concern in over the world the last few decades. In this study, the lyophilized cells of Pleurotus eryngii (mushroom) were used as an inexpensive biosorbent for Cd(II) and Pb(II) removal from aqueous solutions. The effect of various physicochemical factors on Cd(II) and Pb(II) biosorption such as pH (2.0-7.0), initial metal concentration (0.0-300 mg L -1 ), temperature, fungal biomass and contact time (0-120 min) were studied. Optimum pH for removal of Cd(II) and Pb(II) was 6.0, and the contact time was 45 min at room temperature. The nature of biosorbent and metal ion interaction was evaluated by Infrared (IR) spectroscopic technique. IR analysis of mushroom biomass revealed the presence of amino, carboxyl, hydroxyl and methyl groups, which are responsible for biosorption of Cd(II) and Pb(II). The maximum adsorption capacities of P. eryngii for Pb(II) and Cd(II) calculated using Langmuir adsorption isotherm were 82.0 and 16.13 mg g -1 , respectively. The adsorption isotherms for two biosorbed heavy metals were fitted well with Freundlich isotherm as well as Langmuir model with correlation coefficient (r 2 >0.99). Thus, this study indicated that the P. eryngii is an efficient biosorbent for the removal of Cd(II) and Pb(II) from aqueous solutions.