[Improvement of the Dewaterability of Excess Activated Sludge with Mixed Yeasts by Degrading Extracellular Polymeric Substances].

The dewaterability of excess sludge directly affects the efficiency and cost of sludge disposal, and improving sludge dewaterability is a crucial way to reduce sludge volume. This study proposes a method to improve the dewaterability of residual sludge by using mixed yeast strains to degrade extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in activated sludge. Firstly, the mixed cells of three yeast strains were injected into the sterilized EPS solution to investigate the degradation efficiency of EPS components. Secondly, the mixed yeast cells were supplied into the residual sludge, which was aerated for several hours while the sludge dewaterability was evaluated. The results showed that the degradation efficiencies of yeast to proteins, polysaccharides, and nucleic acids in EPS were evident, and reductions of (60.43±2.73)%, (18.94±2.39)%, and (48.30±3.37)% were achieved, respectively, within 72 hours' oscillating cultivation. The capillary suction time (CST) of the sludge decreased by (17.19±1.16)% after aeration, with 1.5 g mixed yeast wet cells added into 2 L excess sludge, (7.03±1.35)% more than that of the control test after 24 hours. Meanwhile, the total amount of EPS in sludge decreased by (17.46±3.91)% more than that in the control sludge, indicating that the yeast can improve the sludge dewaterability in-situ by degrading EPS in sludge.

[Effect of SRT on Stability of Yeast-SBR in Treating Oil-containing Wastewater].

Sludge retention time(SRT) is a crucial parameter to influence the stability of biological wastewater treatment systems. Especially, the effects of SRT on yeast-wastewater treatment remain unclear. In this study, mixtures of yeast strains were applied to treat oil-containing wastewater in sequencing batch reactors(SBR) and the effects of sludge retention time(SRT as 5, 10, 20, 40 d) on the removal efficiency of pollutants, contents and composition of extracellular polymeric substances(EPS), yeast cells settleability and yeast communities were investigated. The results showed that the recommended SRT was 5-10 d for the yeast-SBR system; Higher SRT led to decrease of COD removal rate and content of EPS; the tightly-bounded EPS was the major one which consisted of polysaccharides. SRT of 5-40 d had no significant effects on the SVI of yeast cells, however, longer SRT (>20 d) resulted in the increase of mycelial cells and a tendency to produce the filamentous bulking. In the continuous operation of SBR, three extraneous yeast strains capable of utilizing or degrading oil were identified in the systems under the short and long SRT. To conclude, shorter SRT was favorable for the system stability in treating oil-containing wastewater by yeasts.

[Fertility and Environmental Impacts of Urban Scattered Human Feces Used as Organic Granular Fertilizer for Leaf Vegetables].

The disposal of urban scattered human feces has become a difficult problem for the management of modern city. In present study, the scattered human feces underwent the collection, scum removal, flocculation and dehydration, finally became the granular fertilizer; the effects of the ratio of fertilizer to soil on the growth of the pakchoi and the quality of soil and leaching water were evaluated, and the feasibility of granular fertilizer manuring the pakchoi was discussed by pot experiments. The results showed that the granular fertilizer significantly enhanced the production of the pakchoi which were not polluted by the intestinal microorganisms under the experiment conditions; meanwhile, at the proper ratio of fertilizer to soil, the concentration of these microorganisms in the leaching water was lower than that in the control check. Chemical analyses of soil revealed that the nutrient content of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and organic matters in soil became much richer in all treatments. In addition, the granular fertilizer improved the physical- chemical properties of soil, including raising the level of soil porosity and reducing the volume weight of soil. Application of granular fertilizer won't pollute the soil or leaching water; instead, it can also prevent nitrogen, potassium and intestinal microorganisms from leaching inio ground water at the proper ratio of granular fertilizer to soil.

[Efficiency and yeast community structure of oil-containing treatment system inoculated by different yeast strains complex wastewater].

Ten yeast stains were grouped and applied in pilot-scale sequencing batch reactors to treat oil-containing wastewater. The efficiency and stability of different reactors were discussed and yeast community structure was investigated by PCR-DGGE method. The results show: the group consisting of O2, G1 and W1 is markedly superior to others in efficiency and stability respects; the group absence of these 3 stains fails to form a system with high efficiency and good stability; O4 and G2 strains lead to turbid supernatant fluid and are eliminated from system step by step; the distribution of yeast cells in settlement sludge varies with different stains. When aeration is stopped, G1 deposits into lower layer but O2 or W1 distributes evenly.

[Treatment of oil-manufacturing wastewater by yeast-SBR system].

Eight yeast strains were applied to a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) to treat high-strength oil-containing wastewater. The removal performance, yeast cultivation method and key factors affecting the stability of system were discussed. The results show yeast sludge with MLSS of 19 g/L and SVI of 35 mL/g can be obtained in 6 d in an open system without any molds and bacteria inhibitor addition; In 30 d continuous wastewater treatment, COD and oil removal rate achieve 86.8%-96.9% and above 99.5% respectively under the influent conditions of the COD of 9000-23000 mg/L and oil of 4500-16000 mg/L; Short period of pH impact brings reversible effects on the system and the sludge retention time can affect the SVI of the yeast; Absence of nitrogen induces morphology conversion of some yeast cells from single cell to filamentous one and impairs the settling capability of the yeast.

[Effects of nitrogen on performance and yeast morphology of yeast-SBR system].

Effects of nitrogen on yeast cell morphology, settleability and performance of wastewater treatment were investigated in treating oil-containing wastewater by yeast-SBR system. The results show that: nitrogen supply affects directly yeast biomass, settleability, pH and treatment efficiency of system; the absence of nitrogen induces the transformation of certain yeast cells from single cell to hypha morphology. Based on an overall consideration of efficiency and stability of yeast-SBR system, the optimum BOD/N ratio of influent is 20/1. The optimum nitrogen supply can improve wastewater treatment efficiency of systems with different degrees of nitrogen absence and make yeast morphology become the predominant morphology for slightly mycelial system over a short time, but for severe mycelial system, the hypha morphology still keeps dominant.

[Inactivation of T4 phage in water environment using proteinase].

The inactivation effectiveness of proteinase to viruses was investigated by using T4 phage as a model virus. The results showed that the inactivation effectiveness of proteinase to T4 phage was obvious. In the optimum conditions and 67.5 u/mL concentration, the inactivation rate of proteinase K to T4 phage in sterilized water and in sewage achieved 99.4% and 49.4% respectively in an hour, and achieved >99.9% and 81.1% in three hours. The inactivation rate of the industrial proteinase 1398 to T4 phage in sterilized water achieved 74.4% in an hour. The effects of pH and temperature on the inactivation effectiveness was not evident.