Heavy metal speciation with prediction model for heavy metal mobility and risk assessment in mine-affected soils.

Heavy metals from mines affect the soil and groundwater, and cause and severely impact on the health of local residents. The soil samples were characterized for the distribution and by the chemical speciation method, and then estimated the human health risks of the two mineaffected soils after stabilization process.. Two extraction techniques (Tessier and Wenzel methods) were applied to fractionate metals, such as arsenic (As) and zinc (Zn), to quantify the chemical status of metals in the soils. The mobility of As and Zn was predicted using the ASTM test and sequential extraction (Tessier and Wenzel) method results. The correlation coefficients of As and Zn mobility prediction using Tessier and Wenzel Fraction 1 were 0.920 and 0.815, respectively. The sum of fractions F1 + F2 + F3 showed the highest correlation coefficients value and F value for mobility prediction of both As and Zn. The hazardous indices (HI) for non-carcinogenic risk and carcinogenic risk (CR) to humans were evaluated according to the pseudo-total concentrations of metal in soils. The CR values of carcinogenic for As were within the ranges from 1.38 × 10-4 to 1.25 × 10-3 and 3.71 × 10-4 to 3.35 × 10-3 for both Young Dong (YD) and Dea San (DS), respectively. The HI for non-carcinogenic risk was the highest for As in the YD (2.77) and DS (7.46) soils, which covered approximately 96 and 84% of HI, respectively. In summary, the contribution of As to risk from heavy metals was dominant.

Effect of flue gas CO2 on the growth, carbohydrate and fatty acid composition of a green microalga Scenedesmus obliquus for biofuel production.

Effect of various flue gas CO2 concentrations (5%, 10% and 14.1%) on growth rate and biochemical properties of a green microalga Scenedesmus obliquus was investigated. S. obliquus showed the highest biomass production and growth rate (0.36 g L-1 and µmax = 1.00 day-1), total inorganic carbon removal (35.8 mg L-1), lipid productivity (9.9 mg L-1 day) and carbohydrate productivity (10.3 mg L-1 day) with 14.1% CO2 after 8 days of cultivation. Fatty acid methyl ester analysis revealed that the palmitic and oleic acid contents were increased up to 5% and 7% with 14.1% CO2, respectively. Application of flue gas CO2 enhanced the growth along with lipid and carbohydrate productivity of S. obliquus, which can be exploited for reducing the CO2 concentration.

Microalga, Acutodesmus obliquus KGE 30 as a potential candidate for CO2 mitigation and biodiesel production.

In this study, the effect of flue gas CO2 on growth, lipid production, and fatty acid composition of a green microalga Acutodesmus obliquus KGE 30 was investigated. The highest growth rate (0.46 g L(-1) and µmax = 1.09 day(-1)), total inorganic carbon removal (95.9 mg L(-1)), and lipid productivity (20.1 mg L(-1) day L(-1)) was obtained at 14.1 % CO2 after 4 days of cultivation. In a semicontinuous batch reactor, the highest biomass production (1.19 g L(-1)) was achieved after 12 days with continuous injection of flue gas CO2. Compared with synthetic CO2, fatty acid methyl ester analysis showed that the amount of unsaturated fatty acid increased by 19.2 % with 14.1 % flue gas CO2. The application of flue gas CO2 improved biomass production and lipid productivity in A. obliquus. The current investigation demonstrated that the use of flue gas CO2 could reduce the cost of microalgae biomass production for better biofuel generation.

Biosorption of Cu(II) by immobilized microalgae using silica: kinetic, equilibrium, and thermodynamic study.

Immobilized microalgae using silica (IMS) from Micractinium reisseri KGE33 was synthesized through a sol-gel reaction. Green algal waste biomass, the residue of M. reisseri KGE33 after oil extraction, was used as the biomaterial. The adsorption of Cu(II) on IMS was tested in batch experiments with varying algal doses, pH, contact times, initial Cu(II) concentrations, and temperatures. Three types of IMSs (IMS 14, 70, and 100) were synthesized according to different algal doses. The removal efficiency of Cu(II) in the aqueous phase was in the following order: IMS 14 (77.0%) < IMS 70 (83.3%) < IMS 100 (87.1%) at pH 5. The point of zero charge (PZC) value of IMS100 was 4.5, and the optimum pH for Cu(II) adsorption was 5. Equilibrium data were described using a Langmuir isotherm model. The Langmuir model maximum Cu(II) adsorption capacity (q m) increased with the algal dose in the following order: IMS 100 (1.710 mg g(-1)) > IMS 70 (1.548 mg g(-1)) > IMS 14 (1.282 mg g(-1)). The pseudo-second-order equation fitted the kinetics data well, and the value of the second-order rate constant increased with increasing algal dose. Gibbs free energies (ΔG°) were negative within the temperature range studied, which indicates that the adsorption process was spontaneous. The negative value of enthalpy (ΔH°) again indicates the exothermic nature of the adsorption process. In addition, SEM-energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses of the IMS surface reveal that the algal biomass on IMS is the main site for Cu(II) binding. This study shows that immobilized microalgae using silica, a synthesized biosorbent, can be used as a cost-effective sorbent for Cu(II) removal from the aqueous phase.

Mixotrophic cultivation of a microalga Scenedesmus obliquus in municipal wastewater supplemented with food wastewater and flue gas CO2 for biomass production.

The biomass and lipid/carbohydrate production by a green microalga Scenedesmus obliquus under mixotrophic condition using food wastewater and flue gas CO2 with municipal wastewater was investigated. Different dilution ratios (0.5-2%) of municipal wastewater with food wastewater were evaluated in the presence of 5, 10 and 14.1% CO2. The food wastewater (0.5-1%) with 10-14.1% CO2 supported the highest growth (0.42-0.44 g L(-1)), nutrient removal (21-22 mg TN L(-1)), lipid productivity (10-11 mg L(-1)day(-1)) and carbohydrate productivity (13-16 mg L(-1)day(-1)) by S. obliquus after 6 days of cultivation. Food wastewater increased the palmitic and oleic acid contents up to 8 and 6%, respectively. Thus, application of food wastewater and flue gas CO2 can be employed for enhancement of growth, lipid/carbohydrate productivity and wastewater treatment efficiency of S. obliquus under mixotrophic condition, which can lead to development of a cost effective strategy for microalgal biomass production.

As(III) and As(V) removal from the aqueous phase via adsorption onto acid mine drainage sludge (AMDS) alginate beads and goethite alginate beads.

Acid mine drainage sludge (AMDS) is a solid waste generated following the neutralization of acid mine drainage (AMD). This material entrapped in calcium alginate was investigated for the sorption of As(III) and As(V). Three different adsorbent materials were prepared: AMDS alginate beads (AABs), goethite alginate beads (GABs), and pure alginate beads. The effects of pH and the adsorption kinetics were investigated, and the adsorption isotherms were also evaluated. The optimum pH range using the AABs was determined to be within 2-10 for As(III) and 2-9 for As(V). Adsorption equilibrium data were evaluated using the Langmuir isotherm model, and the maximum adsorption capacity qmax was 18.25 and 4.97 mg g(-1) for As(III) on AAB and GAB, respectively, and 21.79 and 10.92 mg g(-1) for As(V) on AAB and GAB, respectively. The adsorption of As(III) and As(V) was observed to follow pseudo-second order kinetics. The As K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) revealed that the adsorbed As(III) on the AABs was oxidized to As(V) via manganese oxide in the AMDS.

Effect of food wastewater on biomass production by a green microalga Scenedesmus obliquus for bioenergy generation.

Effect of food wastewater (FW) on the biomass, lipid and carbohydrate production by a green microalga Scenedesmus obliquus cultivated in Bold's Basal Medium (BBM) was investigated. Different dilution ratios (0.5-10%) of BBM either with FW or salt solution (NaCl) or sea water (SW) were evaluated. S. obliquus showed the highest growth (0.41 g L(-1)), lipid productivity (13.3 mg L(-1) day L(-1)), carbohydrate productivity (14.7 mg L(-1) day L(-1)) and nutrient removal (38.9 mg TN L(-1) and 12.1 mg TP L(-1)) with 1% FW after 6 days of cultivation. The FW promoted algal autoflocculation due to formation of inorganic precipitates at an alkali pH. Fatty acid methyl ester analysis revealed that the palmitic and oleic acid contents were increased up to 8% with FW. Application of FW improved the growth, lipid/carbohydrate productivity and biomass recovery efficiency of S. obliquus, which can be exploited for cost effective production of microalgae biomass.

Isolation of novel microalgae from acid mine drainage and its potential application for biodiesel production.

Microalgae were selected and isolated from acid mine drainage in order to find microalgae species which could be cultivated in low pH condition. In the present investigation, 30 microalgae were isolated from ten locations of acid mine drainage in South Korea. Four microalgae were selected based on their growth rate, morphology, and identified as strains of KGE1, KGE3, KGE4, and KGE7. The dry biomass of microalgae species ranged between 1 and 2 g L(-1) after 21 days of cultivation. The growth kinetics of microalgae was well described by logistic growth model. Among these, KGE7 has the highest biomass production (2.05 ± 0.35 g L(-1)), lipid productivity (0.82 ± 0.14 g L(-1)), and C16-C18 fatty acid contents (97.6 %). These results suggest that Scenedesmus sp. KGE 7 can be utilized for biodiesel production based on its high biomass and lipid productivity.

Removal of metal from acid mine drainage using a hybrid system including a pipes inserted microalgae reactor.

In this study, the microalgae culture system to combined active treatment system and pipe inserted microalgae reactor (PIMR) was investigated. After pretreated AMD in active treatment system, the effluent load to PIMR in order to Nephroselmis sp. KGE 8 culture. In experiment, effect of iron on growth and lipid accumulation in microalgae were inspected. The 2nd pretreatment effluent was economic feasibility of microalgae culture and lipid accumulation. The growth kinetics of the microalgae are modeled using logistic growth model and the model is primarily parameterized from data obtained through an experimental study where PIMR were dosed with BBM, BBM added 10 mg L(-1) iron and 2nd pretreatment effluent. Moreover, the continuous of microalgae culture in PIMR can be available. Overall, this study indicated that the use of pretreated AMD is a viable method for culture microalgae and lipid accumulation.

Simultaneous nutrient removal and lipid production from pretreated piggery wastewater by Chlorella vulgaris YSW-04.

The feasibility of using a microalga Chlorella vulgaris YSW-04 was investigated for removal of nutrients from piggery wastewater effluent. The consequent lipid production by the microalga was also identified and quantitatively determined. The wastewater effluent was diluted to different concentrations ranging from 20 to 80 % of the original using either synthetic media or distilled water. The dilution effect on both lipid production and nutrient removal was evaluated, and growth rate of C. vulgaris was also monitored. Dilution of the wastewater effluent improved microalgal growth, lipid productivity, and nutrient removal. The growth rate of C. vulgaris was increased with decreased concentration of piggery wastewater in the culture media regardless of the diluent type. Lipid production was relatively higher when using synthetic media than using distilled water for dilution of wastewater. The composition of fatty acids accumulated in microalgal biomass was dependent upon both dilution ratio and diluent type. The microalga grown on a 20 % concentration of wastewater effluent diluted with distilled water was more promising for generating high-efficient biodiesel compared to the other culture conditions. The highest removal of inorganic nutrients was also achieved at the same dilution condition. Our results revealed the optimal pretreatment condition for the biodegradation of piggery wastewater with microalgae for subsequent production of high-efficient biodiesel.

Inhibition of sulfide mineral oxidation by surface coating agents: batch and field studies.

The potential of several surface coating agents to inhibit the oxidation of metal sulfide minerals from Young-Dong coal mine and the Il-Gwang gold mine was examined by conducting laboratory scale batch experiments and field tests. Powdered pyrite as a standard sulfide mineral and rock samples from two mine outcrops were mixed with six coating agents (KH(2)PO(4), MgO and KMnO(4) as chemical agents, and apatite, cement and manganite as mineral agents) and incubated with oxidizing agents (H(2)O(2) or NaClO). For the observed time period (8 days), Young-Dong coal mine samples exhibited the least sulfate (SO(4)(2-)) production in the presence of KMnO(4) (16%) or cement (4%) while, for Il-Gwang mine samples, the least SO(4)(2-) production was observed in presence of KH(2)PO(4) (8%) or cement (2%) compared to control. Field-scale pilot tests at the Il-Gwang site also showed that addition of KH(2)PO(4) decreased SO(4)(2-) production from 200 to 13 mg L(-1) and it also reduced Cu and Mn from 8 and 3 mg L(-1), respectively to <0.05 mg L(-1) (below ICP-OES detection limits). The experimental results suggested that the use of surface coating agents is a promising alternative for sulfide oxidation inhibition at acid mine drainage sites.

Optimization of pretreatment and saccharification for the production of bioethanol from water hyacinth by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Alkaline-oxidative (A/O) pretreatment and enzymatic saccharification were optimized for bioethanol fermentation from water hyacinth by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Water hyacinth was subjected to A/O pretreatment at various NaOH and H(2)O(2) concentrations and reaction temperatures for the optimization of bioethanol fermentation by S. cerevisiae. The most effective condition for A/O pretreatment was 7% (w/v) NaOH at 100 °C and 2% (w/v) H(2)O(2). The carbohydrate content was analyzed after reaction at various enzyme concentrations and enzyme ratios using Celluclast 1.5 L and Viscozyme L to determine the effective conditions for enzymatic saccharification. After ethanol fermentation using S. cerevisiae KCTC 7928, the concentration of glucose, ethanol and glycerol was analyzed by HPLC using a RI detector. The yield of ethanol in batch fermentation was 0.35 g ethanol/g biomass. Continuous fermentation was carried out at a dilution rate of 0.11 (per h) and the ethanol productivity was 0.77 [g/(l h)].

Production of 1,2-propanediol from glycerol in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Glycerol has become an attractive carbon source in the biotechnology industry owing to its low price and reduced state. However, glycerol is rarely used as a carbon source in Saccharomyces cerevisiae because of its low utilization rate. In this study, we used glycerol as a main carbon source in S. cerevisiae to produce 1,2-propanediol. Metabolically engineered S. cerevisiae strains with overexpression of glycerol dissimilation pathway genes, including glycerol kinase (GUT1), glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GUT2), glycerol dehydrogenase (gdh), and a glycerol transporter gene (GUP1), showed increased glycerol utilization and growth rate. More significant improvement of glycerol utilization and growth rate was accomplished by introducing 1,2-propanediol pathway genes, mgs (methylglyoxal synthase) and gldA (glycerol dehydrogenase) from Escherichia coli. By engineering both glycerol dissimilation and 1,2-propanediol pathways, the glycerol utilization and growth rate were improved 141% and 77%, respectively, and a 2.19 g 1,2- propanediol/l titer was achieved in 1% (v/v) glycerolcontaining YEPD medium in engineered S. cerevisiae.

Effect of expression of genes in the sphingolipid synthesis pathway on the biosynthesis of ceramide in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Ceramide is important not only for the maintenance of the barrier function of the skin but also for the water-binding capacity of the stratum corneum. Although the exact role of ceramide in the human skin is not fully understood, ceramide has become a widely used ingredient in cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Compared to other microorganisms, yeast is more suitable for the production of ceramide because yeast grows fast and is non-toxic. However, production of ceramide from yeast has not been widely studied and most work in this area has been carried out using Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Regulating the genes that are involved in sphingolipd synthesis is necessary to increase ceramide production. In this study, we investigated the effect of the genes involved in the synthesis of ceramide, lcb1, lcb2, tsc10, lac1, lag1, and sur2 on ceramide production levels. The genes were cloned into pYES2 high copy number vectors. S. cerevisiae was cultivated on YPDG medium at 30 degrees Celsius. Ceramide was purified from the cell extracts by solvent extraction and the ceramide content was analyzed by HPLC using ELSD. The maximum production of ceramide (9.8 mg ceramide/g cell) was obtained when the tsc10 gene was amplified by the pYES2 vector. Real time PCR analysis showed that the increase in ceramide content was proportional to the increase in the tsc10 gene expression level, which was 4.56 times higher than that of the control strain.

Enhanced sophorolipid production by feeding-rate-controlled fed-batch culture.

To develop the easier control method for fed-batch culture of sophorolipid production, we chose rapeseed oil as the most productive oil and compared their productivities in relation to different concentrations of glucose. The optimal concentration of glucose was 30 g/L for sophorolipid production. A fed-batch method was conducted using Candida bombicola ATCC 22214 with rapeseed oil as a secondary substrate. The feeding rate of rapeseed oil was dependent on pH and was calculated by the consumption rate of NaOH and rapeseed oil. The glucose concentration was constantly maintained between 30 and 40 g/L. As a result, we have produced a crude sophorolipid up to 365 g/L for 8 days through a feeding-rate-controlled fed-batch process.

Production of ceramide with Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The possibility of producing the biologically active material of the skin, ceramide, was studied using yeasts. The yeast strain that produced the most ceramide, Saccharomyces cerevisiae (KCCM 50,515), was selected, and the optimal conditions for ceramide production were determined using shakeflask culture and batch fermentation. By measuring the production rate of ceramide at various pH values and temperatures, the optimal conditions for ceramide production were found to be pH 6.0 and 30 degrees C. When heat shock was applied to the cells for 1 h by increasing the culture temperature from 30 to 40 degrees C after cell growth, the amount of ceramide produced was increased 5.9-fold. A cell growth and ceramide production model was developed with Monod kinetics and the Leudecking-Piret model. It showed that ceramide production was increased when the cells were in the stationary phase.