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S Tsuneda

Publications and source records attributed to S Tsuneda.

33 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Characterization of microbial community in nitrogen removal process of metallurgic wastewater by PCR-DGGE.

The metallurgic wastewater generated from the processes of recovering precious metals from industrial wastes contains high concentrations of nitrogen compounds such as ammonia and nitric acid and of salts such as sodium chloride and sodium sulfate. Biological nitrogen removal from this wastewater was attempted by a circulating bioreactor system equipped with an anoxic packed bed and an aerobic fluidized bed. The anoxic packed bed of this system was found to effectively remove nitrite and nitrate from the wastewater by denitrification at a removal ratio of 97%. As a result of denitrification activity tests at various NaCl concentrations, the sludge obtained from the anoxic packed bed exhibited accumulation of nitrite at 5.0 and 8.4% NaCl concentrations, suggesting that the reduction of nitrite is the key step in the denitrification pathway under hypersaline conditions. The microbial community analysis by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of PCR-amplified 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) fragments revealed that the community diversity varied in accordance with water temperature, nitrate-loading rate and ionic strength. When particular major DGGE bands were excised, reamplified and directly sequenced, the dominant species in the anoxic packed bed were affiliated with the beta and gamma subclasses of the class Proteobacteria such as Alcaligenes defragrans and Pseudomonas spp., respectively.

Bioreactors↗

Community analysis of nitrifying bacteria in an advanced and compact Gappei-Johkasou by FISH and PCR-DGGE.

Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) method with 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes was used for quantitative estimation of ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) in a Johkasou. Although the occupation ratios of AOB and NOB increased as nitrification progressed, about one month later, the occupation ratios decreased, despite showing good nitrification ability. Furthermore, even when urea was added to the feeding wastewater to raise the amount of T-N, the occupation ratios of both nitrifying bacteria remained constant. For further investigation, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) was used to study the community structure of AOB in the Johkasou. As a result, DGGE band patterns and following sequence analysis revealed that the community structure of AOB was complicated and changed during this experiment. It was suggested that even if the occupation ratio of AOB to eubacteria was constant, the majorities of AOB were changed through temperature and load fluctuation. The combination of FISH and PCR-DGGE provides new information that was not available by conventional cultivation-based methods.

Ammonia↗

Soft particle analysis of bacterial cells and its interpretation of cell adhesion behaviors in terms of DLVO theory.

The electrokinetic properties of two nitrifying strains, Nitrosomonas europaea and Nitrobacter winogradskyi, and three heterotrophic bacteria, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas putida and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, were examined by electrophoretic mobility measurement and analyzed using the soft particle electrophoresis theory that is suitable for biological particles. The bacterial adhesion characteristics onto glass bead substratum were also evaluated by packed bed method. The mobility of the bacterial cells employed converged to a non-zero value as the ionic concentration increased, suggesting that the bacterial cells exhibited typical soft particle characteristics. Moreover, cell surface potentials based on the soft particle theory were lower than those estimated by the conventional Smoluchowski formula, i.e. zeta potential. Cell collision efficiencies onto glass beads (alpha(0)) were largely dependent on interfacial interaction, although almost electrically neutral P. aeruginosa did not follow that trend. From a comparison of alpha(0) with DLVO interaction energy maximum (V(max)), it was assumed that heterocoagulation between cell and substratum at primary minimum potential took place under V(max) of 24-34 kT based on soft particle analysis. On the other hand, V(max) predictions using the Smoluchowski theory gave 81-223 kT, which indicated the possibility of overestimating electrostatic repulsive forces by the conventional Smoluchowski theory. Thus, the application of this new electrophoresis theory to several kinds of bacterial cells has led to the revision of the interpretation of bacterial mobility data and provided a more detailed understanding of the bacterial adhesion phenomenon.

Journal Article↗

Direct detection by in situ PCR of the amoA gene in biofilm resulting from a nitrogen removal process.

Ammonia oxidation is a rate-limiting step in the biological removal of nitrogen from wastewater. Analysis of microbial communities possessing the amoA gene, which is a small subunit of the gene encoding ammonia monooxygenase, is important for controlling nitrogen removal. In this study, the amoA gene present in Nitrosomonas europaea cells in a pure culture and biofilms in a nitrifying reactor was amplified by in situ PCR. In this procedure, fixed cells were permeabilized with lysozyme and subjected to seminested PCR with a digoxigenin-labeled primer. Then, the amplicon was detected with an alkaline phosphatase-labeled antidigoxigenin antibody and HNPP (2-hydroxy-3-naphthoic acid-2'-phenylanilide phosphate), which was combined with Fast Red TR, and with an Alexa Fluor 488-labeled antidigoxigenin antibody. The amoA gene in the biofilms was detected with an unavoidable nonspecific signal when the former method was used for detection. On the other hand, the amoA gene in the biofilms was detected without a nonspecific signal, and the cells possessing the amoA gene were clearly observed near the surface of the biofilm when Alexa Fluor 488-labeled antidigoxigenin antibody was used for detection. Although functional gene expression was not detected in this study, detection of cells in a biofilm based on their function was demonstrated.

Biofilms↗

Microbial community analysis in the denitrification process of saline-wastewater by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of PCR-amplified 16S rDNA and the cultivation method.

The metallurgic wastewater generated from the processes of recovering precious metals from industrial wastes contains high concentrations of nitrogen compounds and salts. Biological nitrogen removal from this wastewater was attempted using a circulating bioreactor system equipped with an anaerobic packed bed or an anaerobic fluidized bed. The denitrification capability of the system with the anaerobic packed bed was more stable than that of the system with the anaerobic fluidized bed. The NOx removal rate of the anaerobic packed bed was as high as 97%. Microbial community analysis by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of PCR-amplified 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) fragments and the cultivation method revealed that the community diversity varied in accordance with wastewater composition such as the level of salinity and so on. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that the taxonomic affiliation of the dominant species in the anaerobic reactors was to the gamma-Proteobacteria including Halomonadaceae species. The PCR-DGGE method as a non-cultivation method was found to be a powerful tool for analysis of the microbial community, because the cultivation method could detect only a fraction of the microbial species present in these systems. The genetic diversity of the isolated bacteria belonging to the gamma-Proteobacteria which reduced both nitrate and nitrite in the anaerobic packed bed was higher than that of the bacteria in the anaerobic fluidized bed. This suggested that a genetically diverse microbial community stabilized the denitrifying performance in the anaerobic packed bed.

Journal Article↗

Metabolic behavior of denitrifying phosphate-accumulating organisms under nitrate and nitrite electron acceptor conditions.

The effects of various types of electron acceptors on anoxic phosphorus uptake were investigated in detail to obtain a better insight into the metabolic behavior of denitrifying phosphate-accumulating organisms. Batch experimental tests under three different electron acceptor conditions, i.e., nitrate, nitrite and mixtures of nitrate and nitrite, were carried out using activated sludge cultivated in a sequencing batch reactor. The experimental results confirmed no inhibition of the utilization of nitrate or nitrite as an electron acceptor for anoxic phosphorus uptake. Anoxic phosphorus uptake occurred provided there was an electron acceptor present regardless of whether it was nitrate or nitrite. However, for nitrite a relatively small amount of anoxic phosphorus was taken up per nitrogen denitrified compared to nitrate. On the other hand, the amount of anoxic phosphorus taken up per nitrogen denitrified increased with an increase in the initial loading amount of electron acceptor in the case of nitrate, whereas it slightly decreased nitrite. Moreover, the amount of phosphorus taken up per nitrogen denitrified decreased with increasing mixed liquor suspended solid (MLSS) concentration in the case of nitrate, while it slightly increased for nitrite. From these results, it was confirmed that the activity of anoxic phosphorus uptake is strongly associated with the type and the initial loading amount of electron acceptor and the MLSS concentration under anoxic conditions.

Journal Article↗

Enhancement of nitrifying biofilm formation using selected EPS produced by heterotrophic bacteria.

The possibility of enhancing nitrifying biofilm formation rate with the aid of selected EPS produced by heterotrophic bacteria was investigated. When EPS production characteristics were examined for four kinds of heterotrophs isolated from a domestic wastewater treatment reactor, two strains obtained from biofilms (B1, B2) exhibited a higher polysaccharide production rate than those from suspended flocs (A1, A2). Among EPS components, the concentration of uronic acids gave a good correlation with flocculation ability, which suggests that acidic polysaccharides play a major role in bioaggregate formation. Addition of 1 g/L D-glucuronic acid as an EPS substitute enhanced the homocoagulation rate of autotrophic Nitrosomonas europaea and altered its zeta potential from ñ30.4 mV to +4.3 mV, which indicates a possibility that particular EPS components produced by heterotrophs are utilized as neutralising reagents for nitrifying biofilm formation. Moreover, when heterotrophic isolates with Nitrobacter winogradskyi were cultured in batch with fabric supports, biofilm formed on the substratum. These experimental results suggest the application of selected EPS for enhancing nitrifying biofilm formation.

Bacteria↗

Biological nitrogen removal from industrial wastewater discharged from metal recovery processes.

The wastewater generated from the processes of recovering precious metals from industrial wastes contains high concentrations of acids and alkalis such as nitric acid and aqueous ammonia, and of salts such as sodium chloride and sodium sulfate. Biological nitrogen removal from this wastewater was attempted by using a circulating bioreactor system equipped with an anaerobic packed bed and an aerobic three-phase fluidized bed. As a result of acclimating microorganisms with change of the hydraulic residence time, this system effectively removed nitrogen from diluted wastewater (T-N: from 2,000 to 4,000 g/m3), such that the total nitrogen concentration in the effluent met the sewage discharge control criteria in Japan (240 g/m3). The removal ratio of total nitrogen was 90% to 98% and that of ammonia was 80% to 92%. In addition, the characteristic equations for biological treatment were applied to this system on the assumption that both reactions of denitrification in the anaerobic reactor and nitrification in the aerobic reactor can be approximated to a first-order reaction. This simplified approach successfully led to a new analytical method for simulating the optimum volume ratio of anaerobic reactor to aerobic reactor for minimizing the total hydraulic residence time.

Ammonia↗

Evaluation of kinetic parameters of biochemical reaction in three-phase fluidized bed biofilm reactor for wastewater treatment.

This study evaluates the kinetic parameters of biochemical reaction in three-phase fluidized bed biofilm reactor from the steady state values of the response of the system to step changes in inlet concentration. It was observed from the outlet biological oxygen demand (BOD(5)) plot of the response of the system that as the inlet BOD(5) was increased, the outlet BOD(5) also increased, reached a peak value and then decreased until it leveled to a new steady state value corresponding to the new inlet concentration level. The increase in BOD(5) was attributed to the accumulation of substrate within the reactor as well as the decrease in biofilm substrate consumption rate as the microorganisms adjusted to the new environment. Using the substrate balance at steady state and assuming Monod kinetics, an equation relating the substrate consumption rate to substrate concentration (BOD(5)) and total biofilm surface area had been established. Monod kinetic parameters were found to be K=2.20g/m(2)/day, K(m)=17.41g/m(3) and K/K(m)=0.13m/day. The ratio K/K(m) can be taken as the indicator for biofilm substrate degradation effectiveness at low substrate concentrations.

Journal Article↗

Microbial ecology of nitrifying bacteria in wastewater treatment process examined by fluorescence in situ hybridization.

The microbial ecology of nitrifying bacteria in various types of wastewater treatment processes and the dynamic response of the microbial ecology in biofilms were investigated using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes. Nitrifying bacteria were found to exhibit various organizational forms under different conditions of substrate composition and concentration. Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria were dominant in ammonia-rich inorganic wastewater, while heterotrophic bacteria and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria were localized at different positions in the biofilm in organic wastewater. The dynamics of the microbial ecology in the biofilm with regard to the spatial distribution of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and heterotrophic bacteria caused by a gradual change in substrate composition was successfully monitored by FISH analysis.

Journal Article↗

Synthesis of 4'-deoxy-4'-fluorokanamycin A and B.

4'-Deoxy-4'-fluorokanamycins A (17) and B (25) have been prepared through fluorinative ring-opening of the D-galacto-3',4'-oxiranes (8 and 21) derived from kanamycin A and B with potassium hydrogenfluoride in ethane-1,2-diol. The mechanism of preponderant formation of the 4'-deoxy-4'-fluoro-D-gluco (9 and 22) over the 3'-deoxy-3'-fluoro-D-gulo derivatives was discussed. In the synthesis of 25, the unusual 3',6'-epimine (23) was the main product along with the 4'-deoxy-4'-fluoro derivative. The mechanism of this reaction is also discussed. Both 17 and 25 were active against resistant bacteria producing aminoglycoside-adenylylating enzymes for HO-4'.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Deuteration kinetics of deoxyguanosine, deoxycytidine, and their polynucleotides by means of ultraviolet spectrophotometry.

The kinetics of the hydrogen-deuterium exchange reactions of deoxyguanosine (dG), deoxycytidine (dC), double-helical poly[d(G-C)] X poly[d(G-C], and double-helical poly(dG) X poly(dC) have been examined at 20 degrees C, pH 7.0, and in low-salt (0.15 M NaCl) medium by stopped-flow ultraviolet spectrophotometry, in the spectral region of 260 to 320 nm. The rate constant was found to be 78.9 s-1 for dG-NH, 2.2 s-1 for dG-NH2, 39.3 s-1 for dC-NH2, 2.4 s-1 (fast) and 0.94 s-1 (slow) for poly[d(G-C)] X poly[d(G-C)], and 2.2 s-1 (fast) and 0.92 s-1 (slow) for poly(dG) X poly(dC). From these values, the probability of base-pair opening of the G X C containing B-form double helix is estimated to be (3 +/- 1) X 10(-3). This is much greater than what is expected from an extrapolation of the van't Hoff plot at the helix-coil transition region, i.e. at about 110 degrees C. The mechanism of these base-pair openings at 20 degrees C (as well as the mechanism of base-pair reformation) is suggested to be totally different from those in the melting temperature range.

Base Composition↗

Ion exchange of lysozyme during permeation across a microporous sulfopropyl-group-containing hollow fiber.

A microporous hollow fiber containing a sulfopropyl (SP) group as a strongly acidic cation-exchange group was prepared by radiation-induced graft polymerization of glycidyl methacrylate, followed by hydrolysis of the resulting epoxide group into a diol, and then conversion of the diol into the SP group. The SP group density of the resulting hollow fiber ranged from 0.21 to 0.84 mol/kg of dry fiber with a pure water flux of 2.7 m/h at a filtration pressure of 0.1 MPa. Lysozyme adsorption was examined during permeation of the lysozyme solution (pH 6) through the pores across a microporous cation-exchange hollow fiber. The lysozyme concentration of the effluent penetrating the outside of the hollow fiber did not change irrespective of the residence time of the solution across the hollow fiber, which was indicative of the negligible diffusional resistance of lysozyme to the SP group. The binding capacity of lysozyme to the fiber was constant in this range of SP group density. For comparison, the adsorption characteristics of a cupric chloride solution during permeation were also determined. The binding capacity of Cu to the fiber increased linearly with increasing SP group density, because cupric ions of a smaller size than lysozyme can invade the depths of the grafted polymer branches formed in the amorphous domain of the polymer matrix.

Adsorption↗

Binding of lysozyme onto a cation-exchange microporous membrane containing tentacle-type grafted polymer branches.

Ion-exchange adsorption of lysozyme to the sulfonic acid (SO3H) group on polymer chains grafted onto microporous polyethylene hollow-fiber membranes was examined. The lysozyme solution was forced to permeate across the hollow fiber. Diversely anchored SO3H groups, i.e., SP and SS groups, were introduced into the membrane by reaction of the glycidyl methacrylate-grafted membrane with propanesultone and sodium sulfite, respectively. The resulting SP and SS group-containing membranes, designated as SP-T and SS-T fibers, respectively, had 95 and 77% water flux of the original membrane, respectively. The binding capacity of lysozyme as a function of the SO3H group density was compared between the SP-T and SS-T fibers from measurement of the ion-exchange breakthrough curves during the permeation of lysozyme solution across the SP-T and SS-T fibers. The binding capacity of lysozyme to the SP-T fiber remained constant, independent of the SP group density, whereas that to the SS-T fiber increased linearly with increasing SS group density. This difference was explained by means of a model whereby lysozyme adheres onto the SP group-containing grafted polymer branches, while the SS group-containing grafted polymer branches hold lysozyme in a tentacle-like manner.

Cation Exchange Resins↗