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Effect of microwave irradiation on cellular disintegration of Gram positive and negative cells

  • Environmental Biotechnology
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Abstract

This research investigated the effect of microwave irradiation (MWI) on cell disintegration in municipal secondary sludge (MSS). A representative MSS Gram-positive bacterium (Bacillus subtilis) and Gram-negative bacteria (Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) were pure cultured separately and treated using MWI. Compared to untreated controls, MWI significantly increased the soluble chemical oxygen demand (COD) (1.8–4.0-fold), soluble protein concentration (1.1–1.8-fold), and soluble carbohydrate concentration (3.2–14.1-fold), with greater increase in the Gram-negative bacteria. After MSS was MWI-treated with different irradiation times, from 0 to 9 min, soluble COD increased gradually from 0.14 to 2.38 g/L (i.e., 72-fold). Effective disintegration of Gram-negative cell walls and of MSS by MWI was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. These findings suggest that MWI could be an effective pretreatment method for MSS that is dominated by Gram-negative microorganisms.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Korea Ministry of Knowledge and Economy (MKE) as a Manpower Development Program for Energy & Resources and by the Ministry of Environment (MOE) as a Human Resource Development Project for Waste to Energy. This work was also supported by the Korea Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST) through the BK-21 program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, 790-784, South Korea

    Bi Wen Zhou, Seung Gu Shin, KwangHyun Hwang & Seokhwan Hwang

  2. Division of Environmental and Geosystem Engineering, College of Engineering, Kangwon National University, Hyoja 2-Dong, Chuncheon, Kangwon, 200-701, South Korea

    Johng-Hwa Ahn

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  1. Bi Wen Zhou
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  2. Seung Gu Shin
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  3. KwangHyun Hwang
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  4. Johng-Hwa Ahn
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  5. Seokhwan Hwang
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Correspondence to Seokhwan Hwang.

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Zhou, B.W., Shin, S.G., Hwang, K. et al. Effect of microwave irradiation on cellular disintegration of Gram positive and negative cells. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 87, 765–770 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-010-2574-7

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