Microbial activity concentration

In biochemical engineering processes, measurement of dissolved oxygen (DO) is essential. The production of SCP may reach a steady-state condition by keeping the DO level constant, while the viable protein is continuously harvested. The concentration of protein is proportional to oxygen uptake rate. Control of DO would lead us to achieve steady SCP production. Variation of DO may affect retention time and other process variables such as substrate and product concentrations, retention time, dilution rate and aeration rate. Microbial activities are monitored by the oxygen uptake rate from the supplied ah or oxygen. 

In reality, oxygen concentration never reaches the concentration defined in the proposed model, since the microbial activities at optimal and maximum cell density would reach the point where oxygen depletion takes place.5... 

Sediment Analysis. Sediment is the most chemically and biologically active component of the aquatic environment. Benthic invertebrate and microbial life concentrate in the sediment, a natural sink for precipitated metal forms, and an excellent sorbent for many metal species. TTie extent to which potentially toxic trace element forms bind to sediment is determined by the sediment s binding intensity and capacity and various solution parameters, as well as the concentration and nature of the metal forms of interest. Under some conditions sediment analyses can readily indicate sources of discharged trace elements. 

Other studies use soil or sediment samples for a more accurate indication of microbial activity in natural environments. In these samples, organic matter and clay particles play a role in metal toxicity.76112113 Both organic material and clay particles in soil can bind metals and reduce their bioavailability. For example, Pardue et al.87 demonstrated that much less solution-phase cadmium was required to inhibit trichloroaniline (TCA) dechlorination in a mineral-based soil than in a soil containing a higher concentration of organic matter. Other studies have shown that adding clay minerals to a medium mitigates toxicity. Clay minerals, such as kaolinite, montmorillonite, bentonite, and vermiculite, can bind to metals to decrease the amount that is bioavailable.112 115... 

A zone where substrate concentrations are sufficiently high to allow significant microbial activity... 

Cr(VI).Other remediation processes for Cr(VI) contaminated soils include H2S injection, aqueous Fe(II) injection, and the use of reduced Fe solids. Aqueous-phase Cr(VI)-Fe(II) redox reactions may be significant if Fe2+ concentrations are in equilibrium with relatively soluble, ferric hydroxide-like phases (Tokunaga et al., 2003). The overall interactions involving microbial activity, organic carbon degradation, Fe2+, and mineral surfaces control the net rates of Cr(VI) reactions in soils. 

The fate of hormones, irrespective of their origin, will be a function of the physicochemical properties of the hormones, the conditions prevailing in the sewage or manure disposal or treatment unit and the microbial activity. As hormones tend to be sorbed by the organic matter, the concentration of solids prevailing in these systems will greatly affect the fate of hormones. 

The restricted shelf life of liquid milk continues to be a problem that is often more influenced by the type of milk being sold rather than the pasteurisation technique. The shelf life of processed milk is determined primarily by the quality of the raw milk from the dairy herd. Increasing cell counts in the milk and a higher concentration of free fatty acids, contribute to rancidity in both liquid milk and milk products. Janzen (1972) reported that the 0-14 day shelf life of pasteurised milk is influenced by the somatic cell concentration in the raw milk and found that after 14 days any observed changes in the flavour and stability of the milk were attributable to microbial activity during storage. 

Fig. 33.4. Factors controlling rates of microbial activity in the simulation depicted in Figure 33.3, for acetotrophic sulfate reduction (top) and acetoclastic methanogenesis (bottom). Factors include the thermodynamic potential factor Ft, kinetic factors FD = wac/C ac + Kq) and FA = mso4/(mso4 + K A), and biomass concentration [A],...

Ventilation of sewers may not only reduce the hydrogen sulfide concentration in the sewer atmosphere but also the moisture that is a fundamental requirement for establishment of microbial activity on the sewer walls. It is important that the ventilation be well controlled otherwise, odorous problems in the vicinity of the sewer network may occur. In some cases, operational procedures like treatment of the vented air, e.g., by wet oxidation, by chemical scrubbing or by passing a biofilter, may need to be considered. 

The RNA molecules, ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and messenger RNA (mRNA) play key roles in the protein synthesis. The amount of RNA in individual cells or in a community may, therefore, be taken as an indicator of protein synthesis and, thus, microbial activity. The number of active cells can be detected by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) (Amann et al. 1995). By this method, individual cells carrying high concentrations of rRNA, situated on ribosomes, are quantified by fluorescence microscopy. The amount of rRNA in a community can also be detected by Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), where rRNA extracted from soil is detected by creating a DNA copy and separating by gel electrophoresis (Duineveld et al. 2001). 

An increase has also been observed in the LAS concentration in the aqueous phase during the cold season, due to reduced microbial activity [3,18,23]. Therefore the flow of LAS towards the coastal zone will be strongly influenced by the seasonal variable as confirmed by the values obtained by Takada et al. [3], who found that for the Tamagawa estuary the flow of LAS was five times higher in winter than in summer. However, in long-term monitoring [6,31,32], the variations detected are principally a function of tidal influence and of the time of day, or the day of the week, when the LAS is introduced into the system [6,33],... 

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