JPH074245B2 - Charcoal micro habitat - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a micro habitat using charcoal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A microhabitat is, so to speak, a "dwelling" of microorganisms, which is used to provide the desired microorganisms with a condition in which they can easily inhabit and to effectively establish the microorganisms so that the functions of the microorganisms can be better exhibited. It is a thing.

By the way, microorganisms are widely used in various fields depending on their functions. For example, decomposition treatment of organic matter in wastewater, fermentation in compost production, and the like are also examples, and various techniques have been devised in order to make the microorganisms function more efficiently according to the decomposition treatment. As one of such techniques, a technique using charcoal for a micro habitat has been attracting attention.

This is because charcoal is chemically extremely stable, and the porous structure of pores of relatively uniform size, which is derived from the cells of wood as a raw material and has a preferable size for microorganisms, is an ideal condition for colonization of microorganisms. And is suitable for water permeability and air permeability.

[0005]

However, the actual situation is that when actually used, the expected colonization of microorganisms cannot be obtained. After pursuing the reason,
Several causes were found. That is, one is that the presence of fine spines on the pore wall surface of the charcoal pores is disliked by microorganisms and hinders its colonization. That is, the polarities present on the wall surface of the pores make the living environment of microorganisms uncomfortable.

[0006] Based on such knowledge, various researches have been conducted on methods for eliminating the factors that inhibit the colonization of these microorganisms, and recently their use has been attracting attention in various fields. Chitosan ([1 → 4) -2-amido-2-deoxy-
β-D-glucose] has extremely useful properties, that is, it is non-polar, so it is gentle to microorganisms, and it is a natural product, so it does not become a pollution factor, and it also has properties such as excellent adhesion to charcoal. The present invention has been found under the heading.

[0007]

That is, the present invention is
Chitosan is attached to the pore wall of charcoal's pores.By covering the spines that microorganisms dislike with chitosan, one of the factors that inhibits the colonization of microorganisms is eliminated. By eliminating the polarity of the pore wall, one other factor that hinders fixation is eliminated. As a result, the charcoal's microporous structure's suitability for microbial colonization can be maximized.

As described above, the function of chitosan is to cover the spines on the surface of the pore wall so as not to adversely affect microorganisms, and to eliminate the polarity of the pore wall. The attachment of chitosan to the pore wall will satisfy the required amount as long as at least the spinous material on the pore wall surface can be buried.

Although various methods can be considered for attaching chitosan to the pore wall of charcoal, the most reliable method is to immerse the charcoal in the chitosan solution for a certain period of time. As a simpler method, a method of spraying or spraying a chitosan solution on charcoal is possible, and in this case, uniform adhesion to the deep part of the pores may not always occur, but this is not necessary for the fixation of microorganisms. But it is enough. In other words, if chitosan is attached to the area where the microorganisms can be a "dwelling", the necessary conditions can be satisfied.

The charcoal-made micro habitat treated in this manner is suitable for, for example, a sewage treatment apparatus of the type in which sewage is passed through a filter bed laid with it to treat the sewage. It is preferable to use crushed charcoal with a size of several millimeters to several tens of centimeters in view of water permeability, air permeability and the like.

It is already known that charcoal is effective to some extent in promoting fermentation of compost, but by using this charcoal-made microhabitat, a further fermentation promoting effect can be expected. Further, the efficiency of denitrification treatment using microorganisms can be expected to be greatly improved.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. The charcoal used was commercially available chip charcoal, which was carbonized at 600 to 700 ° C. and was in the form of fragments of 5 to 10 mm size. Chitosan is a pale yellowish white powder having a deacetylation degree of 70% or more [Koyo Chitosan SK-4 manufactured by Koyo Chemical Co., Ltd.
00 (trademark)] was used. A dipping method under the following conditions was used for the adhesion. Chitosan solution: Dissolve 1% chitosan in 5% acetic acid solution Immersion condition: normal temperature, normal pressure Immersion time: 24 hours Drying condition: 50-60 ° C for 8-16 hours As a result, for 30 liters of chip charcoal , About 50 g of chitosan was obtained.

Observation of such chip charcoal treated with chitosan with a scanning electron microscope revealed that a chitosan coating was uniformly formed on the pore walls of the pores in an extremely smooth state, and was extremely well-fixed to microorganisms. It was confirmed that the environment could be provided.

[0014]

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, the fixing inhibiting factor existing in the pore pore wall for fixing microorganisms is effectively eliminated by the treatment with chitosan, and the excellent fixing suitability of charcoal's fine porous structure is maximized. You can make the most of it. Therefore, by using the charcoal micro-habitat according to the present invention, the utilization efficiency can be greatly improved in various technical fields of utilizing microorganisms.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A charcoal in which chitosan is adhered to the pore wall of the pores of the charcoal so that at least the spines on the surface of the pore wall are buried in the pore wall of the pores at least within the depth range required for microbial settlement. Made Micro Habitat.