Hydrospheric Environmental Protection Department

Worldwide water pollution by hazardous industrial chemicals has become a major concern. Members of this department are developing highly sensitive water analysis methods, biological and physicochemical systems for wastewater treatment at the source of pollutant. They are also studying the behavior of pollutants in the hydrosphere.

Ecological Chemistry and Microbiology Division

Studying on processes of biological transformation, degradation, and mineralization has been a key issue for developing advanced environmental technologies such as biological wastewater treatment, bio-remediation, and fate prediction of environmental contaminants. We have been studying biological transformation rates and pathways of environmental contaminants such as hazardous chemicals and ammonia nitrogen, and analyzing ecology, physiology, and molecular biology of microorganisms responsible for those reactions. Especially, features on kinetics and microbial community structure when that is exposed to contaminants at lower and higher concentrations have been focused. Major activities of the division includes,

• Analyses in biological transformation of hazardous organic chemicals by microbial consortia in aerobic and anaerobic environments.
• Analyses in geno- and pheno- typic characterization of microorganisms responsible for degradation of hazardous chemicals and their application.
• Community structure analyses of microbial consortia responsible for eliminating environmental contaminants.
• Development of an advanced biological nitrogen removal process for industrial wastewater.

Advanced Water Treatment Division

Development of technologies which remove hazardous chemicals and reduce loads on the environment has been expected. Our investigations of such physicochemical processes include enzymatic treatment of wastewater and the polluted environment, ozonation of refractory compounds, super critical fluid extraction, and selective adsorption of nitrate.

• Enzymatic treatment of organo chloro-compounds in pulp bleaching wastewater and their detoxification.
• Production of modified enzyme by genetic engineering.
• Removal of trihalomethane precursors by ozonation from refractory colored wastewater.
• Supercritical fluid extraction of toxic chemicals.
• Evaluation of color measurement method on the ozonolysis of dyestuffs.
• Adsorption of nitrate from dilute solution.

Water Analysis Division

Environmental diagnostics is one of the most important elements of eco-technology. It is essencial to obtain information on the environment in orderto monitor current condition, determine sources of pollution and to implement effective countermeasures for recovery. This is primarily achieved through on-site monitoring combined with highly selective and sensitive analytical tevhniques. The prime goals of our research is the development of environmental diagnostics technologies for the environment. The activities of this division include:

• On-site monitoring of pollutants, the development of sensors based on molecular recognition and quartz oscillator.
• Development of EIC (electrostatic ion chromatography) and LC-ICP-MS.
• Development of analytical methods for measuring trace concentrations of dibenzo-p-dioxines and related compounds.
• Applications of analytical methods to marine pollution, industrial wa stewater treatment, etc.

List Page

Global Warming Control Department

Thermal Energy and Combustion Engineering Department

Atmospheric Environmental Protection Department

Hydrospheric Environmental Protection Department

Environmental Assessment Department

Energy Resources Department

Materials Processing Department

Geotechnology Department

Safety Engineering Department

Coal Mine Safety Research Center, Hokkaido

Coal Mine Safety Research Center, Kyushu