• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.181-193
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• 2018

Nitrous oxide ($N_2O$) is a potent greenhouse gas as well as an ozone-depleting substance. $N_2O$ is emitted during the biological nitrogen removal process in wastewater treatment systems (WTSs), and has significant environmental impacts. In this study, $N_2O$ emission in WTSs was comprehensively reviewed to better understand the effects of key parameters on $N_2O$ emission and obtain useful guidelines for $N_2O$ mitigation strategies in WTSs. Three biological pathways leading to $N_2O$ emission are hydroxylamine oxidation, nitrifier denitrification, and heterotrohic denitrification. Measurements at lab-, pilot- and full-scale WTSs have shown large variations in $N_2O$ emission (0-95% of N-loaded) during wastewater treatment. In the full-scale WTSs (0-14.6% $N_2O$ of N-loaded), the average and median values were 1.95% and 0.2% of N-loaded, respectively. Dissolved oxygen, nitrite concentrations, and chemical oxygen demand (COD)/N ratio are the most important parameters leading to $N_2O$ emission. A variety of operational strategies have been suggested to minimize $N_2O$ emission from WTSs. A new $N_2O$ mitigation strategy involving the introduction of microorganisms with high $N_2O$ reductase activity or oxygenic denitrification ability has been proposed as an alternative canonical denitrification.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.179-186
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• 2006

Chemical wastes are generated from nuclear facilities and R&D laboratories, but the uranium concentration in the final dried cake is evaluated into 11.2 Bq/g, which exceeds the exemption level of 10 Bq/g for each U isotopes, so the cake is categorized into a radioactive waste. Acid dissolution was applied to extract uranium from the waste sludge, and uranium adsorption on the dissolved solution was experimented by using IRN-77 and Diphosil bead. A large amount of resin was required to get above 80% of uranium removal, which was found to be due to a large amount of metal ions simultaneously dissolved from the precipitates with uranium. As an alternative method, acid dissolution is applied to the dewatered wet cake of the sludge, and the natural evaporation method is adopted for the dissolved solution. The uranium concentration of the dissolved solution was estimated to be 6.97E-01 Bq/ml, and the specific activity of the final waste sheets is evaluated to be 4.3 Bq/g. These results lead to the suggestion that the application of acid dissolution to the wet cake and the natural evaporation for the dissolved solution is an effective treatment method for chemical wastes containing uranium.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.175-182
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• 2009

The spent cationic exchange resins and anionic exchange resins were separated from mixed spent exchange resins by a fluidized bed gravimetric separator. The separated resins were identified by an elemental analysis and thermogravimetric analysis. The each test sample was prepared by diluting the slurry made by wet ball milling the cationic exchange resins and the anionic exchange resins separated as a spherical granular form for 24 hours. The resulting test samples showed a slurry form of less than $75{\mu}m$ of particle size and 25,000ppm of $COD_{cr}$. The decomposition conditions of each test samples from a thermal power plant were obtained with a lab-scale(reactor volume : 220mL) supercritical water oxidation(SCWO) facility. Then pilot plant(reactor volume : 24 L) tests were performed with the test samples from a thermal power plant and a nuclear power plant successively. Based on the optimal decomposition conditions and the operation experiences by lab-scale facility and the pilot plant, a commercial plant(capacity : 150kg/h) can be installed in a nuclear power plant was designed.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.279-284
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• 2015

As non-conventional oil resources such as shale gas have been widely developed, proper treatment of flowback and produced water is becoming important. However, application of conventional water treatment techniques is limited due to high concentration of pollutants such as oil and grease, organics, harmful chemicals, and inorganic ions. In this study, we examined the feasibility of using forward osmosis (FO) and air gap membrane distillation (AGMD) as novel treatment options for shale gas wastewater. Laboratory-scale FO and MD devices were fabricated and used for the experiments. Results showed that FO could be used to treat the synthetic wastewater. Using 5 M NaCl as the draw solution, the flux was approximately $6L/m^2-hr$ during the treatment of low range wastewater (TDS: 66,000 mg/L). Nevertheless, AGMD was more effective to treat high range wastewater (Total Dissolved Solid: 260,000 mg/L) than FO.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.554-560
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• 2011

This study was performed to investigate the effects of microbial augmentation on the biological treatment of paper mill wastewater. Three bacteria (KN11, KN13, KN27) capable of degrading aromatic compounds and a bacterial strain (GT21) producing an extracellular cellulase were isolated from soil and wastewater by selective enrichment culture. Through morphological, physiological, and biochemical taxonomies, isolated strains of KN11, KN13, KN27, and GT21 were identified as Acinetobacter sp., Neisseria sp., Bacillus sp., and Pseudomonas sp. and named Acinetobacter sp. KN11, Neisseria sp. KN13, Bacillus sp. KN27, and Pseudomonas sp. GT21, respectively. For analysis of non-biodegradable and chemical oxygen demand (COD)-increasing matter in a paper mill wastewater, we utilized GC/MS to detect aromatic compounds and their derivatives containing several substituted functional groups. The microbial augmentation, J30 formulated with the mixture of bacteria including Acinetobacter sp. KN11, Neisseria sp. KN13, Bacillus sp. KN27, and Pseudomonas sp. GT21, was used for the treatment of paper mill wastewater. The optimum temperature and pH for COD removal of the microbial augmentation, J30, were $30^{\circ}C$ and 7.5, respectively. For evaluation of the industrial applicability of the microbial augmentation, J30 in the pilot test, treatment efficiency was examined using paper mill wastewater. The microbial augmentation, J30, showed a COD removal rate of 87%. On the basis of the above results, we designed the wastewater treatment process of the activated sludge system.

• Clean Technology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.222-227
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• 2007

The photocatalytic degradation of livestock wastewater has been investigated over $TiO_2$ photocatalysts irradiated with a ultraviolet (UV) light. The effect of operational parameters, i.e., distance, reaction area, concentration of suspended solids(SS), and column diameter on the degradation of livestock wastewater has been performed in lab-scale. The optimal conditions for livestock wastewater were determined: distance was 3 cm (less than 7 cm), reaction area was $3.6\;m^2$, SS concentration was 40 mg/L (less than 300 mg/L) and column diameter was 5 mm (less than 10 mm). Under the optimal conditions, COD, color and coliform removal efficiencies were approximately 49%, 53% and 100%, respectively. Non-biodegradable COD removal efficiency increased with 57% using by photocatalysis process. Therefore, it is shown that photocatalysis has an effect on degradation of non-biodegradable organic matter.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.200-205
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• 2005

We have prepared the porous carrier that has high capacity for immobilization of microorganisms and adsorption capacity for cation using fly ash in the previous work. In this study, we investigated the characteristics of piggery wastewater treatment in comparison with commercial carrier and conventional activated sludge process by continuous-flow fixed biofilm process in laboratory scale at the same experimental conditions to develop the biofilm process using porous fly ash carrier for wastewater treatment. As a result, the prepared fly ash carrier showed that removal efficiency of COD, TN and $NH_4{^+}-N$ items were 80%, 77% and 65%, respectively, which were higher efficiency than the commercial carrier and conventional activated sludge process. And the result of measurement for immobilized microorganisms after treatment showed higher capacity than the commercial carrier, and it was confirmed by SEM observation on fly ash carrier that the colony of microorganisms was stably formed.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.837-847
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• 2000

For the treatment of wastewaters generated from beer industry and petrochemical company with high organic and nitrogen contents, laboratory scale of A/O Pure-Oxygen Biofilm (POB) process was developed and studied by means of the comparative economic analysis with extended aeration process. When the wastewater of beer company was initially treated by the A/O POB process in the ranges of 70 to 150 mg TOC/L diluted with tap water, higher than 92% of TOC removal was accomplished in the all ranges. In case of petrochemical wastewater, the initial TOC removal was as low as 52%, though, it increased to 86% after 32 days of operation and also the TKN removal marked 71% after 27 days. Continuous high removal rates were monitored in both the TOC and TKN parameters during the experimental period. Due to the cost for PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) setting and biomass supporting media installation, the initial construction cost of A/O POB process was 2.9 times higher than that of extended aeration process. However, the advantages such as low sludge production, no need for sludge recycling and low energy consumption allow the A/O POB process to have 2.5 times lower operation and maintenance costs. Consequently, in the long term of operation, it is likely that A/O POB process would show higher performance as well as cost effectiveness compared to extended aeration process.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.293-298
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• 2005

Lab scale experimental study was carried out for SBR process, to investigate the effects of influent ship sewage organic compound removal and Bacillus sp. state on design parameters. This process was able to remove nitrogen and phosphorus as well as organic matter efficiently. More than 95% of chemical oxygen demand(COD) were removed. In addition, about 97% of total nitrogen (T-N) was reduced. The total phosphorus(T-P) reduction averaged 93%. The performance load of SBR process was shown to be 0.095kg ${\cdot}$ TOC/$m^{3}$ ${\cdot}$ day. The pH was decreased from 8.1 to 7.0 within 30 min and increased to 7.3 at the end of anoxic stage, and these phenomena were explained. The sluge produced in the SBR process is characterized by low generation rate (about 0.36kg ${\cdot}$ MLSS/kg ${\cdot}$ TOC) and excellent settleability. The number of Bacillus sp. in the SBR was 24.2%, indicating that Bacillus sp. was a predominant species in the reactor.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.466-471
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• 2019

1,4-dioxane and dichloromethane are classified as carcinogenic groups in the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). They are frequently released at high concentrations in an industrial wastewater effluent. The acute toxicity (24 h) of Daphnia magna for 7.53 mg/L of 1,4-dioxane in the industrial effluent was evaluated as 1.1 TU (toxic unit) and showed TU close to the effluent quality standard. Mixed substances of 1,4-dioxane and dichloromethane in the industrial effluent showed relatively high TU as compared to that of a single substance. Half maximal effective concentration (24 h $EC_{50}$) values of 1,4-dioxane and dichloromethane for the synthetic wastewater prepared in laboratory were 1,744 (0.06 TU) and 170 mg/L (0.6 TU), respectively and the toxicity was low. Nevertheless the toxicological evaluation of the mixture showed that TU values increased to 0.02, 0.04 and 0.10, respectively as 1, 5 and 10 ppm of dichloromethane was added to 100 ppm of 1,4-dioxane. And the synergistic effect was observed between two substances. But the TU value of synthetic wastewater was below 5%, lower than that of industrial effluent at the similar concentration.