• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.381-387
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• 2013

Nitrogen and phosphorus removal was investigated in an UASB-ABF (Up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket - aerated bio-filter) anaerobic sewage treatment system. Successful removal of nitrogen and phosphorus with organic matters was possible in the UASB-ABF system from the results of 160 days operation with the influent raw domestic sewage. Removal efficiencies of organic matter (as TCOD) showed 64% in UASB without recycle of the ABF effluent, however, they increased to 92%, 95%, 96% with 120%, 180% and 240% recycle of the ABF effluent, respectively. Increasement of the organic matter removal was not prominent at recycle ratio above 180%. Apparent increase in TN removal occurred with recycle of the ABF effluent. TN removal efficiency was 18% without recycle, but it increased to 82% with 240% recycle of the ABF effluent. And stable nitrification above 95% was possible as a result of efficient removal of organic matter in the UASB with and without recycle of the effluent. Removal of both TP and $PO{_4}^{3-}$-P also increased remarkably with recycle of the effluent. Without recycle of the effluent, that is at strict anaerobic condition in UASB, TP was not removed, however, its removal efficiency increased to 51%, 63%, 71% at recycle ratios of 120%, 180%, 240%, respectively mainly at UASB.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.203-208
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• 2011

Dumping of wastes at sea will be strongly prohibited from 2012 by London Dumping Convention. So, finding the method for treatment of food waste at ground is needed urgently. The solution for above mentioned problem is the resource development from food waste leachate by using Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) process. In this research, we try to find out the effect of effluent recirculation and internal return influence on organic removal efficiency and biogas production. Laboratory investigation was conducted for 25 days with only internal recycling, and then, effluent recirculation was performed. As the result of experiments, the organic removal efficiency was above 90%, and the content of methane was 78~80% during operating time. Also, when UASB reactor was operated to over the 3 Q effluent recirculation, there was not 1 N-NaOH consumption any more, therethrough the experiment was economically and stably carried out.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.1222-1227
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• 2005

Optimal sludge recycling ratio for maximum total nitrogen(TN) removal efficiency was calculated stoichiometrically using nitrification and denitrification reaction with given influent water qualities in anoxic-oxic process which was one of the popular nitrogen removal system. The water quality items for stoichiometric calculation were ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, alkalinity, COD, and dissolved oxygen which could affect nitrification and denitrification. Optimal sludge recycling ratio for maximum TN removal efficiency was expressed by those five influent water qualities. TN concentration calculated stoichiometrically had kept good relationship with reported TN concentration in each tank and final effluent. In addition, it was possible to expect the TN concentration in final effluent by stoichiometric calculation within ${\pm}5.0\;mg/L$.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.30 no.12
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• pp.1231-1238
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• 2008

This study was performed to evaluate the treatability of food waste leachate using lab-scale two-phase anaerobic digestion system. Effects of influent pH, hydraulic retention time (HRT), and recycle of methanogenic reactor effluent to the thermophilic acidogenic reactors were investigated. For methanogenic reactors, effects of internal solids recycle and temperature were studied. Performance of the acidogenic reactors was stable under the conditions of influent pH of 6.0 and HRT of 2 d with the recycle of methanogenic reactor effluent, and acidification and VS removal efficiency were about 30% and 40%, respectively. Up to the organic loading rate (OLR) of 7 g COD/L/d, effluent SCOD values of mesophilic and thermophilic methanogenic reactors either lower or kept the same with the internal solids recycle. Also, decreasing tendency in specific methane production (SMP) due to the organic loading increase became diminished with the internal solids recycle. Mesophilic methanogenic reactors showed higher TCOD removal efficiency and SMP than thermophilic condition under the same OLR as VSS was always higher under mesophilic condition. In sum, thermophilic acidogenesis-mesophilic methanogenesis system was found to be better than thermophilic-thermophilic system in terms of both organic removal and methane production.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.613-619
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• 2018

In this study, various influent sludge pre-treatment methods and the internal recirculation of thickened sludge from effluents using a liquid/solid separation unit were adopted to investigate their effects on the sludge digestion and methane production in a combined mesophilic anaerobic and thermophilic aerobic sludge digestion process. A lab-scale combined sludge digestion process was operated during 5 phases using different feed sludge pre-treatment strategies. In phase 1, the feed sludge was pre-treated with a thermal-alkaline method. In contrast, in phases 2, 3 and 4, the internal recirculation of thickened sludge from the effluent and thermal-alkaline, thermal, and alkaline pre-treatment (7 days) were applied to the combined process. In phase 5, the raw sludge without any pre-treatment was used to the combined process. With the feed sludge pre-treatment and internal recirculation, the experimental results indicated that the volatile suspended solid (VSS) removal was drastically increased from phases 1 to 4. Also, the methane production rate with the thermal-alkaline pre-treatment and internal recirculation was significantly improved, showing an increment to 285 mL/L/day in phase 2. Meanwhile, the VSS removal and methane production in phase 5 were greatly decreased when the raw sludge without any pre-treatment was applied to the combined process. Considering all together, it was concluded that the combined process with the thickened sludge recirculation and thermal-alkaline pre-treatment can be successfully employed for the highly efficient sewage sludge reduction and methane gas production.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.50-61
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• 2013

In order to generate a renewable energy-Methane, anaerobic systems fed with source separated food waste from university cafeteria were studied. At first, four reactors were evaluated with same feed components; content non-mixing anaerobic reactor without leachate withdrawal/recirculation, content mixing anaerobic reactor without leachate withdrawal/recirculation, content non-mixing anaerobic reactor with leachate withdrawal/recirculation and content mixing anaerobic reactor with leachate withdrawal/recirculation. From the first study, content non-mixing anaerobic reactor with leachate withdrawal/recirculation showed the highest gas production. From further study with this system, it was observed that leachate permeation rate within anaerobic reactor was very important factor for gas generation. The higher permeation rate, the more gas production was observed. It is assumed that 1kg of gas collector weight and C/N ration above 10 in food waste may cause gas consumption in the anaerobic reactor. The gas consumption was estimated by negative pressure build-up at gas collector. The negative pressure build-up must be explained to produce Methane from Food Waste.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.132-140
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• 1998

Laboratory-scale experiments were conducted using a three-stage rotating biological contactor unit followed by lime precipitation and sedimentation with effluent recycle to the first stage. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of hydraulic loadings of 0.031-0.076 $m^3/m^2/d and recycle ratio of 1 to 3 on the simultaneous removal of organics and nutrients from domestic wastewater. Lime was added to maintain pH of 10.4-11.0 in the coagulation-flocculation reactor. Results showed that the highest nitrogen removal rate of 70.5% occurred at the lower hydraulic loading of 0.031 $m^3/m^2/d at a recirculation rate of 300%, and similarly, highest nitrification occurred at the same hydraulic loading and recycle ratio. Concentration of ammonia nitrogen in the effluent was less than 1 mg/l at the same operating conditions for higher nitrogen removal. Whereas, high BOD and COD removal was observed at hydraulic loading rate of 0.054 $m^3/m^2/d, and high removal of organic matter was evident from the consistent low COD and BOD value. Results obtained from the operating condition of higher loading rate, 300% of recycle rate showed the highest removals. Increasing in recycle rate and hydraulic loading rate increased the volatile solids fraction of the sludges generated to the extent of 47% at 0.076 $m^3/m^2/d hydraulic loading and 300% recirculation rate. Since pH in the flocculator was maintained at the pH of 10.4-11.0, above 90% removal of phosphorus was obtained. Average concentration of suspended solids was always maintained over 40 mg/l in the effluent. Therefore an RBC unit operating at a hydraulic loading near 0.031 $m^3/m^2/d with a recycle rate of 300% is a viable and feasible alternate conditions to produce an effluent with relative low organic matter and phosphorus, provided that there is a neutralization unit to control the pH and SS of the effluent.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.28-34
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• 2012

In this study, we operated a UASB (upflow anaerobic sludge blanket) reactor by using foodwaste leachate as a raw material with the method of Mesophilic Digestion ($35{\pm}0.5^{\circ}C$) and Thermophilic Digestion ($55{\pm}0.5^{\circ}C$). During 20 days of operating time with the Mesophilic Digestion, the recirculation ratio of effluent was stepwisely changed in every five days. Thermophilic Digestion was carried out at the same condition for Mesophilic Digestion. Results showed that the organic removal efficiency of Mesophilic Digestion was over 90% and the yield of methane production was from 66 up to 70%. The organic removal efficiency of Thermophilic Digestion was over 80% and the yield of methane production was between 62 to 68%. Also, when UASB reactor was operating to over the 3Q effluent recirculation, the experiment could be carried out economically and stably.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.628-636
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• 2008

Anaerobic denitrification in a two phase anaerobic digestion(TPAD) process combined with biological nutrients removal (BNR) system was studied for a piggery wastewater treatment. Denitrification efficiency and the effects of the nitrified effluent on acidification was investigated by recycling the nitrified effluent to the acidogenic reactor. Recycle of the nitrified effluent to the acidogenic reactor enhanced the conversion efficiency of the influent COD into volatile fatty acids(VFAs) in the TPAD-BNR system treating the piggery wastewater. Acidification rate of the acidogenic sludge acclimated with the nitrified effluent showed 6 times higher than that acclimated without it. VFA could be used for denitrification as carbon sources, however, nitrate could enhance acidification activity in the acidogenic reactor. VFA production rate was affected on the COD/Nitrate(COD/N) ratio, however, it depended much more whether the acidogenic sludge acclimated with nitrate or not. Denitrification with the acidogenic sludge acclimated without nitrified effluent followed zero-order reaction and the reaction rate constants were in the range of 1.31$\sim$1.90 mg/L$\cdot$h. Denitrification reaction rate constants of the acidogenic sludge acclimated with nitrified effluent were 3.30 mg/L$\cdot$h that showed almost twice of them evaluated from the previous tests. The stoichiometric ratios of utilized COD to removed nitrate showed similar in both tests which were in the range of 5.1$\sim$6.4 at COD/N ratio of 10.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.391-396
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• 2005

This study was conducted to neutralize acid mine drainage (AMD) of Soo and Hambaek mines, located in Kangwon-Do Korea, using $Ca(OH)_2$. When 0.295 g $Ca(OH)_2/L$(AMD) was added to the drainage in a neutralization reactor, pH of liquid in the reactor and the effluent were maintained at 9.5 and 8.4, respectively. The pH met the required effluent standard. With 10~50% of feedback of effulent sludge to the reactor, the pH of neutralized fluid in the reactor remained nearly constant, but $SO{_4}^{-2}$ concentration in the effluent increased adversely compared to the non-return sludge case. With 30% of sludge feedback, it was possible to decrease suspended solids (SS) concentration in the effluent without a problem in Fe concentration. When 100 mL of 0.1 M $BaCl_2$ was added to 1 L of AMD treated with $Ca(OH)_2$, removal efficiency of $SO{_4}^{-2}$ increased to over 90%. Aanalyses of pH, Fe, and $SO{_4}^{-2}$ showed that the optimal results were obtained when pH of neutralizatio reactor and sludge return ratio were maintained at 9.5 and 30%. This can result in possible cost reduction of 31.4% for maintenance and 29.8% for facility construction by alternating $Ca(OH)_2$ to NaOH.