• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.439-446
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• 2009

This study was performed to evaluate SND(simultaneous nitrification and denitrification)efficiency, nitrogen removal efficiency and filtration function of non-woven fabric by using submerging MBR packed with granular sulfur covered with non-woven fabric filter. Synthetic wastewater was used as influent wastewater. Concentration of $NH_4{^+}-N$ in influent was maintained about 40 mg/L and the experiment was performed in four phases according to the flow rate. Nitrogen loading rate divided four phases ranging from $0.04 kg\;NH_4{^+}-N/m^3-day$ to $0.16 kg\;NH_4{^+}-N/m^3-day$. As a result, the maximum $NH_4{^+}-N$ removal rate was accomplished at $0.142 kg\;NH_4{^+}-N/m^3-day$ in nitrogen loading of $0.147 kg\;NH_4{^+}-N/m^3-day$. Nitrification efficiency was higher than 95% in all phases. $NO_3{^-}-N$ loading rate was adjusted ranging from $0.22 kg\;NO_3{^-}-N/m^3-day$ to $0.89 kg\;NO_3{^-}-N/m^3-day$. The maximum $NO_3{^-}-N$ removal rate was accomplished up to $0.71 kg\;NO_3{^-}-N/m^3-day$ in $NO_3{^-}-N$ loading of $0.89 kg\;NO_3{^-}-N/m^3-day$. The maximum $NO_3{^-}-N$ removal efficiency was 95% in $NO_3{^-}-N$ loading of $0.22 kg\;NO_3{^-}-N/m^3-day$. T-N removal rate was 90% and concentration of T-N in effluent was 3.7 mg/L in T-N loading rate of $0.039 kg\;NO_3{^-}-N/m^3-day$. In this study, TMP in reactor with and without non-woven fabric filter were observed to define fouling of hollow-fiber membrane module. Reaching time to standard washing pressure(22 cm Hg) of two reactors were 29 days with non-woven fabric But the reactor without non-woven fabric reached standard washing pressure only after 4 days. Accordingly, non-woven fabric was demonstrated the superiority as a filtration ability. With high nitrogen removal rate and decreasing of fouling of membrane, MBR packed with granular sulfur covered with non-woven fabric filter submerging in activated sludge aeration tank can be used as an advanced treatment process.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.31 no.10
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• pp.927-932
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• 2009

Toxic and recalcitrant organic pollutants in wastewaters can be effectively treated when advanced oxidation and biodegradation are combined, ideally with intimate coupling, in which both processes occur simultaneously in the same system. One means to achieve intimate coupling is to coat nanoscale $TiO_2$ on the outside of macroporous biofilm carriers. This study investigated the kinetics of photocatalysis with $TiO_2$-coated porous carriers. The carriers were made of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and coated with $TiO_2$ using a low-temperature sol-gel process. The $TiO_2$-coated carriers catalyzed the oxidation of methylene blue (MB) effectively under irradiation of UV light. The overall reaction rate with adsorption and photolysis saturated at high MB concentration, and approached the adsorption rate, which was first order for all MB concent rations. This result indicates that adsorbed MB may have slowed photocatalysis by blocking active sites for photocatalysis. The overall kinetics could be described by a quasi-Langmuir model. The estimated maximum specific (per unit mass of $TiO_2$) transformation rate of MB by the $TiO_2$-coated carriers was four times larger than that obtained from slurry-$TiO_2$ reactors. This observation demonstrated that the $TiO_2$ present as a coating on the carriers maintained high efficiency for transforming recalcitrant organic matter via photocatalysis. These findings serve as a foundation for advancement of an intimate coupling of photocatalysis to biodegradation.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.125-130
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• 2008

Free ammonia ($NH_3$-N) inhibition of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) has been widely studied for partial nitrification (or nitrite accumulation) and denitrification via nitrite ($NO_2^-$-N) as a low-cost treatment of ammonium containing wastewater. The literature on $NH_3$-N inhibition of NOB, however, shows disagreement about the threshold $NH_3$-N concentration and its degree of inhibition. In order to clarify the confusion, a simple and cheap respirometric method was devised to investigate the effect of free ammonia inhibition of NOB. Sludge samples from an autotrophic nitrifying reactor were exposed to various $NH_3$-N concentrations to measure the maximum specific nitrite oxidation rate ($\hat{K}_{NO}$) using a respirometer. NOB biomass was estimated from the yield values in the literature. Free ammonia inhibition of nitrite oxidizing bacteria was reversible and the specific nitrite oxidation rate ($K_{NO}$) decreased from 0.141 to 0.116, 0.100, 0.097 and 0.081 mg $NO_2^-$-N/mg NOB h, respectively, as the $NH_3$-N concentration increased from 0.0 to 1.0, 4.1, 9.7 and 22.9 mg/L. A nonlinear regression based on the noncompetitive inhibition mode gave an estimate of the Inhibition concentration ($K_I$) of free ammonia to be 21.3 mg $NH_3$-N/L. Previous studies gave $\hat{K}_{NO}$ of Nitrobacter and Nitrospira as 0.120 and 0.032 mg/mg VSS h. The free ammonia concentration which inhibits Nitrobacter was $30{\sim}50\;mg$ $NH_3$-N/L and Nitrospira was inhibited at $0.04{\sim}0.08\;mg$ $NH_3$-N/L. The results support the fact that Nitrobacter is the dominant NOB in the reactor. The variations in the reported values of free ammonia inhibition may be due to the different species of nitrite oxidizers present in the reactors. The respirometric method provides rapid and reliable analysis of the behavior and community of the nitrite oxidizing bacteria.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.797-806
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• 2000

The objectives were to compare the biodegradable threshold concentrations of phenol with the different composition of the influent carbon source and examine the SMA (Specific Methanogenic Activity)and the possibility of simultaneous removal of high-strength organics and nitrogen compounds in UASB(Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket) - PBR(Packed Bed Reactor) process. The results showed that UASB reactors were efficient to remove phenol and phenol + glucose from synthetic wastewater. At phenol conc, of 600 mg/L and SCOD conc. of 2100 mg/L in UASB reactor(with only phenol as substrate), the removal efficiencies of phenol and SCOD were over 99% and 93% respectively, under MLVSS of 20 g. The activity of microorganism was $0.112g\;phenol/g\;VSS{\cdot}d$, $0.351g\;SCOD/g\;VSS{\cdot}d$. The gas production rate was $0.115L/g\;VSS{\cdot}d$ and $CH_4$ content in gas was about 70%. At phenol conc. of 760 mg/L and SCOD conc. of 4300 mg/L in UASB reactor( with phenol + glucose as substrates), the removal efficiencies of phenol and of SCOD were over 99% and 90% respectively, under MLVSS of 20 g. The activity of microoganism was $0.135g\;phenol/g\;VSS{\cdot}d$, $0.696g\;SCOD/g\;VSS{\cdot}d$. The gas production rate was $0.257L/g\;VSS{\cdot}d$ and $CH_4$ content in gas was about 70%. Serum bottle test showed that the activity of granule was inhibited over 1600 mg/L phenol conc, and denitrification and methanogenesis simultaneously took place in UASB granules under co-substrates conditions. PBR reactor packed with cilium type media, was efficient in nitrification. In condition of $0.038kg\;NH_4-N/m^3-media{\cdot}d$. 10~12 mg/L phenol conc. and 200~500 mg/L SCOD conc., nitrification efficiency was over 90% and phenol removal efficiency was over 98%.