• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.76-93
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• 1997

Activated carbon is widely used for the treatment of water, wastewater and other liquid wastes. Biological activated carbon (BAC) process is water and wastewater treatment process developed in the 1970's. In addition to activated carbon adsorption, biodegradation organic pollutants occurs in the BAC bed where a large amount of aerobic biomass grows. This results in a long operation time of the carbon before having to be regenerated and thus a low treatment cost. Although the BAC process has been widely used, its mechanisms have not been well understood, especially the relationship between biodegradation and carbon adsorption, whether these two reactions can promote each other or whether they just simultaneously exist in the BAC bed. Also, the phenomenon of bioregeneration has been confused that previously occupied adsorption sites appear to be made available through the actions of microorganisms. And that, because biological process is influenced by low temperature, the mechanism of the BAC process is also effected by temperature variation in our country of winter temperature near the freezing point. Therefore, the objective of this study examines closely the mechanism of the BAC process by temperature variation using phenol as substrate. From this study, biological activated carbon is good substrate removal better than non adsorbing materials (charcoal, sand) as temperature variation, especially low temperature(near $5^{\circ}C$).

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.105-111
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• 2001

Improvement of water quality and Investigation of bacterial characteristics have been conducted in a pilot plant using biological activated carbon (BAC) in water treatment process at the downstream of the Nakdong River. Most of water control parameters were highly improved after passing through BAC. Approximately 54% of dissolved organic carbon was removed in coal-based BAC process. Bacterial biomass and bacterial production appeared $9.8{\times}10^8 CFU/g and 7.1mg-C/m^3$.hr in coal-based BAC, respectively. Predominant bacteria species grown in BAC were identified as Pseudomonas, Flavobacterium, Alcaligenes, Acinetobacter and Aeromonas species. Particularly Pseudomonas vesicularis was dominant in both coal-based and coconut-based BACs, while Pseudomonas cepacia was dominant in wood-based BAC.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.671-675
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• 2007

The objective of this study was to clarify the characteristics of the removed micropollutant since the breakthrough of adsorption ability was occurred in biological activated carbon(BAC) process. The removal efficiency of DOC (Dissolved Organic Carbon) was 36 % in the breakthrough of BAC occurred by NOM (Natural Organic Matter). The most of removal DOC was found out the adsorbable and biodegradable DOC (A&BDOC). But it was not clear to remove by any mechanism because A&BDOC have simultaneously the adsorption of activated carbon and biodegradation by microorganism in BAC. The removal of bromophenol was examined with BAC and rapid sand filter, for investigation of DOC removal mechanism in the breakthrough of BAC. In this experiment, BAC filter has been operated for 20 months for the treatment of reservoir water. The BAC filter was already exhausted by NOM. Bromophenol, adsorbable and refractory matter, was completely removed by BAC filter. Therefore, it might be removed by the adsorption in BAC. Adsorption isotherms of bromophenol were compared to two BACs which was preloaded with 500 daltons and 3,000 daltons of NOM. BAC preloaded with 3,000 daltons of NOM was not decreased to the adsorbability of bromophenol but BAC preloaded with 500 daltons of NOM was greatly decreased to it. These result indicated that NOM of low molecular weight can be removed by adsorption after a long period of operation and the breakthrough by NOM in BAC. Therefore, micropollutants might be removed through adsorption by saturated BAC.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.156-164
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• 1998

This study was performed to select media for the development of biological activated carbon process. Using activated carbon made by Norit, Calgon, Samchully Co., removal efficiency of humic acid by the isothermal adsorption test and biodegradation of organic matters by microbes attached to BAC and observation and counting of microbes attached to BAC were examined. The removal efficiency of humic acid with dose of activated carbon was influenced by initial concentration. Compared with other activated carbon, Norit was found to be most effective in view of adsorption capacity, biodegradation of organic matter, and attachment characteristics of microorganism. In conclusion, Norit which has high adsorption capacity and good biodegradation of organic matter was recommended for selecting media in BAC process.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.91-104
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• 2019

The taxonomic and functional characteristics of bacterial communities in the pre-chlorinated rapid filters and ozonated biological activated carbon (BAC) filters were compared using Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene and community-level physiological profiling (CLPP) based on sole-carbon-source utilization patterns. Both the rapid filters and BAC filters were dominated by Rhizobiales within ${\alpha}-proteobacteria$, but other abundant orders and genera were significantly different in both types of filter. Firmicutes were abundant only in the intermediate chlorinated rapid filter, while Acidobacteria were abundant only in the BAC filters. Bacterial communities in the rapid filter showed high utilization of carbohydrates, while those in the BAC filters showed high utilization of polymers and carboxylic acids. These different characteristics of the bacterial communities could be related to the different substrates in the influents, filling materials, and residual disinfectants. Chlorination and ozonation inactivated the existing bacteria in the influent and formed different bacterial communities, which could be resistant to the oxidants and effectively utilize different substrates produced by the oxidant, including Phreatobacter in the rapid filters and Hyphomicrobium in the BAC filters. Bradyrhizobium and Leptothrix, which could utilize compounds adsorbed on the GAC, were abundant in the BAC filters. Ozonation increased taxonomic diversity but decreased functional diversity of the bacterial communities in the BAC filters. This study provides some new insights into the effects of oxidation processes and filling materials on the bacterial community structure in the biological filters of drinking water treatment plants.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.12
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• pp.1774-1778
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• 2013

Methylotrophs within biological activated carbon (BAC) systems have not received attention although they are a valuable biological resource for degradation of organic pollutants. In this study, methylotrophic populations were monitored for four consecutive seasons in BAC of an actual drinking water plant, using ribosomal tag pyrosequencing. Methylotrophs constituted up to 5.6% of the bacterial community, and the methanotrophs Methylosoma and Methylobacter were most abundant. Community comparison showed that the temperature was an important factor affecting community composition, since it had an impact on the growth of particular methylotrophic genera. These results demonstrated that BAC possesses a substantial methylotrophic activity and harbors the relevant microbes.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.308-323
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• 2009

This review paper serves to describe the composition and activity of biological activated carbon (BAC) biofilm which is considered as a progressive process for water treatment. As well as several physical-chemical, biochemical and microbiological analysis methods for characterizing the composition and activity of BAC biofilm, the ability of the biofilm to remove and biodegrade organic matters and pollutants related to other water treatment processes such as pre-ozonation will be reviewed. In this paper, conversion of GAC into BAC, removal mechanism of pollutants, characteristics and affecting factors of BAC biofilm, and modeling of BAC are described in detail. In addition, strategies to control the growth of the BAC biofilm, such as varying the nutrient loading rate, altering the frequency of BAC filter backwashing and applying oxidative disinfection, will be dwelled on related to their respective process control challenges.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.1237-1242
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• 2012

The use of biological-activated carbon (BAC) processes in water treatment involves biofiltration, which maximizes the bacteria's capabilities to remove organic matter. In this study, the distribution of the bacterial community was assessed in response to different types of BAC processes applied downstream in the Nakdong River. The bacterial biomass and activity were $1.20{\sim}34.0{\times}10^7$ CFU/g and 0.61~1.10 mg-C/$m^3{\cdot}hr$ in coal-based BAC, respectively. The attachment of the bacterial biomass and the removal efficiency of the organic carbon were greatest with the coal-based activated carbon. The bacteria attached to each activated carbon material were detected in the order of Pseudomonas genus, Chryseomonas genus, Flavobacterium genus, Alcaligenes genus, Acinetobacter genus, and Spingomona genus. Pseudomonas cepacia was the dominant species in the coal-based materials, and Chryseomonas luteola was the dominant species in the wood-based material.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.83-90
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• 2006

Performance and operation of BAC in ozone-BAC advanced water treatment process were investigated using the pilot scale test plant built in D water purification plant. The performance was evaluated by the removal efficiencies of DOC, BDOC, ammonia nitrogen and THMs. The effect of EBCT on DOC removal was experimented for an effective operating condition, and the amount of attached biofilm was analyzed in various water temperatures and position of BAC. Two removal mechanisms, adsorption and biological decomposition by attached biofilm, were predominant to decrease the concentration of various contaminants. DOC was removed 40%, and the removal rate was decreased in winter time due to the lowered activity of attached biofilm. BDOC was effectively removed. THMs and ammonia nitrogen were mainly removed not in ozonation process but in BAC. Water temperature deeply influenced in removal efficiency of ammonia nitrogen. The amount of attached biofilm depended on water temperature and height of packed activated carbon column. Considering DOC removal efficiency and design EBCT of commercial BAC plant, the proper EBCT was 12.5 minutes.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.53-68
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• 1992

In order to research the adsorption removal characteristics of trace organic by-products in disinfection of drinking water by biological activated carbon(BAC), water samples disinfect- ted with $Cl_2$, $O_3$ and $ClO_2$ after treatment by fluidized-bed system with water added with humic acid(10mg/L) were investigated the formation and the removal of trihalomethanes (THMs), and the trace organic by-products by gas chromatography(GC) II gas chromatography/mass selective detector(GC/MSD). Control was used by activated carbon(AC) and water added with humic acid(HA). The results were summarized as follow : The THMs removal effect of BAC by chlorination was in lower 90 % than that of control(HA), the sorts of oxidants formed by $Cl_2$ , $O_3$ and $ClO_2$ were that $O_3$ was very fewer than $Cl_2$ or $ClO_2$, and that $ClO_2$ was fewer than $Cl_2$. The trace organic by-products were esters and phthalates etc. Based on results above, it is concluded that BAC was appeared the more desirable adsorbtion-degradation removal characteristics than that of AC.