• 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 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 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 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 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.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.309-316
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• 2014

The water quality improvement of golf course ponds, as representative stagnant stream channels, was evaluated by applying a biological activated carbon (BAC) process composed of four consecutive activated carbon reactors. The study was performed from autumn to winter in order to evaluate the feasibility of the BAC process under low temperature conditions. In the study, water quality of pond A (target pond) and pond B (reference pond) were monitored. Pond water was pumped into the BAC process, and was then returned to the pond after treatment. The optimal conditions were determined to be 2 hr of empty bed contact time (EBCT) at a temperature above $4^{\circ}C$, in which improvements of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) of pond A compared to pond B were 3.62%, 3.48% and 1.81%, respectively. On the other hand, as the temperature was below $4^{\circ}C$, some degree of water quality improvement was achieved even when EBCT were 1 or 0.5 hr, suggesting that the BAC process can be successfully applied for the improvement of pond water quality in winter months. The values of biomass concentration and microorganism activity in each condition were highest where 2 hr of EBCT was applied at a temperature above $4^{\circ}C$, but values were similar throughout all treatment conditions, and thus, adsorption is considered to be the dominant factor affecting process efficiency. From the denaturing gel gradient electrophoresis (DGGE) results, no significant differences were observed among the activated carbon reactors, suggesting that the number of reactors in the system could be decreased for a more compact application of the system.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.47-55
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• 2015

Recently, the production of taste and odor (T&O) compounds is a common problem in water industry. Geosmin is one of the T&O components in drinking water. However, geosmin is hardly eliminated through the conventional water treatment systems. Among various advanced processes capable of removing geosmin, adsorption process using granular activated carbon (GAC) is the most commonly used process. As time passes, however GAC process changes into biological activated carbon (BAC) process. There is little information on the BAC process in the literature. In this study, we isolated and identified microorganisms existing within various BAC processes. The microbial concentrations of BAC processes examined were $3.5{\times}10^5$ colony forming units (CFU/g), $2.2{\times}10^6CFU/g$ and $7.0{\times}10^5CFU/g$ in the Seongnam plant, Goyang plant and Goryeong pilot plant, respectively. The dominant bacterial species were found to be Bradyrhizobium japonicum, Novosphingobium rosa and Afipia broomeae in each plants. Removal efficiencies of $3{\mu}g/L$ geosmin by the dominant species were 36.1%, 36.5% and 34.3% in mineral salts medium(MSM) where geosmin was a sole carbon source.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.155-162
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• 2015

This study was conducted to assess the removal characteristics of taste and odor causing compounds(2-MIB and geosmin) and micro organic matters. GAC and BAC process consisting of Ozone/AOP and activated carbon was applied. As a result, the influent concentration of 2-MIB 159 ng/L and geosmin 371 ng/L were removed 42% and 86% by ozone 1.0 mg/L, and 58%, 90% by AOP(ozone 1.0 mg/L + $H_2O_2$ 0.5 mg/L). Also it showed less than 2 ng/L effluent in GAC process and 99.8% removal efficiency in BAC process. Therefore, BAC process combining ozone/AOP and GAC is effective for persistent removal of micro organic matters, taste and odor. It is needed for optimization of Ozone/AOP process according to influent concentrations.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.32 no.1 s.88
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• pp.71-76
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• 2006

Treatment performance and microbial community structure were investigated in water-soluble cutting oil treatment process using biological activated carbon. DOC removal in BACI column at $15^{\circ}C$ was higher than at $25^{\circ}C$, but those of BAC3 column after 60days was high at$25^{\circ}C$. Also, quinone content of first-step reactors at $25^{\circ}C$ and $15^{\circ}C$ was much the same, but those of the third-step reactor at $25^{\circ}C$ was higher than at $15^{\circ}C$. The dominant type of two apparatus was ubquinone (UQ)-l 0 followed by UQ-8. Menaquinones were detected from $25^{\circ}C$ apparatus and effluent. This suggested that DOC removal at $25^{\circ}C$ was advanced degradation by attached microorganisms on the activated carbon surface. The DOC removal in long-term activated carbon apparatus increased with going in BAC3 column. This indicated the influent of POC was a result of DOC removal efficiency decrease. Integrated DOC removal from start point in experiment to break point and quinone content were showed a tendency of increasing with going last-step activated carbon apparatus. Therefore, the biological activated carbon apparatus used by this study was effective treatment process in contaminated groundwater by water-soluble cutting oil.