• 한국지반환경공학회 논문집
• /
• 제10권7호
• /
• pp.125-133
• /
• 2009

하수를 정화하는 과정에서 발생하는 슬러지는 과거 주로 매립되어 왔으나, 2003년 유기성 슬러지의 매립금지라는 폐기물 관리법이 개정됨에 따라 최근에는 주로 해양투기 되어왔다. 그러나 '런던협약 96의정서'에 의해 2011년부터 해양투기도 금지될 예정이어서, 세계 각국은 슬러지의 다양한 처리방법에 대해 노력하고 있다. 우리나라도 예외 없이, 하수슬러지의 합리적인 처리방법을 찾기 위해 현재 많은 전문가들이 노력하고 있으며, 그중 하나가 재생 에너지화이다. 슬러지의 재생 에너지화의 성패는 친환경적이고 경제적인 건조방법에 달려 있다 해도 과언이 아니다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 영동군에서 발생하고 있는 하수슬러지를 재생에너지화하기 위해, 슬러지의 화학적 특성을 분석하여 에너지화 가능성을 검토하고, 마이크로파를 물과 슬러지에 각각 조사하여 슬러지의 건조 특성과 효율성 등을 분석하였다. 그 결과, 영동군하수 슬러지는 중금속 성분이 매우 적고 열량이 3,370kcal/kg 이상으로 재생에너지화하기에 적당함을 확인하였다. 또한, 마이크로파에 의한 슬러지 건조 특성을 분석한 결과, 슬러지 중량 대비 시간의 곡선은 투입 슬러지 량에 관계없이 늘어진 S자 형태의 거동특성을 보임은 물론 그 기울기가 일정함을 확인하였다. 또한, S 곡선을 변곡점 기준으로 세 영역으로 나눌 경우 두 번째 영역에서 건조가 가장 많이 일정하게 발생하며, 전체 건조량의 약 80% 이상임도 확인하였다. 본 결과는 향후 마이크로파를 이용한 full-scale 건조공정에서 투입 슬러지 대비 슬러지 건조량을 예측하는데 적용할 수 있다. 또한 본 실험 결과에 의하면, 마이크로파에 의한 건조능력이 약1.0kg/kW 이상을 보이고 있어 경제성도 갖고 있음을 확인하였다.

• Asian Spine Journal
• /
• 제12권6호
• /
• pp.1060-1068
• /
• 2018

Study Design: Retrospective study. Purpose: Lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration is an important cause of low back pain. Overview of Literature: Spinal fusion is often reported to have a good course for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). However, many studies have reported that adjacent segment degeneration is accelerated after lumbar spinal fusion. Radiography is a simple method used to evaluate the orientation of the vertebral column. magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the method most often used to specifically evaluate intervertebral disc degeneration. The Pfirrmann classification is a well-known method used to evaluate degenerative lumbar disease. After spinal fusion, an increase in stress, excess mobility, increased intra-disc pressure, and posterior displacement of the axis of motion have been observed in the adjacent segments. Methods: we retrospectively secured and analyzed the data of 15 patients (four boys and 11 girls) with AIS who underwent a spinal fusion surgery. We studied the full-length view of the spine (anterior-posterior and lateral) from the X-ray and MRI obtained from all patients before surgery. Postoperatively, another full-length spine X-ray and lumbosacral MRI were obtained from all participants. Then, pelvic tilt, sacral slope, curve correction, and fused and free segments before and after surgery were calculated based on X-ray studies. MRI images were used to estimate the degree to which intervertebral discs were degenerated using Pfirrmann grading system. Pfirrmann grade before and after surgery were compared with Wilcoxon signed rank test. While analyzing the contribution of potential risk factors for the post-spinal fusion Pfirrmann grade of disc degeneration, we used generalized linear models with robust standard error estimates to account for intraclass correlation that may have been present between discs of the same patient. Results: The mean age of the participant was 14 years, and the mean curvature before and after surgery were 67.8 and 23.8, respectively (p<0.05). During the median follow-up of 5 years, the mean degree of the disc degeneration significantly increased in all patients after surgery (p<0.05) with a Pfirrmann grade of 1 and 2.8 in the L2-L3 before and after surgery, respectively. The corresponding figures at L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-S1 levels were 1.28 and 2.43, 1.07 and 2.35, and 1 and 2.33, respectively. The lower was the number of free discs below the fusion level, the higher was the Pfirrmann grade of degeneration (p<0.001). Conversely, the higher was the number of the discs fused together, the higher was the Pfirrmann grade. Conclusions: we observed that the disc degeneration aggravated after spinal fusion for scoliosis. While the degree of degeneration as measured by Pfirrmann grade was directly correlated by the number of fused segments, it was negatively correlated with the number of discs that remained free below the lowermost level of the fusion.