• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.472-487
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• 2020

With the emergence of abnormal climate due to the rapid industrialization, the importance of water quality management and management costs are increasing every year. In Korea, for the management of total phosphorus and total nitrogen, the major materials causing the water quality pollution, coagulants are injected in sewage treatment plants to process organic compounds. However, if the coagulant is injected in an excessive amount to PAC (Poly Aluminium Chloride), a secondary pollution problem might occur. As such, a study on the applicability of natural material-based coagulant is being conducted in Korea. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the applicability of a mixed coagulant developed by analyzing water quality pollutants T-P, T-N as well as their turbidity, in order to derive the optimum mixing ratio between PAC and torrefied wood flour for the primary settling pond effluent. Under the condition where the content of PAC (10%) and torrefied wood flour is 1%, T-P showed the maximum removal efficiency of 92%, and T-N showed approximately 22%. This indicates that removal of T-N which includes numerous positively charged organic compounds that are equivalent to mixed coagulant is not well accomplished. Turbidity showed the removal efficiency of approximately 91%. As such, 1% of torrefied wood flour was determined to be the optimum addition. As a result of analyzing the removal efficiency for organic compounds by reducing PAC concentration to 7%, T-P showed a high maximum removal efficiency of 91%, T-N showed 32%, and turbidity showed the maximum of 90%. In addition, a coagulation process is performed by using the mixed coagulant based on 1% content of torrefied wood flour produced in this study by performing a coagulation performance comparative experiment with PAC (10%). As a result, PAC concentration was reduced to 30-50%, a similar performance with other coagulants in market was secured, PAC injection amount was reduced that an economic effect can be achieved, and it is considered to perform a stable water treatment that reduces the secondary pollution problem.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.325-337
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• 2002

We examined the contamination of stream water and stream sediments by heavy metal elements with respect to distance from the abandoned Backun Au-Ag-Cu mine. High contents of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, Mn, and Fe) and aluminum in the waters connected with mining and associated deposits (dumps, tailings) reduce water quality. In the mining area, Ca and SO$_4$ are predominant cation and anion. The mining water is Ca-SO$_4$ type and is enriched in heavy metals resulted from the weathering of sulfide minerals. This mine drainage water is weakly acid or neutral (pH; 6.5-7.1) because of neutralizing effect by other alkali and alkaline earth elements. The effluent from the mine adit is also weakly acid or neutral, and contains elevated concentrations of most elements due to reactions with ore and gangue minerals in the deposit. The concentration of ions in the Backun mining water is high in the mine adit drainage water and steeply decreased award to down stream. Buffering process can be reasonably considered as a partial natural control of pollution, since the ion concentration becomes lower and the pH value becomes neutralized. In order to evaluate mobility and bioavailability of metals, sequential extraction was used for stream sediments into five operationally defined groups: exchangeable, bound to carbonates, bound to FeMn oxide, bound to organic matter, and residual. The residual fraction was the most abundant pool for Cu(2l-92%), Zn(28-89%) and Pb(23-94%). Almost sediments are low concentrated with Cd(2.7-52.8 mg/kg) than any other elements. But Cd dominate with non stable fraction (68-97%). Upper stream sediments are contaminated with Pb, and down area sediments are enriched with Zn. It is indicate high mobility of Zn and Cd.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.200-206
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• 2006

In a biological aerated filter (BAF) packed with ceramic media (void fraction of BAF=0.32), nitrite accumulation was studied with the variation of hydraulic retention time (HRT) and superficial air velocity. Synthetic ammonium wastewater and petrochemical wastewater were fed at a constant load of $1.6kgNH_4^+-N/m^3{\cdot}d$. Ammonium removal rate was mainly affected by the superficial air velocity in BAF, but nitrite ratio($NO_2-N/NO_x-N$) in the effluent was dependent on both HRT and superficial air velocity. For a fixed HRT of 0.23 hr (corresponding to the empty bed contact time of 0.7 hr) ammonium removal rate was 73/90/92％ and nitrite ratio was 0.92/0.82/0.48 at the superficial air velocity of 0.23/0.45/0.56 cm/s, respectively. When HRT is increased to 0.9 hr with superficial air velocity ranging from 0.34 to 0.45 cm/s, the ammonium removal rate was 89％ on average. However nitrite ratio decreased significantly down to 0.13. When HRT was further increased to 1.4 hr, ammonium removal rate decreased, thereby resulting in the free ammonia ($NH_3-N$, FA) build-up and nitrite ratio gradually increased (>0.95). Although aeration rate and FA concentration at HRT of 0.23 hr were unfavorable for nitrite accumulation compared with those at HRT of 0.9 hr, nitrite ratio at HRT of 0.23 hr was higher. Taken together, HRT and nitrogen load were found to be critical, in addition to FA concentration and aeration condition, for nitrite accumulation in the BAF tested in the present study.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.345-353
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• 2022

A wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) is a major gateway for the engineered nano-particles (ENPs) entering the water bodies. However existing studies have reported that many WWTPs exceed the No Observed Effective Concentration (NOEC) for ENPs in the effluent and thus they need to be designed or operated to more effectively control ENPs. Understanding and predicting ENPs behaviors in the unit and \the whole process of a WWTP should be the key first step to develop strategies for controlling ENPs using a WWTP. This study aims to provide a modeling tool for predicting behaviors and removal efficiencies of ENPs in a WWTP associated with process characteristics and major operating conditions. In the developed model, four unit processes for water treatment (primary clarifier, bioreactor, secondary clarifier, and tertiary treatment unit) were considered. Additionally the model simulates the sludge treatment system as a single process that integrates multiple unit processes including thickeners, digesters, and dewatering units. The simulated ENP was nano-sized TiO₂, (nano-TiO₂) assuming that its behavior in a WWTP is dominated by the attachment with suspendid solids (SS), while dissolution and transformation are insignificant. The attachment mechanism of nano-TiO₂ to SS was incorporated into the model equations using the apparent solid-liquid partition coefficient (Kd) under the equilibrium assumption between solid and liquid phase, and a steady state condition of nano-TiO₂ was assumed. Furthermore, an MS Excel-based user interface was developed to provide user-friendly environment for the nano-TiO₂ removal efficiency calculations. Using the developed model, a preliminary simulation was conducted to examine how the solid retention time (SRT), a major operating variable affects the removal efficiency of nano-TiO₂ particles in a WWTP.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.393-400
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• 2008

1,4-Dioxane($C_4H_8O_2$), which is used as a solvent stabilizer, could make harmful effects on ecosystem because of its higher solubility, toxicity and carcinogenic by US EPA. From 2011, its discharge limit to waterbody will be regulated at 5 mg/L by Ministry of Environment Republic of Korea. It was thus to investigate that the currently operating activated sludge in polyester manufacturing processes in Gumi can properly treat it to meet with the regulation standard. For that purpose, the removal rate of 1,4-dioxane and its microbial properties were assessed for a few companies(i.e. K, H and T). Its removal efficiency was the most highly recorded in H as 98% and then 77% for K, which met with the regulation standard. However, concentration of 1,4-dioxane of T was 23 mg/L in the effluent, which is more than the regulation standard. Aside from, microbial degradation test was done for 100 ppm of 1,4-dioxane in BSM (Basal salt medium) inoculated with each of activated sludge. After 7 days, 1,4-dioxane was completely removed in the test bottle inoculated with H sludge, 67% in T and 52% in K, which could confirm that the given activated sludge might have different biodegradability against the amount of 1,4-dioxane. Therefore, microbial diversity in each company was investigated by 16s rDNA cloning methods where a species, e.g. Methylibium petroleiphilum PM1, was the greatest observed from H and in lesser from K, but it was not detected from T. Methylibium petroleiphilum PM1 is known to efficiently degrade ether like methyl tertiary-butyl ether(MTBE). It is concluded that the activated sludge in H can be most effectively adopted for a biodegradation of 1,4-dioxane in the concern of industrial sector.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.1277-1284
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• 2005

Alkylphenol Polyethoxylate(APEs) and their metabolites were determined in the aquatic environment in the central Nakdong river basin. The concentrations of APE's ranged between $0.62{\sim}11.70\;{\mu}g/L$ from the Nakdong and the Kumho rivers, and were $70.00{\sim}212.50\;{\mu}g/L$ in the samples from the 3rd industrial complex stream and the Dalseo stream, which are both heavily polluted by industrial wastewater and domestic wastewater. The APEs revealed a removal rate of more than 87% by biodegradation and adsorption etc. in the wastewater treatment plant. Nonylphenol polyethoxylates(NPnEO) and Nonylphenol carboxylic acid(NPnEC) consisted of APE metabolites shifted from NP($n=4{\sim}10$)EO and NP($n=4{\sim}10$)EC to NP($n=1{\sim}3$)EO and NP($n=1{\sim}3$)EC or removed by the adsorption of activated sludge during the biological wastewater treatment process. Upper streams have a higher distributed rate of NP($n=7{\sim}10$)EO than water downstream. Continuous monitoring is necessary for non-point sources as well as point sources, such as a wastewater treatment plant. Effluent concentrations of nonylphenol(NP) in industrial wastewater and domestic wastewater averaged about 4.33 and $1.70\;{\mu}g/L$, respectively. In addition, the removal rate average was 90% in the wastewater treatment plant. NP concentrations in the rivers did not exceed $1.0\;{\mu}g/L$, which are prescribed by environmental risk concentration in the USA and Europe. However, NP required continuous monitoring, which detected over $0.1\;{\mu}g/L$ in all river areas.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.32 no.12
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• pp.1087-1093
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• 2010

Autotrophic denitrification is known as an effective and economical alternative for heterotrophic denitrification using external carbon sources such as methanol. In this study, we evaluated design and operation parameters for a sulfur denitrification reactor (SDR) treating high strength nitrogen wastewater. The SDR was filled with spherical sulfur media in connected to a pilot-scale nutrient removal process (daily flow rate, $Q=18\;m^3/d$) using moving spongy media. Total nitrogen (TN) concentration of the final effluent was below the 7.0 mg TN/L because nitrate was additionally removed through autotrophic denitrificationin without adding alkalinity (initial alkalinity was $169.4{\pm}20.8\;mg$ $CaCO_3$/L). During the test period, 60~80% of nitrogen in the influent was removed even in low temperature (below $15^{\circ}C$). The alkalinity consumption for nitrate removal in SDR was $4.09{\pm}1.29$ g $CaCO_3/g$ ${NO_3}^-$-N, and the residual alkalinity of influent of SDR was higher than that of theoretical requirements for full conversion of nitrate. The consumption of sulfur was 943.8 g S/d and it was 2.4 times higher than theoretical value (400.1 g S/d) due to abrasion and loss of sulfur media in backwash, etc.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.90-95
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• 2008

In this study, a combined process of sequential anaerobic-aerobic digestion (SAAD), fluidized-bed bioreactor (FBBR), and ultrafiltration (UF) for the treatment of small scale food waste leachate was developed and evaluated. The SAAD process was tested for performance and stability by subjecting leachate from food waste to a two-phase anaerobic digestion. The main process used FBBR composed of aerators for oxygen supply and fluidization, three 5 ton reaction chambers containing an aerobic mesophilic microorganism immobilized in PE (polyethylene), and a sedimentation chamber. The HRTs (hydraulic retention time) of the combined SAAD-FBBR-UF process were 30, 7, and 1 day, and the operation temperature was set to the optimal one for microbial growth. The pilot process maintained its performance even when the CODcr of input leachate fluctuated largely. During the operation, average CODcr, TKN, TP, and salt of the effluent were 1,207mg/L, 100mg/L, 50 mg/L, and 0.01 %, which corresponded to the removal efficiencies of 99.4%, 98.6%, 89.6%, and 98.5%, respectively. These results show that the developed process is able to manage high concentration leachate from food waste and remove CODcr, TKN, TP, and salt effectively.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.213-220
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• 1994

Gastrodia (G) Rhizoma has been used clinically as an oriental herbal medicine with sedative, anticonvulsive, and depressor effects. The present study tested effects of G. Rhizoma extracts on the coronary circulation and myocardial oxygen consumption in perfused rat hearts. Sprague Dawley rats (SD) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were employed as experimental animals and nonworking Langendorff heart perfusion technique introduced for heart experiments. G. Rhizoma extracts were prepared from grinding G. Rhizoma into powder, extracting in water and 50% ethanol for 4 or 16 hr and diluting with Krebs-Henseleit bicarbonate perfusion buffer to be 70%. Hearts were perfused with bicarbonate buffer oxygenated with 95% $O_{2}:$ 5% $CO_{2}$ at constant coronary perfusion pressure of $90cmH_{2}O$. The diluted extracts were infused into coronary arteries in a concentration of $1{\sim}5\;{\mu}M$ for $7{\sim}8 min. While in SD water- or ethanol-extracts of G. Rhizoma extracted for 16 hr increased coronary perfusate flow (CPF) and decreased coronary vascular resistance (CVR), ethanol-extracts in SHR produced coronary vasoconstriction associated with enhanced CVR. G. Rhizoma extracts-induced increase in CPF reduced myocardial oxygen extraction, and thus myocardial oxygen consumption ($MVO_{2}$) remained at that observed prior to infusion of extracts. In SD and SHR 16 hr-water-extracts markedly altered coronary venous effluent pH and $Pco_{2}$ and evoked metabolic acidosis, which could be a coronary vasodilator mechanism decreasing CVR. In this study, the extracts decreasing CVR in SD and SHR did not augment the lactate production. Therefore, although the effects of the extracts on cardiac function and coronary circulation depended on solvents and duration for extraction, the 16hr-water-extracts, at least, exhibited coronary vasodilation in SD and SHR. Conversely, ethanol-extracts constricted coronary arteries in SHR. G. Rhizoma extracts-induced vasodilation might be due to the metabolic acidosis rather than due to the increased lactate production. The results indicate that G. Rhizoma extracts obtained from proper extracting procedures can be used as a safe and clinically applicable herbal medicine in the cardiovascular diseases such as coronary artery disease and hypertension for vasodilatory and antihypertensive actions.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.194-201
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• 2009

To evaluate the exposure of non-point source pesticide pollution in agricultural watershed and to investigate pesticide distribution and runoff from agricultural land, paddy field, upland and orchard, this experiment was carry out during crop growing seasons. The pesticide were detected twenty pesticides fungicide 4, insecticide 10, herbicide 6) in water of Neungchon agricultural watershed and detection concentrations were range 0.008${\sim}$7.59 ppb. Most of the detection pesticides were using pesticides to rice paddy fields to control fungi, insects, weeds. During the crop cultivation, the pesticide were detected total thirty pesticides by pepper field soil 6, orchard soil 4, sesame field soil 3 and rice paddy field soil 5, and pesticide concentrations were range 0.001${\sim}$0.109 ppm. Especially the herbicides were detected mainly in May and June in the stream water. The pesticide were detected thirty pesticides by fungicide 2, insecticide 6, herbicide 5 in water of Jungam Koseong agricultural watershed and detection concentrations were range 0.01${\sim}$7.21 ppb. In regard to the detected pesticides, the concentration of individual pesticides measured in surface water of the study areas never exceeded guidelines for agriculture chemicals concerning water quality-effluent from paddy fields in Japan (Katayama, 2003). Runoff rate of pesticides was range 0.07${\sim}$3.06 % from Kongju agricultural land to watershed after applied pesticides.