• Land and Housing Review
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.167-177
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• 2024

This study aimed to assess the efficacy of an adsorption process in removing organic matter and micropollutant residuals. After a full-scale water circulation system, the adsorption process was considered a post-treatment step. The system, treating anthropogenically impacted surface waters, comprises a hydro-cyclone, coagulation, flocculation, and dissolved air flotation unit. While the system generally maintained stable and satisfactory effluent quality standards over months, it did not meet the highest standard for organic matter (as determined by chemical oxygen demands). Adsorption experiments utilized two granular activated carbon types, GAC 830 and GCN 830, derived from coal and coconut-shell feedstocks, respectively. The assessment encompassed organic materials along with two notable micropollutants: acetaminophen (APAP) and acid orange 7 (AO7). Adsorption kinetics and isotherm experiments were conducted to determine adsorption rates and maximum adsorption amounts. The quantitative findings derived from pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm models suggest the effectiveness of the adsorption process. The findings of this study propose the potential of employing the adsorption process as a post-treatment to enhance the treatment of contaminants that are not satisfactorily treated by conventional water circulation systems. This enhancement is crucial for ensuring the sustainability of urban water cycles.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.67-76
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• 2021

Biogasification is a technology that produces environmentally friendly fuel using methane gas generated in the process of stably decomposing and processing organic waste. Biogasification is the most used method for energy conversion of organic waste with high moisture content, and is a useful method for organic waste treatment following the prohibition of direct landfill (2005) and marine dumping (2013). Due to African Swine Fever (ASF), which recently occurred in Korea, recycling of wet feed is prohibited, and consumers such as dry feed and compost are negatively recognized, making it difficult to treat food waste. Accordingly, biogasification is attracting more attention for the treatment and recycling of food waste. Korea's energy consumption amounted to 268.41 106toe, ranking 9th in the world. However, it is an energy-poor country that depends on foreign imports for about 95.8% of its energy supply. Therefore, in Korea, the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (RPS) is being introduced. The domestic RPS system sets the weight of the new and renewable energy certificate (REC, Renewable energy certificate) of waste energy lower than that of other renewable energy. Therefore, an additional incentive system is required for the activation of waste-to-energy. In this study, the operation of an anaerobic digester that treats food waste, food waste Leachate and various organic wastes was confirmed. It was intended to be used as basic data for preparing the waste-to-energy incentive system through precise monitoring for a certain period of time. Four sites that produce biogas from organic waste and use them for power generation and heavy gas were selected as target facilities, and field surveys and sampling were conducted. Basic properties analysis was performed on the influent sample of organic waste and the effluent sample according to the treatment process. As a result of the analysis of the properties, the total solids of the digester influent was an average of 12.11%, and the volatile solids of the total solids were confirmed to be 85.86%. BOD and CODcr removal rates were 60.8% and 64.8%. The volatile fatty acids in the influent averaged 55,716 mg/L. It can be confirmed that most of the volatile fatty acids were decomposed and removed with an average reduction rate of 92.3% after anaerobic digestion.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.50-63
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• 1985

A derivation of new release limit, named Derived Release Limit(DRL), into the atomsphere from a reference nuclear power plant has been performed on the basis of the new system of dose limitation recommended by the ICRP, instead of the (MPC)a limit which has been currently used until now as a general standard for radioactive effluents in Korea. In DRL Calculation, a Concentration Factor Method was applied, in which the concentrations of long-term routinely released radionuclides were in equilibrium with dose in environment under the steady state condition. The analytical model used in the exposure pathway analysis was the one which has been suggested by the USNRC and the exposure limits applied in this analysis were those recommended by the USEPA lately. In the exposure pathway analysis, all of the pathways are not considered and some may be excluded either because they are not applicable or their contribution to the exposure is insignificant compared with other pathways. In case, the environmental model developed in this study was applied to the Kori nuclear power plant as the reference power plant, the highest DRL value was calculated to be as $9.10{\times}10^6Ci/yr$ for Kr-85 in external whole body exposure from the semi-infinite radioactive cloud, while the lowest DRL value was observed 3.64Ci/yr for Co-60 in external whole body exposure from the contaminated ground, by the radioactive particulates. The most critical exposure pathway to an individual in the unrestricted area of interest (Kilchun-Ri, 1.3 km to the north of the release point) seems to be the exposure pathway from the contaminated ground and the most critical radionuclide in all pathways appears to be Co-60 in the same pathway. When comparing the actual release rate from KNU-l in 1982 with the DRL's obtained here the release of radionuclides from KNU-1 were much lower than the DRL's and it could be conclued that the exposure to an individual had been kept below the exposure limits recommended by the USEPA.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.38-45
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• 2014

This paper describes the results of assessment of radiological dose resulting from operation of the Daedeok nuclear facilities including the HANARO research reactor, which has been performed to assure whether or not to comply with the regulation standards of the radioactive effluents releases. Based on the meteorological data and the radiation source term, the maximum individual doses were evaluated from 2010 to 2012. The atmospheric dispersion and the deposition factors of gaseous effluents were calculated using the XOQDOQ computer code. ENDOS-G and ENDOS-L code systems were also used for maximum individual dose calculation from gaseous and liquid effluents, respectively. The results were compared with the regulation standards for the radioactive effluents presented by the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC). The effective doses and the thyroid doses of the maximum individual were calculated at the maximum exposed point in the Daedeok site, and contributions of exposure pathways to the radiological doses resulting from gaseous and liquid radioactive effluents were evaluated at each facility of the Daedeok site. As a result, the maximum exposed age was analysed to be the child group, and the operation of HANARO research reactor had a major effect more than 90% on the individual doses. The main exposure pathways for gaseous radioactive effluent were from ingestion and inhalation. The effective doses and the thyroid doses were considerably influenced by tritium and iodine, respectively. The gaseous radioactive effluents contributed more than 90% on the total doses, whereas the contributions of the liquid radioactive effluents were relatively low. Consequently, the maximum individual dose due to radioactive effluents from the nuclear facilities within the Daedeok site were less than 3% of the regulation standard over 3 years; therefore, it can be concluded that radioactive effluents from the nuclear facilities were well managed, with the radiation-induced health detriment for residents around the site being negligible.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.14-20
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• 2006

In this study, the feasibility of simultaneous removal of organic materials and nitrogen in the waste-water from fisheries processing plant was evaluated using entrapped mixed microbial cell technique(EMMC) process. The experiment was performed using activated sludge from municipal sewage treatment plant which was immobilized with gel matrix by cellulose triacetate. It was found that the stable operation at the treatment system which is composed of anoxic and oxic tank, was possible when the organic and nitrogen loading rates were increased stepwise. The organic and nitrogen loading rates were applied from 0.65 to $1.72kgCOD/m^3/d$ and from 0.119 to $0.317kgT-N/m^3$ with four steps, respectively. The maximum nitrogen loading rate which could satisfy the regulated effluent standard of nitrogen concentration, was $0.3kgT-N/m^3/d$. The removal efficiency of total nitrogen was decreased apparently as increasing nitrogen loading rates, whereas the removal efficiency of ammonium nitrogen was effective at the all tested nitrogen loading rates. Therefore, it was concluded that nitrification was efficient at the system. Nitrate removal efficiency ranged from 98.62% to 99.51%, whereas the nitrification efficiency at the oxic tank ranged 94.0% to 96.9% at the tested loading rates. The removal efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand(COD) and those of total nitrogen at the entire system ranged from 94.2% to 96.6% and 73.4% to 83.4%, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 2008

To effectively treat the domestic sewage that was produced on a small-scale in farming and fishing village in order to encourage an ecologically friendly environment, a small-scale sewage treatment apparatus using natural purification methods that consisted of an aerobic and an anaerobic plots were constructed. The efficiency of sewage treatment according to the sewage loading was investigated to obtain the optimum sewage loading in small-scale sewage treatment apparatus. Removal rate of pollutants according to the sewage loading were in the order of $150\;Lm^{-2}day^{-1}{\fallingdotseq}300\;Lm^{-2}day^{-1}>600\;Lm^{-2}day^{-1}$. Therefore, the optimum sewage loading was 300 L m-2 day-1. Under the optimum sewage loading, removal rate of BOD, $COD_{Mn}$, turbidity, T-N and T-P were 99, 94, 99, 49 and 89%, respectively. However, to satisfy the water quality standard in effluent in small-sclae sewage treatment apparatus for domestic sewage treatment, the low removal efficiency of T-N and T-P must be improved. So to improve the removal rate of T-N and T-P, the efficiency of sewage treatment according to the improved sewage treatment process such as, re-treatment at aerobic plot, anaerobic condition of aerobic plot, changing the filter media sizes and the depths in anaerobic plot, and also addition of oyster shells to filter media at anaerobic plot were investigated. In case of 150 cm depth in anaerobic plot with filter medium A (effectivity particle size 1.50 mm) and addition of oyster shells to filter media at anaerobic plot, removal rate of T-N and T-P in both plots were increased by 10 and 3%, and 14 and 7% in comparison with 100 cm depth in anaerobic plot with filter medium B(effectivity particle size 0.95 mm), respectively. The optimum improved sewage treatment process in small-scale sewage treatment apparatus were 150 cm depth in anaerobic plot with filter medium A and addition of oyster shells to filter media at anaerobic plot.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.18-24
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• 2007

Paddy fields are apparently nonpoint source pollution and influence water environment. In order to improve water quality in rivers or lakes, to low nutrient load from paddy fields are required. To establish comprehensive plan to control agricultural non-point source pollution, it is imperative to get a quantitative evaluation on pollutants and pollution load from paddy fields. A field monitoring study was carried out to investigate the water balance and losses of nutrients from fields in Sumjin river basin. The size of paddy fields was 115 ha and the fields were irrigated from a pumping station. The observed total nitrogen loads from paddy fields were larger than those of the unit loads determined by Ministry of Environment data (MOE). It is because the nitrogen fertilization level at the studied field was higher than the recommended rate and the high irrigation and subsequent drainage amount. On the contrary, total phosphorus loads were less than those addressed by MOE since phosphorus fertilization level was lower than that of standard level. Therefore, it was found that fertilization, irrigation, and drainage management are key factors to determine nutrient losses from paddy fields. When the runoff losses of nutrients were compared to applied chemical fertilizer, it was found that 42 to 60% of nitrogen lost via runoff while runoff losses of phosphorus account for 1.3 to 7.6% of the total applied amount during the entire year.