• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.189-198
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• 2009

Tastes and odor in water caused by geosmin and 2-MIB are the major customer complaints for water utilities. Therefore, control of geosmin and 2-MIB is a worldwide concern. In this study, the effects of biofilter media type (three different activated carbons and anthracite), empty bed contact time (EBCT) and temperature on the removal of geosmin and 2-MIB in BAC filters were investigated. Experiments were conducted at three different water temperatures (5, 15 and $25^{\circ}C$) and four different EBCTs (5, 10, 15, and 20 min). The experimental results indicated that the coal based BAC retained more bacterial biomass on the surface of the activated carbon than the other BACs, and increasing EBCT or increasing water temperature also increased the geosmin and 2-MIB removal in BAC filters. To achieve above 50% of removal efficiency for geosmin and 2-MIB in a BAC filter, above 10 min EBCT at $5^{\circ}C$ and 5 min EBCT at above $15^{\circ}C$ were required. The kinetic analysis for the biodegradation of geosmin and 2-MIB indicated a first-order reaction rate at various water temperatures. Data obtained from the BAC filters at various temperatures were also used to evaluate pseudo first-order rate constants for geosmin and 2-MIB. The half-lives evaluated at 5, 15, and $25^{\circ}C$ for geosmin and 2-MIB ranged from 2.39 to 10.31 min and 3.35 to 13.97 min, respectively, which can be used to assist water utilities in designing and operating BAC system.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.39 no.10
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• pp.561-567
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• 2017

This study focused on estimating the low concentration of $NH_4{^+}-N$ removal by using simultaneous reaction of the adsorption and microbial nitrification with microbe-attached zeolite media. To evaluate the adsorption effect of the zeolite media, the expanded polypropylene (EPP) media which are not able to adsorb $NH_4{^+}-N$ were used as a control media in order to compare the adsorption ability. Each media was used to experiment after aerated 8 hr for attachment of the microbes. The batch experiment shows that nitrification occurred in zeolite media better than EPP media because nitrifiers could consume the relatively enough amount of $NH_4{^+}-N$ adsorbed onto the zeolite media. Compared to the reactor with EPP media, nitrification occurred only in the reactor with zeolite media under continuous operation at the empty bed contact time (EBCT) of 25 min and 3 mg/L of $NH_4{^+}-N$ concentration. As the EBCT of the reactor with zeolite media increased from 10 to 60 min, the nitrification efficiencies increased too. $NH_4{^+}-N$ removal efficiency showed up more than 90% at EBCT 60 min. And the difference in concentration of the total nitrogen between the influent and the effluent was 0.25 mg/L at EBCT 10 min, 0.78 mg/L at EBCT 25 min, 0.59 mg/L at EBCT 40 min and 0.37 mg/L at EBCT 60 min, respectively. This difference was due to between adsorption rate and nitrification rate of $NH_4{^+}-N$, and it was considered that $NH_4{^+}-N$ was adsorbed on the zeolite media by the gap of the concentration.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.96-101
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• 2009

In this study, the effects of three different biological activated carbon (BAC) materials (each coal, coconut and wood based activated carbons), empty bed contact time (EBCT) and water temperature on the removal of sulfonamide 5 species in BAC filters were investigated. Experiments were conducted at three water temperatures (5, 15 and $25^{\circ}C$) and four EBCTs (5, 10, 15 and 20 min). The results indicated that coal based BAC retained more attached bacterial biomass on the surface of the activated carbon than the other BACs, increasing EBCT or increasing water temperature increased the sulfonamide 5 species removal in BAC columns. In the coal-based BAC columns, sulfachloropyridazine (SCP), sulfamethazine (SMT) and sulfathiazole (STZ) removal efficiencies were 30~80% and sulfadimethoxine (SDM), sulfamethoxazole (SMX) removal efficiencies were 18~70% for 5~20 min EBCT at $25^{\circ}C$. The kinetic analysis suggested a first-order reaction model for sulfonamide 5 species removal at various water temperatures (5~$25^{\circ}C$). The pseudo-first-order reaction rate constants and half-lives were also calculated for sulfonamide 5 species removal at 5~$25^{\circ}C$. The reaction rate and half-lives of sulfonamide 5 species ranging from 0.0094~0.0718 $min^{-1}$ and 9.7 to 73.7 min various water temperaturs and EBCTs in this study could be used to assist water utilities in designing and operating BAC filters for sulfonamide antibiotic compounds removal.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.13-25
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• 2007

The water treatment plants in Seoul Metropolitan Area, which are under Korea Water Resources Corporation(KOWACO)'s management, take water from Paldang Reservoir in Han River System for drinking water supply. There are taste and odor (T&O) problems in the finished water because the conventional treatment processes do not effectively remove the T&O compounds. As part of countermeasures for taste and odor control, KOWACO is planning to introduce advanced water treatment process such as ozone and GAC in near future. This study evaluated the removal characteristics of T&O and dissolved organic matter (DOM) to find design and operation parameters of advanced water treatment processes in a pilot-scale treatment plant. The GAC adsorption capacity for DOC in the two GAC system (GAC and $O_3$-GAC) at an EBCT of 14min was mostly exhausted after 9months. The differency of the removal efficiency of DOC between $O_3$-GAC and GAC increased with increasing operation time because the bioactivity in $O_3$-GAC process was enhanced by post-ozone process. Removal by conventional treatment was unable to reach the target TON(threshold odor number) of 3 but GAC systems at an EBCT(empty bed contact time) of 14 min were able to archive the target with few exception. During the high T&O episodes, PAC as a pretreatment together with GAC could be useful option for T&O control. However, substantial TON removal continued for more than two year (> 90,000 bed volumes). At the spiking of less concentration 26 to 61 ng/L in the influent of GAC systems, GAC absorber and $O_3$-GAC processes could meet the treatment target. The better spike control after 12 and 19 months of operation compared to that after 7 months of operation is a strong indication of biological control. The results presented in this study had shown that $O_3$-GAC process was found to be more effective for T&O control than GAC process. And the main removal mechanism in GAC systems were adsorption capacity and biodegradation.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.776-780
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• 2007

A biofilm reactor packed with porous media was investigated for nitrogen removal of synthetic wastewater. The effect of different loading rates on the nitrification was sustained to be steady state with stable efficiency of 50~60% in the range of $0.0083{\sim}0.017gNH_4-N/gMLVSS{\cdot}day$ of F/MN ratio and $1{\sim}2kgNH_4-N/m^3{\cdot}day$ of media volumetric loading rate. However, nitrification efficiency was rapidly decreased to 25~30% as F/MN ratio and media volumetric loading rate were increased to the range of $0.025{\sim}0.034gNH_4-N/gMLVSS{\cdot}day$ and $3{\sim}4kgNH_4-N/m^3{\cdot}day$, respectively. Also the consumption rate of alkalinity was higher under 8 hours of HRT than unter 6 hours of HRT. Accordingly the influent loading rate variation by detention time with influent flow influenced more on the nitrification efficiency than the influent loading rate variation by the influent concentration did. The temperature effect on the nitrification showed 25% higher in summer than in winter as the results reported by other researchers who reported that the nitrification efficiency in biofilm showed 20% increase from 55% to 75% when the temperature was raised from $20^{\circ}C$ to $25^{\circ}C$. Denitrification with sulfur-media showed 90% removal efficiency under steady-state with no effect from the increase of influent concentration and empty bed contact time (EBCT) change such as EBCT was decreased from 8.4 hr to 4.3 hr and $NO_3-N$ loading rate was changed within the range of $0.1{\sim}0.4kgNO^3-N/m^3{\cdot}day$. Accordingly Denitrification with sulfur-media is feasible for post denitrification at the concentration less than $80mgNO^3-N/L$.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.677-686
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• 2006

This study was the effectiveness of two downflow BAF(Biological Aerated Filter) systems at conventional water treatment system. A BAF reactor placed in front of coagulation and sedimentation tanks(Mode A) and after coagulation and sedimentation tanks(Mode B) that were compared in terms of removal of suspended particles, organic matters, and ammonia nitrogen. The suspended particles removal efficiency was over 80% for both Mode A and B, although Mode A gave slightly better results. $BOD_5$ removal and nitrification efficiencies were more than 90% for both reactor. The organic matter and ammonia removals were also superior in the Mode A. The biofilm thickness and biomass increased as increment of EBCT and the upper part of reactor more about 30% than lower part. The specific oxygen uptake rate(SOUR) was higher the upper part of reactor and Mode A than the lower part of reactor and Mode B. A cost analysis showed that the Mode A system was more cost effectiveness. It could save the coagulant dose by about 67% and the chlorine demand by about 95%. The ideal place to put the BAF reactor was in front of the coagulation/sedimentation process.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.989-996
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• 2009

In this study, the effects of biofilter media type (three different activated carbons and anthracite), empty bed contact time (EBCT) and temperature on the removal of four aldehyde species (formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, glyoxal and methylglyoxal) in BAC filters were investigated. Experiments were conducted at three water temperature (5, 15 and $25^{\circ}C$) and four EBCTs (5, 10, 15, and 20 min). The experimental results indicated that the coal based BAC retained more bacterial biomass on the surface of the activated carbon than the other BACs, and increasing EBCT or increasing water temperature also increased the four aldehyde species removal in BAC filters. To achieve above 80% of removal efficiency for four aldehyde species in a BAC filter, above 15 min EBCT at $5^{\circ}C$ and 10 min EBCT at above $15^{\circ}C$ were required. The kinetic analysis indicated a first-order reaction rate for the biodegradation of four aldehyde species at various water temperatures. Data obtained from the BAC filters at various temperatures were also used to evaluate pseudo first-order rate constants for four aldehyde species. The half-lives evaluated for formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, glyoxal and methylglyoxal in the coal-based BAC ranging from 0.89 to 3.19 min, from 0.75 to 3.35 min, from 2.16 to 4.72 min and from 1.49 to 3.86 min, respectively, could be used to assist water utilities in designing and operating BAC filters.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.262-269
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• 2016

This study examined the influent of a sulfur denitrification reactor using nitrified effluent from a batch type reactor. The denitrification efficiency was compared according to the injection type. The nitrogen removal effects were compared with the changes in the EBCT and nitrogen concentration of the influent to determine the optimal operation conditions with the selected injection type. A denitrification efficiency evaluation of a reactor according to the change in injection type and up-flow was performed using a lower organic concentration of the effluent than the down-flow because of the re-precipitation of desorbed microbes and spilled solids. In the up-flow type, organics were controlled by the low concentration than the down-flow type because of solid re-precipitation. The T-N removal efficiency of the up-flow type was 73.3~90.2%, which was more that 10% higher that down-flow type. This means that the up-flow type has a great advantage in removing T-N and organics. The T-N removal efficiency by EBCT at 1hr was 47.3%, and was 88.1% and 90.5% by EBCT 3hr and 5hr, respectively. Therefore, the optimal operation conditions to remove nitrogen was considered to be EBCT for 3hr. After careful consideration of rule of law and T-N removal effects, the T-N load factor in the reactor should remain below $0.443kgT-N/m^3{\cdot}day$ to maintain the legal total nitrogen concentration for discharge, which is 20mg/L.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.318-324
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• 2017

We evaluated geosmin and MIB biodegradation and adsorption mechanism of biological activated carbon (BAC) and anthracite biofilter. In steady state of BAC process, the geosmin and MIB were completely removed at the 30 min empty bed contact time (EBCT) even though low water temperature ($9^{\circ}C$) in which the activity of attached bacteria decreased. When the water temperature was $26^{\circ}C$, the microbial biomass and activity were higher at the upper layer of the biofilm than at $9^{\circ}C$, and the microbial biomass and activity decreased as the depth was deeper. This is because when the water temperature is high, the biodegradable organic matter (BOM) removal rate in the upper layer is high and the BOM amount that can't be supplied to the lower layer. The Removal rate of geosmin and MIB by BAC process did not show a significant difference compare to activity-inhibited BAC by treated with azide and the biofilter also removed the geosmin and MIB by biological action. It means geosmin and MIB could be removed by competitive relationship between adsorption and biodegradation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.276-285
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• 2006

When polluted stream water was treated with biological aerated filter(BAF) in pilot plant, all operation with 90, 60, 45 and 30 min of EBCT at fixed $0.1m^3air/m^2min$ of aeration showed 80% or higher treatment efficiency of particle materials(SS, turbidity and Chl.-a) and 85% or higher efficiency of ammonia nitrogen removal. It was thought that, in case of BOD, biological stability may sufficiently be assured with BAF because grade III or IV inflow water was changed to grade I for outflow water. In case of $COD_{Mn}$, about 60% of removal efficiency was found. When the mechanism of the result was investigated, about 30% of COD materials was produced by algae clogged in the reactor. There was almost no biological decomposition because specific substrate utilization rate of algogenic organic materials were $0.0245mg{\cdot}COD_{Mn}/mg{\cdot}VSS{\cdot}day$, thus partial backwashing(washing the media in 1 m upper of the reactor once a day) was required. It is thought that elevation of removal rate about 10% of $COD_{Mn}$ and 5.5% of $BOD_5$ could be obtained with partial backwashing resulting in assurance of biologically more stable raw water and that saving backwashing water may be significant.