• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.139-144
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• 2012

In this study, the effects of starvation on floc characteristics when treating saline wastewater using a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) were investigated. The effectiveness over 5 days of starvation for aerobic and non-aerobic strategies for maintaining the physical characteristics of floc-forming sludge and the recovery period needed to regain the initial pollutant removal efficiency were investigated. Experiment results revealed that the sludge volume index (SVI) increased and the floc size and fractal dimension decreased after starvation under both aerobic and non-aerobic conditions. Sludge settleability deteriorated faster under aerobic conditions compared to non-aerobic conditions. Under non-aerobic conditions, the SBR required less time to return to its initial pollutant removal efficiency and settleability. Floc size, fractal dimension, and SVI were observed to be fairly correlated with each other. The results demonstrated that it was better to maintain the sludge under non-aerobic rather than aerobic starvation, because it adapted to, resisted starvation and had a quicker re-start afterward.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.234-240
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• 2010

The effectiveness of adding powdered zeolite and granular activated carbon (GAC) before starvation into biological reactor for recovering its performances was investigated. Two types of carrier addition in Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) system for non-saline and saline wastewater were evaluated after starvation periods. During the experiment, settleablity (SVI), floc size, fractal dimension, $COD_{Mn}$, T-N, T-P removal efficiencies and recovery time were monitored. When the wastewater feeding was resumed after starvation period for 5days, the SVI increased at the beginning of resumption and then decreased with time in both types. And the larger the floc size and fractal dimension of floc, the more increased removal efficiency for $COD_{Mn}$, T-N and T-P was also. Its performance recovery was strongly correlated with floc size and fractal dimension of activated sludge. After resuming the wastewater feeding, the SVI, floc size, fractal dimension, $COD_{Mn}$, T-N, T-P removal efficiency of SBR with carrier improved and reached its initial value faster compared to those of SBR without carrier.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.275-285
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• 2008

The floc formation, breakage and reformation of humic acid by inorganic (alum and PAC) and organic coagulants (cationic polyelectrolytes) at several conditions (pH, ionic strength and floc breakage time) were examined and compared among the coagulants at different conditions using a continuous optical monitoring method, with controlled mixing and stirring conditions. For alum, the shapes of formation, breakage and reformation curves at different pH (5 and 7) were different, but the shapes and the sizes of initial floc and reformed floc were nearly the same in the absence and presence of electrolytes at pH 7. For PAC, similar shapes of the curves were obtained at different pH and ionic strength, but the sizes were different, except for those of reformed flocs at different pH. However, for these coagulants, reformed flocs after floc breakage, occurred irreversibly for all the conditions used in this study. For organic coagulants, the time to attain the initial plateau floc size, the extent of floc strength at high shear rate and reversibility of reformed floes were different, depending floc formation mechanism. Especially, for the cationic polyelectrolyte forming humic flocs by charge neutralization or electrostatic patch effect mechanism, reformed flocs occurred reversibly, regardless of pH and floc breakage time, but occurred irreversibly in the presence of electrolytes.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water Science and Technology
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.61-72
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• 2018

In this study, applicability of the decentralized water supply system were investigated by the high flux evaluation using ceramic membrane with combined pretreatment process. A) filtration process increased the transmembrane pressure of 1.4 kPa and 89.5 kPa on 2 and $5m^3/m^2{\cdot}d$ of filtration flux, respectively, the physical backwashing recovery rate were less than 28.6%. The (B) Coag./Floc. - Sedi. combined process with 4 mg / L of A-PAC showed that the transmembrane pressure increased to within 6 kPa, the physical backwashing recovery rate was over 37.9 % higher than (A) Filtration process. (C) Coag./Floc. combined process showed an increase of transmembrane pressure compared with (B) Coag./Floc. - Sedi. combined process, physical backwashing recovery rate was over 84%. As a result of the membrane fouling analysis using the resistance in series model, the combined pretreatment process showed that the cake resistance (Rc) was more than 92% at membrane filtration flux of $2m^3/m^2{\cdot}d$. In the (C) Coag./Floc. combined process, cake resistance(Rc) was over 86% on high flux conditions. The coagulation floc contained in influent was removed by the membrane, and the cake layer formed with the removed floc was identified as reversible fouling resistance which could be recovered by physical backwashing. The decentralized water supply system, which has the limitation of site area and installation space, is considered to could be operation of high flux of ceramic membrane by applying (C) Coag./Floc. combined process without sedimentation process.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.185-199
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• 2017

Low-pressure membrane filtration is increasingly used for tertiary treatment of wastewater effluent organic matter (EfOM), mainly comprising organic base/neutral compounds. In-line coagulation with underdosing, charge neutralization, and sweep floc conditions prior to ultrafiltration (UF) was studied to determine removals of the EfOM components and consequent reduction of fouling using polyethersulfone membranes. Coagulation and UF substantially reduced fouling for all coagulation conditions while removing from 7 to 38% of EfOM organic acids. From 7 to 16% of EfOM organic base/neutrals were removed at neutral pH but there was no significant removal for slightly acid coagulation conditions even though fouling was substantially reduced. Sweep floc produced the lowest resistance to filtration but may be inappropriate for in-line use due to the large added volume of solids. Charge-neutralization resulted in poor recovery of the initial flux with hydraulic cleaning. Under-dosing paralleled sweep floc in reducing hydraulic resistance to filtration (for sub-critical flux) and the initial flux was also easily recovered with hydraulic cleaning. Hydrophobic and hydrophilic base/neutrals were identified on the fouled membranes but as previously reported the extent of fouling was not correlated with accumulation of organic base/neutrals.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.639-645
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• 2008

The objectives of this research are to (1) observe changes in particle size distribution due to formation of microflocs during coagulation process (2) identify the membrane fouling potential on cross flow system (3) investigate the mechanism of membrane fouling. The rate of flux decline for the hydrophobic membrane was significantly greater than for the hydrophilic membrane, regardless of pretreatment conditions. The pretreatment of the raw water significantly reduced the fouling of the UF membrane. Also, the rate of flux decline for the hydrophobic membrane was considerably greater than for the hydrophilic membrane. Applying coagulation process before membrane filtration showed not only reducing membrane fouling, but also improving the removal of dissolved organic materials that might otherwise not be removed by the membrane. That is, during the mixing period, substantial changes in particle size distribution occurred under rapid and slow mixing condition due to the simultaneous formation of microflocs and NOM precipitates. Therefore, combined pretreatment using coagulation not only improved dissolved organics removal efficiency but also flux recovery efficiency.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.32-37
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• 2002

The paper mill wastewater actually generating bulking was used to apply to the spot. Batch and continuous type pilots were used in this study. Optimal time after propagating generation of activated sludge in aeration basin by adding Hoc forming microorganism was 24 and 36hours while optimal time of activated sludge in original aeration basin was 60hours. Showing the difference of sedimentation velocity at 7th day after operating a pilot continuously, SV30 was decreased to 50% at 13th day. COD value in aeration basin with floe forming microorganism was 35mg/L while COD value in original aeration basin was 52mg/L. It was indicated that application of Hoc forming microorganism can control the bulking of paper mill wastewater by shortening of recovery time and improving of pollution removal efficiency.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.233-241
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• 2015

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane has high resistance to chlorine, which is a great advantages in chemical cleaning to recover water flux during membrane processes in drinking water systems. A humic kaolin water with approximately 4 mg/L of DOC and 10 NTU of turbidity was prepared as a feed water. Coagulation pretreatment with or without settling was applied. The coagulation with settling showed the greatest water production. The reduced flux was effectively recovered by NaOCl cleaning, i.e., 21% recovery by 50 mg/L of NaOCl cleaning and 49% recovery by 500 mg/L NaOCl cleaning. The images of SEM and AFM analyses were corresponded to the water flux variation. However, when the floc was accumulated on the membrane surfaces, the efficiency of NaOCl cleaning was substantially limited. In addition, dynamic contact angle became greater after cleaning, which indicates changes in characteristics of fouling layer such as surface hydrophobicity. Proper cleaning technologies during enhanced backwash using NaOCl would expand application of PTFE membranes in drinking water systems.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.257-263
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• 1998

Alcaligenes eutrophus was successfully recovered from high cell density broth by pre-treatment with Fe-based coagulants. An inorganic coagulant, Fe$_2$(SO$_4$)$_3$, and a polymerized coagulant, Ferix-3, were used. Good coagulation was observed in broad pH range of 3 to 13, the floe size was increased with increasing pH of culture broth. The optimum pH of fermentation broth for cell recovery was 10 to 13. The optimum coagulant dosages to recover cells with 95% cell recovery were increased with increasing cell concentration. Optimal coagulant dosage was lower when the polymerized coagulant was used rather than the inorganic coagulant. The coexistence of NH$_4$$\^$+/ was increased coagulant requirement, and the coagulant requirement was 0.066g Fe$_3$$\^$+//g NH$_4$$\^$+/.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.77-87
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• 2018

In this study, the effects of operating conditions on the formation of reversible and irreversible fouling were investigated in the filtration using ceramic membrane for water treatment process. The effect of coagulation pretreatment on fouling formation was also evaluated by comparing the performance of membrane filtration both with and without addition of coagulant. A resistance-in-series-model was applied for the analysis of membrane fouling. Total resistance (RT) and internal fouling resistance (Rf) increased in the membrane filtration process without coagulation as membrane flux and feed water concentrations increased. Internal fouling resistance, which was not recovered by physical cleaning, was more than 70% of the total resistance at the range of the membrane flux more than $5m^3/m^2{\cdot}day$. In the combined process with coagulation, the cake layer resistance (Rc) increased to about 30-80% of total resistance. As the cake layer formed by coagulation floc was easily removed by physical cleaning, the recovery rate by physical cleaning was 54~90%. It was confirmed from the results that the combined process was more efficient to recover the filtration performance by physical cleaning due to higher formation ratio of reversible fouling, resulted in the mitigation of the frequency of chemical cleaning.