• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.24 no.9
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• pp.1123-1129
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• 2015

This research was performed by means of several different virgin granular activated carbons (GAC) made of each coal, coconut and wood, and the GACs were investigated for an adsorption performance of iodine-131 in a continuous adsorption column. Breakthrough behavior was investigated that the breakthrough points of the virgin two coals-, coconut- and wood-based GACs were observed as bed volume (BV) 7080, BV 5640, BV 5064 and BV 3192, respectively. The experimental results of adsorption capacity (X/M) for iodine-127 showed that two coal- based GACs were highest (208.6 and $139.1{\mu}g/g$), the coconut-based GAC was intermediate ($86.5{\mu}g/g$) and the wood-based GAC was lowest ($54.5{\mu}g/g$). The X/M of the coal-based GACs was 2~4 times higher than the X/M of the coconut-based and wood-based GACs.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.35-51
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• 2017

The use of Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) and naturally occurring silica (Sand) as filtration media in water and waste water treatment systems is very common. While GAC offers the additional functionality of being an "adsorptive" filter for dissolved organics it is also more expensive. In this paper we present an experimental evaluation of the performance of a bed of GAC for colloid removal and compare the same with that from an equivalent bed of Sand. The experiments are performed in an "intermittent" manner over extended time, to "simulate" performance over the life of the filter bed. The experiments were continued till a significant drop in water flow rate through the bed was observed. A novel "deposition" and "detachment" rate based transient mathematical model is developed. It is observed that the data from the experiments can be explained by the above model, for different aqueous phase electrolyte concentrations. The model "parameters", namely the "deposition" and "detachment" rates are evaluated for the 2 filter media studied. The model suggests that the significantly better performance of GAC in colloid filtration is probably due to significantly lower detachment of colloids from the same. While the "deposition" rates are higher for GAC, the "detachment" rates are significantly lower, which makes GAC more effective than sand for colloid removal by over an order of magnitude.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.119-124
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• 2009

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of ionic strength and iron impregnation on the attachment of Enterococcus faecalis to granular activated carbon (GAC). Column experiments were performed to examine bacterial adhesion to coconutbased GAC (c-GAC), iron-impregnated c-GAC (fc-GAC), acid-washed c-GAC (a-GAC) and iron-impregnated a-GAC (fa-GAC) under two different solution (NaCl 1, 10 mM) conditions. Results showed that bacterial mass recovery in c-GAC decreased from 77.3 to 61.6% while in a-GAC it decreased from 71.6 to 32.3% with increasing ionic strength from 1 to 10 mM. This indicates that bacterial attachment to GAC can be enhanced with increasing ionic strength. Results also showed that the mass recoveries in fc-GAC were 62.6% (1 mM) and 53.3% (10 mM) while they were 50.8% (1 mM) and 16.9%(10 mM) in fa-GAC, which were lower than those in c-GAC and a-GAC. This demonstrates that bacterial adhesion to GAC can be enhanced through iron impregnation. This study provides information regarding the effects of ionic strength and iron impregnation on bacterial attachment to GAC. Furthermore, this study will advance our knowledge of bacterial removal in surface-modified granular media.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.237-247
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• 2012

This study assessed the removal characteristics of taste and odor causing compounds (2-methylisoborneol and geosmin) and organic matters, using a pilot-scale ozone/granular activated carbon ($O_{3}$/GAC) process treating surface water of Pal-dang reservoir in the Han river over a 3-month period. Experiments were conducted to verify the removal efficiency of $O_{3}$/GAC process which has two different empty bed contact time (EBCT) ($O_{3}$/GAC column 1 : 10 min and 2 : 15.1 min) with 10.86 min contact time of ozonation at 1.0 mg/L $O_{3}$. Spiking test using geosmin and 2-MIB was also conducted systematically to mimic the conditions when the algae appears, specifically at the levels similar to the concentrations experienced (geosmin: 250 ng/L) in the winter of 2011. In single ozonation process, organic materials, disinfection by-products (DBPs) and their precursors were disassembled but not removed completely. Meanwhile, it was verified that organic matters, taste and odor causing compounds, and DBPs were well removed when sequentially passing through the GAC process. The pilot results also showed that GAC column with larger EBCT achieved higher removal efficiency. Specifically, in spiking tests, single $O_{3}$ process showed approximately 89% removal efficiency of geosmin and 2-MIB. $O_{3}$/GAC combined process demonstrated excellent removal of geosmin and 2-MIB, which are higher than 95%.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.409-414
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• 2000

In order to examine the availability and effectiveness of crab shell for the removal of heavy metals in aqueous solution the crab shell was compared with cation exchange resin(CER), zeolite granular activated carbon (GAC) and powdered activated carbon(PAC) on aspects of heavy metal removal capacity rate and efficiency. In the removal of Pb, Cd and Cr, the heavy metal removal capacity of crab shell was higher than those of any other sorbents (CER, zeolite, GAC, PAC) and the order of heavy metal removal capacity was crab shell>CER>zeolite>PAC GAC. However in the removal of Cu, the result of crab shell was slightly lower than that of CER. The initial heavy metal removal rate was affected by the sorts of sorbents and metals. In all heavy metals the heavy metal removal rate of crab shell was higher than those of any other sorbents. Under the heavy metal concentration of 1.0 mmole/$\ell$ the heavy metal removal efficiency of crab shell was maintained as 93~100% which was much higher than those of any other sorbents.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.31-37
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• 2002

This paper was investigated to clarify the possibility of a biodegradation of materials adsorbed on different porous granular-activated carbons (GACs) such as coal-& coconut-based GAC. Total organic carbon, humic substance and ammonia were used to compare their removal efficiencies. The objective of this study is to determine the adsorption capacity of bioregenerated GAC. When raw water reacted with chloride, the yield of THMs increased as a function of the input amount of chloride. The formation of trihalomethanes (THMs) was investigated in water treated with chlorine when humic acid was used as THM precursor. As the input amount of chloride in raw water increased by two or five-fold to remove the $NH_3$, the chloroform of the THMs significantly increased also five or ten-fold. It was found that the chloroform was significantly removed by the treatment of biological activated carbon (BAG) in comparison with the ozone treatment, and the removal efficiency of THMs in coal-typed GAC was $10-30\%$ better than coconut-typed GAC due to the biological degradation on the surface of the activated carbons.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.68-76
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• 2017

Flat membrane with $0.4{\mu}m$ pore size was prepared with PVdF (polyvinylidene fluoride) nanofiber, which has the advantages such as excellent strength, chemical resistance, non-toxicity, and incombustibility. The spiral wound module was manufactured with the flat membrane and a woven paper. Hybrid water treatment process was composed of the PVdF nanofibers spiral wound microfiltration and granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption column. Effect of GAC packing mass was investigated by comparing the case of recycling or discharging the treated water using the synthetic solution of kaolin and humic acid. After each filtration experiment, water back-washing was performed, and recovery rate and filtration resistances were calculated. Also, effect of GAC adsorption was compared by measuring turbidity and $UV_{254}$ absorbance. As a result, there was no effect of GAC packing mass on turbidity treatment rate; however, the treatment rate of $UV_{254}$ absorbance was 0.7~3.6% for recycling the treated water, and increased to 3.2-5.7% for discharging the treated water. In the case of recycling the treated water, reversible filtration resistance ($R_r$) and irreversible filtration resistance ($R_{ir}$) trended to decrease as increasing GAC packing mass; however, total fitration resistance ($R_t$) was almost constant, and recovery rate of water back-washing trended to increase a little.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.601-608
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• 2008

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of ozonation as pretreatment on the removal of dissolved or biodegradable organic matter(DOM or BOM), the variance of DOM fractionation, and microbial regrowth by pilot-scale granular activated carbon processes in which adsorption and biodegradability was proceeding due to long time operation. Regardless of point of ozonation applied, GAC processes with ozonation(i.e., Ozonation combined with GAC Filter-adsorber; Pre O$_3$ + F/A, Ozonation combined with GAC adsorber; Post O$_3$ + GAC) compared with GAC processes without ozonation(i.e., GAC Filter-adsorber; F/A, GAC adsorber; GAC) removed approximately 10 to 20% more of DOC, hydrophilic DOM(HPI), BDOC and AOC after long period of operation that biological activity was assumed to happen. Ozonation was not found to have a significant effect on the removal of DOC, but caused the decrease of AOC by approximately 20%. It was found that the fixed bacterial biomass on GAC media did not show a significant difference between the GAC with ozonation and GAC without ozonation as pre-treatment, whereas the HPC of column effluent was more biostable at Post O$_3$ + GAC compared with F/A or GAC.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.473-479
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• 2005

Applying enhanced coagulation is not uncommon not only to improve water quality but also to obtain economical advantages in water treatment. In this study, the economical evaluation was investigated with considering dosage of coagulant, produced sludges and usage of activated carbon with two different water sources. To simulate the granular activated carbon(GAC) adsorber mini-column test was adapted. Even if there were some variation according to the source waters, the life time of GAC was extended 60 to 110days with adding 2.5 to 3 times of coagulant in enhanced coagulation. With assumption of changing GAC adsorber at 50% of breakthrough the total treatment cost can be reduced to range from 25% to 44% with adapting the enhanced coagulation. The obtained value can not be generalized because the value can be varied by water quality and cost of the GAC or coagulant. However, the evaluation can be basis starting point to find optimum operation methods for the drinking water treatment which has plan to adapt GAC adsorber.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.358-366
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• 2015

Flat membrane with $0.4{\mu}m$ pore size was prepared with PVdF (polyvinylidene fluoride) nanofiber, which has the advantages such as excellent strength, chemical resistance, nontoxic, non-combustibility. After that, spiral wound module was manufactured with it including a woven paper. Effect of pH was studied by comparing permeate fluxes and rejection rates of the spiral wound module using simulation solution including kaolin and humic acid. The recovery rate and filtration resistance were calculated after water back-washing at the end of filtration experiment. In addition, after the water filtrated by the spiral wound module was passed through a column filled with GAC (granular activated carbon), adsorption effect of GAC was investigated by measuring the turbidity and $UV_{254}$ absorbance.