• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.661-674
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• 2010

Bacterial biomass and its activity were measured in two kinds of granular activated carbon (GAC), the experimental and existing biofiltration system in a drinking water plant. The bacterial biomass was around 210 to 250 nmol P/g WW with phospholipid concentration at acclimation of ozonation treatment. The phospholipid biomass shows more or less a declining gradient along filter depth and no clear seasonality in its values. On the other hand, the microbial activity of [$^3H$]-thymidine and [$^{14}C$]-acetate incorporation within cells increased significantly along the filter depth, showing the difference of three fold between the upper and bottom layer. These factors support the different microbial composition or metabolic activity along the depth of GAC column. Turnover rates, the rate of bacterial biomass and production of biofilm, ranged from 0.26 /hr to 0.37 /hr, indicating a highly rapid recovery itself at amature state. In the non-ozonation treatment, the bacterial biomass was lower than in the ozonation and biological activity also declined towards the filter depth. The biomass levels during cessation of ozonation in the existing GAC filters were 68% of the actively ozonated state.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.474-483
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• 2019

In this study, iron (Fe) impregnated granular activated carbon (Fe-GAC) has been synthesized and characterized for various properties. Comparative studies have been performed for use of Fe-GAC as an adsorbent as well as a catalyst during catalytic oxidation of hydroquinone (HQ). In the batch adsorption study, effect of process parameter like initial HQ concentration ($C_o=25-1,000mg/L$), pH (2-10), contact time (t: 0-24 h), temperature (T: $15-45^{\circ}C$) and adsorbent dose (w: 5-50 g/L) have been studied. Maximum HQ adsorption efficiency of 75% was obtained at optimum parametric condition of: pH = 4, w = 40 g/L and t = 14 h. Pseudo-second order model best-fitted the HQ adsorption kinetics whereas Langmuir model best-represented the isothermal equilibrium behavior. During oxidation studies, effect of various process parameters like initial HQ concentration ($C_o:20-100mg/L$), pH (4-8), oxidant dose ($C_{H2O2}:0.4-1.6mL/L$) and catalyst dose (m: 0.5-1.5 g/L) have been optimized using Taguchi experimental design matrix. Maximum HQ removal efficiency of 83.56% was obtained at optimum condition of $C_o=100mg/L$, pH = 6, $C_{H2O2}=0.4mL/L,$ and m = 1 g/L. Overall use of Fe-GAC during catalytic oxidation seems to be a better as compared to its use an adsorbent for treatment of HQ bearing wastewater.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.155-162
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• 2015

This study was conducted to assess the removal characteristics of taste and odor causing compounds(2-MIB and geosmin) and micro organic matters. GAC and BAC process consisting of Ozone/AOP and activated carbon was applied. As a result, the influent concentration of 2-MIB 159 ng/L and geosmin 371 ng/L were removed 42% and 86% by ozone 1.0 mg/L, and 58%, 90% by AOP(ozone 1.0 mg/L + $H_2O_2$ 0.5 mg/L). Also it showed less than 2 ng/L effluent in GAC process and 99.8% removal efficiency in BAC process. Therefore, BAC process combining ozone/AOP and GAC is effective for persistent removal of micro organic matters, taste and odor. It is needed for optimization of Ozone/AOP process according to influent concentrations.

• Carbon letters
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.126-132
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• 2003

Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) has been proven to be an excellent material for many industrial applications. A systematic study has been carried out of the kinetics of physical as well as chemical activation of phenolic resin chars. Physical activation was carried out using $CO_2$ and chemical activation using KOH as activating agent. There are number of factors which influence the rate of activation. The activation temperature and residence time at HTT varied in the range $550{\sim}1000^{\circ}C$ and $\frac{1}{2}{\sim}8$ hrs respectively. Kinetic studies show that the rate of chemical activation is 10 times faster than physical activation even at much lower temperature. Above study show that the chemical activation process is suitable to prepare granular activated carbon with very high surface area i.e.$ 2895\;m^2/g$ in short duration of time i.e. 1 to 2 hrs at lower temperature i.e. $750^{\circ}C$ from phenolic resins.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.511-516
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• 2008

Since 1989, Advanced drinking water treatment processes began to build in Korea, especially the water treatment plants around the Nak-dong river stream due to sequential pollutant accidents. Moreover, Advanced drinking water treatment processes, ozone and GAC, are again to be built in water treatment plants around Han-river stream to control taste and odor, micro pollutants. However, there are still a lot of discussion to decide the processes to apply for advanced treatment. Thus there are still need to understand clearly on the cost evaluation of each advanced treatment processes. The cost evaluation was accomplished based on the data of six water treatment plants which are currently being either operating or constructing. Exceptionally, PAC(Powdered Activated Carbon) process was evaluated with cost estimation from construction company. The capital cost per unit volume of ozone process was significantly decreased as the treatment capacity increased. The capital cost was in the order of GAC, ozone and GAC. The operation cost decreased in the order of PAC, GAC and ozone. The total cost considering present value shows that ozone process covers 84% of ozone and GAC process for $30,000m^3/d$ capacity while it covers less than 35% for over 140 thousands $m^3/d$ capacity. Comparing GAC only, and ozone/GAC process, ozone/GAC process is more cost effective for high capacity water treatment plant.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Sciences Society Conference
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• 2000.05a
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• pp.134-139
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• 2000

Crab shell의 중금속 제거 가능성과 그 효율을 검토하기 위하여 chemical sorbent인 cation exchange resin(CER), zeolite, granular activated carbon(GAC), powdered activated carbon(PAC)의 중금속 제거능을 비교한 결과 다음과 같은 결론을 도출할 수 있었다. 1) 0.1 mM～l.0 mM의 초기 중금속 농도에서 중금속 제거량에 미치는 영향을 비교해 보았을 때 중금속 제거의 평형에 도달하는 시간은 농도가 높을수록 오래 걸렸으며 단위 흡착제 질량당 중금속 제거량은 초기 중금속 농도가 높을수록 증가하였다. 특히 구리 이온 제거 실험에서는 낮은 농도에서 crab shell의 구리 이온 제거량이 CER의 경우보다 조금 떨어지는 경향을 보였으나, 대부분의 중금속 제거에 있어서는 crab shell이 다른 chemical sorbent에 비해 뛰어난 중금속 제거능력을 보였다. 2) 흡착 등온 모델에 적용해 보았을 때, 단위 흡착제 질량당 중금속 최대 흡착량이 crab shell > CER > zeolite > PAC =GAC의 순으로, 모든 중금속 제거 실험에서 crab shell이 가장 뛰어난 것으로 나타났다. 실제 폐수처리 공정에서는 GAC나 PAC가 많이 이용되고 있는데, 수중의 중금속을 보다 효율적이고 경제적으로 처리할 수 있는 crab shell을 폐수처리 공정에 응용할 수 있는 방안을 검토할 필요성이 있을 것으로 판단된다.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1192-1197
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• 2006

Adsorbability of ionic and nonionic pharmaceuticals was studied using granular activated carbon(GAC). In a batch adsorption test of muticomponent solution, 500 mg/L of GAC dose removed all target compounds between 94 and 98% at initial concentration of 10 ${\mu}g/L$. Adsorption of ionic pharmaceuticals increased as pH was lowered toward to pKa, however adsorption capacity of nonionic pharmaceuticals showed insignificant variation with the changing pH. The enhanced adsorption capacity of ionic pharmaceuticals at lower pH was attributed to the corresponding increase in the molecular form of ionic pharmaceuticals with carboxylic group at low pH. In addition, decrease of pH increased hydrogen ion concentration in the bulk solution and the protons bound to the available sites on the carbon enhanced the removal of the ionic pharmaceuticals from solution. After 40 days of continuous operation, GAC column showed the removal of target compounds were removed by $93{\sim}99%$ at 15 min of EBCT mainly due to adsorption mechanism of GAC. At shorter EBCT than 15 min, breakthrough of CA, IBP and GFZ occurred earlier than the other ionic and nonionic pharmaceuticals. effect of EBCT on adsorption of nonionic pharmaceuticals was greater than ionic ones. This study showed that persitent pharmaceuticals found in drinking water treatment could be effectively controlled by adsorption in GAC process.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.295-303
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• 2009

A simulated wastewater containing the dye Rhodamine B (RhB) was electrolytically treated using a three-dimensional electrode reactor equipped with granular activated carbon (GAC) as particle electrode. The effect of type of packing material (GAC, ACF, Nonwoven fabric fiber coated with activated carbon), amounts of GAC packing (25-100 g), current (0.5-3 A) and electrolyte concentration (0.5-3 g/l) was evaluated. Experimental results showed that performance for RhB decolorization of the 3 three-dimensional electrodes lie in: GAC > Nonwoven fabric fiber > ACF. When considered RhB decolorization, oxidants concentration and electric power, optimum GAC dosage was 50 g. Generated concentration of 3 oxidants ($ClO_2$, free Cl, $H_2O_2$) was increased with increase of applied current, however optimum current for RhB degradation was 2.5 A. The oxidants concentration was increased with increase of NaCl concentration and optimum NaCl dosage for RhB degradation was 1.5 g/l.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.206-212
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• 2013

This study accessed the adsorption characteristics of the 11 perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) on coal-based granular activated carbon (GAC). The breakthrough appeared first for PFODA and sequentially for PFHDA, PFTeDA, PFTDA, PFDoDA, PFUnDA, PFDA, PFNA, PFOA, PFOS, and PFHpA. The maximum adsorption capacity (X/M) for the 11 PFCs with apparent breakthrough points ranged from 2.43 ${\mu}g/g$ (for PFODA) to 64.5 ${\mu}g/g$ (for PFHpA). Carbon usage rate (CUR) for PFODA was 0.291 g/day, 11.2 times higher than that for PFHpA (0.026 g/day). The X/M values for the 11 PFCs were fitted well with a linear regression ($r^2$ = 0.89) by their molecular weight (chain length).

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.479-482
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• 2012

Membrane process has been one of the widely applied wastewater treatment options, especially in field. However, one of the tricky issues in the process is to treat concentrates generated from reverse osmosis (RO) system in a manner of saving cost with maximum efficiency for treating a wide range of contaminants. Stimulated with the challenging issues, we have conducted a series of experimental studies in the evaluation for removing organics and nutrients using activated carbon. Results indicated that while powdered activated carbon (PAC) efficiently removed organics and the extent of removal was proportional to the PAC dosage, little removal of nitrogen and phosphorus was observed despite increasing the PAC dose. Interestingly, applying PAC was superior in removing organics than using granular activated carbon (GAC). These results suggest smaller particle size with higher surface area could provide greater chemical reactivity in removing organics.