• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.153-161
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• 2023

The reservoir tank in an apartment is crucial for maintaining the quality of drinking water after it has undergone treatment. Investigating the water quality and potential contaminants in the reservoir tank is essential to ensure the safety of the drinking water. This study examined the water quality and precipitated suspended solids that accumulate at the bottom of the reservoir tanks in four apartments located in Gyeonggi province. As a result of the water quality investigation, turbidity increased proportionally to the distance from the water treatment plant (WTP) to the household. Heavy metals were also detected in the reservoir tank inlet but not in the water supplied from the WTP. The precipitated suspended solids (SS) in the reservoir tank contain high levels of heavy metals and total organic carbon (TOC). The precipitated SS mainly consists of Al, Mn, and Fe, which are expected to be a combination with turbidity-inducing substances. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed the presence of γ-FeO(OH), MnO₂, and β-Fe₂O₃ in the SS. Additionally, F-EEM analysis indicates that the dissolved organic matter in the SS is mainly derived from a natural water source and microorganism activities, including metal-oxidizing bacteria and biofilms that can absorb metal ions. Based on these findings, several countermeasures can be taken to prevent the inflow of SS into the household, including regularly cleaning the reservoir tank, replacing or cleaning old pipes in the water supply system, and implementing monitoring and filtering systems to manage the SS.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.55-60
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• 2017

Provision of safe, accessible, and good water quality in the community is an important step towards reducing various waterborne illnesses. However, improving the quality of water should include spreading awareness to the public regarding the importance of cleaning their household water tanks. The aim of this study was to investigate the microbial quality of water of household water tanks in Dubai. The water samples from household water tanks were collected from forty houses, and a questionnaire was given to the residents to determine the history of the water tanks. The membrane filtration technique was used to quantify heterotrophic and total coliform bacteria on plate count agar and the violet red bile agar respectively. The overall results of this study have shown that 18 out of total 40 household water tanks contained different types of bacteria concentration level beyond local and widely accepted international standards. The overall results of this study indicated that there is a lack of awareness among residents regarding the importance of maintaining proper sanitation and hygiene of the household water tanks.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.27-30
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• 1991

Since the diffusion rate of sewage treatment plant is about 30% of the country. It is not enough to cope with entire sewage treatment of the community. Therefore, the septic tank is introduced which is connected with water flush toilet only. It is estimated that the large portion of water pollution has occured due to untreated sewage such as pollutants of kitchen, laundry and bathtub water, etc., which are not go through the existing septic tank. However, the construction of community plant which is could treat most of household run sewage should have flexibility in type, treatment method, effectiveness and economy which are adoption of the community. Without the treatment of combined household run sewage, the improvement of water pollution will be hardly expected.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.227-232
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• 2007

Water pollution in enclosed water bodies such as lake and river has become a serious problem over the world. Domestic wastewater is responsible for more than 60 % pollution load in public water area in Korea. Effluent of the treated domestic wastewater at low removal level is abundantly fed rivers and lakes and thus be an serious cause of lake pollution. Therefore, effective implement of domestic wastewater treatment in basin of lake and river must be prepared. The septic tank is one of the effective domestic wastewater treatment equipment and used in individual treatment for a unit of household, The purpose of septic tank as biological treatment system is simultaneously to remove BOD, T-N, T-P and reduce turbidity from influent. Accordingly, the appropriate control of functional microorganisms is important subject for the establishment of stability and economy of the biological treatment method. Especially, microanimals as a high-ranked microorganisms of food-chain are important, because microanimals control the other microorganisms especially various bacteria and effect on function of treatment. Therefore, it is necessary that functional predator like rotifers are attached in wastewater treatment process. In this study, the methods for attachment high density the rotifer to and improvement of transparency in the effluence by a dense rotifer was examined using laboratory scale biological treatment reactor simulated septic tank and real one.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.503-509
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• 2012

Objectives: This study was performed in order to evaluate the generation characteristics of airborne bacteria and fungi while operating a household humidifier, in consideration of user habits. Methods: Microbial samples were collected in a closed chamber with a total volume of 2.76 $m^3$, in which a humidifier was operated according to experimental strategies. A cultivation method based on the viable counts of mesophilic heterotrophic bacteria and fungi was performed. Experimental strategies were divided into three classes: the type of water in the water reservoir (tap water, cooled boiled water); the frequency of filling the reservoir (refill every day, no refill); and the sterilization method (sterilization function mode, humidifier disinfectants). Results: Significant increases in the concentration of airborne bacteria were observed while the humidifier was in operation. The concentration had increased to 2,407 $CFU/m^3$ by 120 hours when tap water filled the reservoir without any application of sterilization, while for cooled boiled water, it was merely 393 $CFU/m^3$ at a similar time point. Usages of disinfectant in the water tank were more effective in decreasing bioaerosol generation compared to sterilization function mode operation. Generation characteristics of airborne fungi were similar to those of bacteria, but the levels were not significant in all experiments. Calculated exposure factor can be used as an indicator to compare biorisk exposure. Conclusion: This study identified the potential for bioaerosol generation in indoor environments while operating a household humidifier. User practices were critical in the generation of bioaerosol, or more specifically, airborne bacteria. Proper usage of a humidifier ensures that any biorisks resulting from generated bioaerosol can be prevented.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.387-393
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to evaluate integrated anaerobic hydrogen fermentation and membrane bioreactor (MBR) for on-site domestic wastewater treatment and resource recovery. A synthetic wastewater (COD 17,000 mg/L) was used as artificial brown water which will be discharged from urine diversion toilet and fed into a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) type anaerobic reactor with inclined plate. The effluent of anaerobic reactor mixed with real household grey water (COD 700 mg/L) was further treated by MBR for reuse. An optimum condition maintained in anaerobic reactor was HRT of 8 hrs, pH 5.5, SRT of 5 days and temperature of $37^{\circ}C$. COD removal of 98% was achieved from the overall system. Total gas production rate and hydrogen content was 4.6 L/day and 52.4% respectively. COD mass balance described the COD distribution in the system via reactor byproducts and effluent COD concentration. The results of this study asserts that, anaerobic hydrogen fermentation combined with MBR is a potent system in stabilizing waste strength and clean hydrogen recovery which could be implemented for onsite domestic wastewater treatment and reuse.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.69-75
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• 1988

The drinking water in the apartment is stored in reservior tank and thereafter supplied each household. In case the drinking water is stored too long or insanitary, tap water might change in quality. This study was carried out to evaluate the physico-chemical and microbiological conditions of 36 samples of tap water of apartments compared to 18 samples of tap water of independence houses in Taegu City from May to October, 1987. Main findings are summarized as follows : PH values were within normal range in all samples. Samples less than 0.2ppm in residual chlorine accounted for 16.7% in the appartment and 5.6% in the independence house. Nitrite nitrogen was detected 2.8% of apartment samples only. Among the total of 54 samples, 11.1% of the apartment and independence samples were over the normal value in standard plate count. Samples more than 1.8 of most probable number(MPN) accounted for 27.8% in the apartment and 33.3% in the independence house. In result of test for residual chlorine, nitrite nitrogen, standard plate count, and MPN, the proportion of the samples revealed inappropriated in respect of drinking water standards. In case of all sorts of tests was 2.7% in apartment and nothing in independence houses, in case of 3 sorts of tests was 2.7% in apartment and 5.6% in independence houses, in case of 2 sorts of tests was 8.3% in apartment and 5.6% in independence houses, and in case of only 1 test was 25.0% in apartment and 22.2% in independence houses. Correlation between residual chlorine and standard plate count, and between standard plate count and MPN were observed. It was found that the more years since construction of apartment were, the worse tap water was in quality.