• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.678-686
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• 2006

The feasibility of the high-hydrophilic biofilter was examined for application in rural wastewater treatment in Korea. The intermittent trickling biofiter was developed for wastewater treatment of media and examined instantaneous wetting water and immersional wetting water. Melamin foam absorbed 120 times it's weight in water and maintained wetting status than other materials. These characteristics are improvement for application in rural areas showing large variance of amount of influent. The biofilter process was effective in treating organic pollutants; mean removal efficiencies of $BOD_5$ and TSS were above 80%. The average SS concentrations of effluent was showed below $10mg/L^{-1}$ and meet guidelines in special regions, however, the average concentration of $BOD_5$ was about $20mg/L^{-1}$. The removals of T-N and T-P were relatively less effective and removal efficiencies were below 40%. It might meet the guidelines for T-P because of low levels of influent T-P concentration. However, the T-N concentration were too high and further treatment is required. The effluent concentration of $NH_4-N$ showed a significant reduction rate about 43.8%, but part of $NH_4-N$ was transformed to $NO_2-N$ and $NO_3-N$ inside the biofilter through nitrification process. The effluent concentration of org-P was removed about 78.8% of influent concentration by filtration. Considering stable performance and effective removal of pollutant in wastewater, low maintenance, and cost-effectiveness, the hydrophilic biofilter system was thought to be an effective and feasible alternative for decentralized rural areas.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.39 no.4 s.118
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• pp.489-497
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• 2006

The feasibility of the Natural and Ecological Wastewater treatment System (NEWS) was examined for rural wastewater treatment in Korea. The intermittent trickling biofilter with high hydrophilic filter media was used for pretreatment for suspended solids and organic pollutants. The subsequent constructed wetland with porous granule materials was used for promoting nutrient removal. The results show that the removal efficiencies of the system were high with respect to the water quality parameters except COD. Even if the effluent from the biofilter did not meet the guidelines for wastewater treatment plant effluent in Korea in terms of $BOD_5$ and TN, the final effluent of the system meets the guidelines us to good performance of the constructed wetland. The regression analysis between pollutant loading rate and removal rate indicated that the system could have stable removal for SS, $BOD_5$, TN, and TP in the given influent ranges. The analysis in the winter period indicated that the wetland covered with transparent polycarbonate glass had the statble performance during the winter period dus to increase of temperature inside the wetland without any heating system. With the stable performance, effective poilutant removal, low maintenance, and cost-effectiveness, the NEWS could be considered as an alternative treatment system for decentralized regions and rural communities in Korea.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.113-124
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• 2006

The feasibility of the up- and down-flow constructed wetland was examined fur rural wastewater treatment in Korea. Many constructed wetland process was suffered from substrate clogging and high plant stresses because of long term operation. The up- and down-flow constructed wetland process used porous granule materials (charcoal pumice : SSR=10:20:70) for promoting intake rate of nutrient to plant, and especially flow type was designed continuously repeating from up-flow to down-flow. $BOD_5$ and SS was removed effectively by the process with the average removal rate being about 75% respectively. The wetland process was effective in treating nutrient as well as organic pollutant. Removal of TN and TP were more effective than other wetland system and mean effluent concentrations were approximately 7.5 and $0.4mg\;L^{-1}$ which satisfied the water quality standard for WWTPs. The treatment system did not experience any clogging or accumulations of pollutants and reduction of treatment efficiency during winter period because constructed polycarbonate glass structure prevented temperature drop. Considering stable performance and effective removal of pollutant in wastewater, low maintenance, and cost-effectiveness, the up- and down-flow constructed wetland was thought to be an effective and feasible alternative in rural area.