• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.37 no.3
• /
• pp.201-208
• /
• 2011

Objective: Emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from municipal wastewater treatment plants and industrial wastewater are often overlooked as sources of exposure to toxic chemicals. VOCs from such sources evaporate readily into the air and may have significantly adverse impacts on public health. The present study aimed to establish the concentration of VOCs released from Jangrim-sinpyoeng Municipal and Industrial Wastewater Treatment plant (JWTP) in Busan, South Korea and assess the causes of the odor/stench in the surrounding residential facilities. Stench intensity, frequency and release time, and wind direction were also monitored. Methods: Onsite data were collected on a daily basis from a laboratory located on the JWTP premises through a period spanning 2006 to 2010. A second set of data was obtained in 2006 by conducting a questionnaire survey with 210 respondents living near JWTP. The experimental and survey data were analysed statistically using the SPSS package. Results: The survey results showed that people residing around JWTP strongly perceive a stench from the plant. The intensity of the stench was influenced significantly by wind direction and the location of the apartments facing the JWTP. Public participation formed a significant step in determining the quality of the study environment. Conclusion: Onsite data and survey data obtained in 2006 indicate that the nature of the odor experienced by residents is due to the intensity of total VOCs released by JWTP. However, additional research is needed to determine the effects of the VOC pollution on public health and quality of life.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.41 no.2
• /
• pp.207-214
• /
• 2013

A concerted effort to develop alternative forms of energy is underway due to fossil fuel shortages and its deleterious effects. Recently, bioenergy from microalgae has gained prominence and the use of municipal wastewater as a low cost alternative for a nutrient source has significant advantages. In this study, we have employed municipal wastewater directly after primary treatment (primary settling basin) in a small scale raceway pond (SSRP) for microalgal growth. Indigenous microalgae in the wastewater were encouraged to grow in the SSRP under optimal conditions. The mean removal efficiencies of TN, TP, and $NH_3-N$ after 6 days were 77.77%, 63.55%, and 89.02%, respectively. The average lipid content of the microalgae was 19.51% of dry cell weight, and linolenate and linoleate (18:n) were the predominant fatty acids. The 18S rRNA gene analysis and microscopic observations of the indigenous microalgae community revealed the presence of Chlorella vulgaris and Scenedesmus obliquus as the dominant microalgae. These results indicate that untreated municipal wastewater, serving as an excellent nitrogen and phosphate source for microalgal growth, could be treated using microalgae in open raceway ponds. Moreover, microalgal biomass could be further profitable by the extraction of biodiesel.

• 수도
• /
• s.66
• /
• pp.108-124
• /
• 1994

• 수도
• /
• s.70
• /
• pp.22-32
• /
• 1994

• 수도
• /
• s.61
• /
• pp.16-30
• /
• 1993

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.20 no.6
• /
• pp.563-570
• /
• 2004

Phased isolation intrachannel clarifier ditch process developed in this study is an enhanced biological nutrient removal process employing two ditches with intrachannel clarifiers. Bench-scale phased isolation ditch process was used to evaluate the system performance on municipal wastewater and detailed assessment of internal behavior in a ditch and each reactions. When the system was operated at the HRTs of 6~12hours, SRTs of 9~31 days, and cycle times of 4hours, the system showed removals of BOD, TN, and TP as high as 88~97%, 73~78%, and 65~90%, respectively. The internal behavior were well matched on each reactions such as nitrification, denitrification, and phosphorus release and uptake. As the SRT became longer, TN removal increased gradually, whereas TP removal decreased contrarily. However, the system was capable of producing an effluent TP concentration 1mg/L or less even at longer SRTs except the case of solids discharge by malfunction of intra-clarifier occurred by its geometrical limit. The system performance slightly decreased by hydraulic shock loading(increasing of influent flowrate and decreasing of system HRT). However, the higher system performance could be achieved again after four cycles. Thus, the system reliability could be successfully achieved short-term hydraulic shock loading that occurred in medium- and small-sized wastewater treatment plants suffering fluctuation of influent quality and flowrate during wet season.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.47 no.6
• /
• pp.1006-1013
• /
• 2014

Wastewater organic compounds, that is, nonylphenolic compounds (NPs) and fecal sterols, were measured in surface sediments from Busan Suyeong Estuary, where two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are located, to assess contamination from municipal effluents. The NPs analyzed were nonylphenol, and nonylphenol mono- and di-ethoxylates, all synthetic endocrine disruptors. The fecal sterols analyzed were coprostanol (COP), cholestanol, and epicoprostanol. Concentrations of NPs in the sediments ranged from 146 to 3,723 ng/g, and those of COP ranged from 366 to 13,018 ng/g. Their detection in all of the sediments analyzed indicates widespread pollution by municipal effluents. The highest concentrations of NPs and COP were detected at stations close to outfalls of WWTPs. Their levels in sediments are categorized in the higher range of those previously reported in Korean coastal areas. Moreover, in comparison with screening values of NPs in the Netherlands, Norway, and Canada, more than 50% of the sampling stations exceeded the guidelines. This indicates that the estuary may be adversely influenced by municipal effluents.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.433-441
• /
• 2014

It has been known that sewage containing high-concentration nitrogen affects the efficiency of municipal wastewater treatment plants harmfully. Therefore, research has been actively conducted to treat sewage containing high-concentration nitrogen. The current study has analyzed organic compounds, conducted foaming tests, and operated a laboratory-level nitritation reactor with the subjects of anaerobic digester supernatant and livestock wastewater which are the typical kinds of sewage containing high-concentration nitrogen. According to the results of analyzing organic compounds, soluble inert components form the largest part of anaerobic digester supernatant while particle biodegradable components occupy the most part of livestock wastewater. About the retention time proper for the reaction of nitritation, anaerobic digester supernatant shows 2 days while livestock wastewater indicates 6 days. It seems that the difference in the proper retention time is resulted from the difference of properties in organic compounds and ammonium nitrogen concentration. In addition, livestock wastewater's reactor foam is generated comparatively more than anaerobic digester supernatant's, but it tends to be eliminated faster. It is expected that the findings of this study can be utilized as foundational data afterwards in applying the reaction of nitritation to municipal wastewater treatment plants.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.421-427
• /
• 2015

In ASM model, organic matters are classified according to their characteristics and general classification into COD and BOD cannot satisfy conditions required by ASM. In this study, it was performed to study classification of organic matters required by ASM on the basis of microorganisms' respiration rate subject to wastewater and sludge treatment. As results of analysis of the organic matter's appearance, it was found that there were some differences in composition of organic matters between wastewaters. It is considered that it is an important characteristic of wastewater that should be understood in treating wastewater in each process. Therefore, it is considered that appearance of organic matters in each wastewater identified by this study will be used as important basic data for operation of municipal wastewater treatment plant. It was identified that SS was an important factor affecting nitrification through organic matter and ammonium nitrogen change analysis according to reaction time in the nitrification. It is considered that the nitrification has close relationship with choice of optimal retention time.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.137-143
• /
• 2013

The diversity and distribution of methanogenic archaea in a four-compartment anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) treating sugar refinery wastewater were investigated by polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE). At an organic loading rate of 5.33 kg $COD/m^3{\cdot}day$, the ABR could perform steadily with the mean chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal of 94.8% and the specific $CH_4$ yield of 0.21 l/g $COD_{removed}$. The $CH_4$ content in the biogas was increased along the compartments, whereas the percentage of $H_2$ was decreased, indicating the distribution characteristics of the methanogens occurred longitudinally down the ABR. A high phylogenetic and ecological diversity of methanogens was found in the ABR, and all the detected methanogens were classified into six groups, including Methanomicrobiales, Methanosarcinales, Methanobacteriales, Crenarchaeota, Arc I, and Unidentified. Among the methanogenic population, the acid-tolerant hydrogenotrophic methanogens including Methanoregula and Methanosphaerula dominated the first two compartments. In the last two compartments, the dominant methanogenic population was Methanosaeta, which was the major acetate oxidizer under methanogenic conditions and could promote the formation of granular sludge. The distribution of the hydrogenotrophic (acid-tolerant) and acetotrophic methanogens in sequence along the compartments allowed the ABR to perform more efficiently and steadily.