• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
• /
• 2012.05a
• /
• pp.643-643
• /
• 2012

Increasing energy prices and growing concerns about global warming address the need to improve energy self-sufficiency in many industrial and municipal sectors. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are representative of energy-consuming facilities in Korea, accounting for 5% of national energy consumption. We present renewable energy technologies and energy self-sufficiency scenarios in a municipal WWTP ($30,000m^3d^{-1}$) located in Yongin, South Korea. By employing photovoltaics (PV, 135 kW), small hydropower turbine (10 kW), and thermal energy from treated effluent (25 RT: refrigeration ton) within the WWTP, a total of 142 tonne of oil equivalent (toe) of energy was estimated to be generated, accounting for $365ton\;CO_2\;yr^{-1}$ of greenhouse gas emission reduction. Core renewable technologies under consideration include 1) hybrid solar PV system consisting of fixed PV, dual-axis PV, and building integrated PV, 2) low-head small hydropower plant specifically designed for treated effluent, 3) effluent heat recovery system for heating and air conditioning. In addition to these core technologies, smart operation and management scheme will be presented for enhancing overall energy savings and distribution within the WWTP.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.13 no.10
• /
• pp.911-919
• /
• 2004

The purpose of this research was evaluated economical effect to apply alternative external carbon source. Conventional activated sludge process in municipal wastewater treatment plant was adapted and introduced to Biological nutrient removal processes to meet the newly enforced effluent quality standard for nutrient removal in Korea. Low $COD/NH_4^+-N$ ratio and higher nutrient concentration of influent characteristics force to inject external carbon source for denitrifying recycled nitrate. In the most case, methanol was used as external carbon source. But Methanol is expensive and very dangerous in handling. So we could find cheaper and safer external carbon source substituted methanol in last study. This alternative external carbon source is named RCS(recoverd carbon source) and a by-product of fine chemical product at chemical plant. When RCS was applied real municipal wastewater treatment plant, average $55\~65\%$ of T-N removal efficiency, 8.8mg/l of effluent T-N concentration, 11.3mg/l of effleunt COD concentration were obtained without effluent COD increase as against used methanol. To apply RCS in municipal wastewater treatment plant obtain approximately $\74.5%$ expenditure cost reduction in comparison with methanol dosage cost.

• Proceedings of the Korea Air Pollution Research Association Conference
• /
• 2005.11a
• /
• pp.437-439
• /
• 2005

• 수도
• /
• v.23 no.5 s.80
• /
• pp.31-45
• /
• 1996

• 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 Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.62-75
• /
• 2000

Most of biological treatment to remove contaminants in municipal wastewater have been conducted by activated sludge process. But, the process have several probIems such as enormous site needed for construction of treatment facilities, unstable treatment due to limited ability to control load fluctuation, frequent sludge bulking and appearance of lots of surplus sludge. In this study, the experiments were performed through submerging biofilm of PEPP media in existing aeration tank with raw water from municipal wastewater treatment plant and then submerging PVDC and PEPP media, different from shape and chemical peculiarity in anoxic reactor. Throughout the experience, nutrient removal efficiency according to HRT, nitrogen phosphorous removal efficiency, behavior of nitrogen and dewatering efficiency have been compared and analysed with those of activated sludge process. As the results, BOD removal efficiency according to BOD volumetric load and F/M ratio was not found any differency in two processes, but was decreased below 90% as going along the condition of high load in activated sludge process. Kinetic coefficient was $K_{max}=1.162day^{-1}$, $K_s=53.77mg/L$, $Y=0.166mgVSS/mgBOD_{rem}$. and $K_d=0.019day^{-1}$. It was found that the removal efficiency, even though in aerobic condition, in biofilm process equipped anoxic reactor was higher than the one in activated sludge process within the range of 70~80%, and became better as HRT increased. Phosphorous removal efficiency was not found any differency in two processes. In biofilm process, treament efficiency even in conditions of high load was not decreased, because the biomass concentration could be maintained in high condition compared with activated sludge process. As HRT increased, suspended and attached biomass was increased and the other hand, F/M ratio was decreased as biomass' increasing. Biomass thickness was increased. from $10.43{\mu}m$ to $10.55{\mu}m$ as HRT increased and density of biomass within $40.79{\sim}41.16mg/cm^2$. The results also present that the dewatering efficiency of sludge generated in biofilm process was higher than in activated sludge process, and became better as HRT increased.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.14 no.9
• /
• pp.811-815
• /
• 2005

The activated sludge from the aeration basin of the Su-yeong municipal wastewater treatment plant which has operated by a standard activated sludge process in Busan, Korea was investigated during April 2004 and January 2005 with several bio-indicators. The number of bacteria and fungi per gram of dry weight of MLSS were estimated to be $3.1\times10^6\sim1.5\times10^8\;and\;l.1\times10^3\sim1.1\times10^5$ colony forming units, respectively, by the plate agar method. By cultivation-independent methods, such as 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole stain and fluorescence in situ hybridization, the ratio of eubacteria to the entire biomass was evaluated by more than $80\%$ (v/v). The ratio of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria to the total eubacteria was detennined to be $7.0\sim9.8\%\;and\;3.3\sim6.2\%$ without heavy variation in spite of a period of relatively low temperature in the basin. It would be expected that the nitrification would occur or at least co-exist throughout the year in the sludge of many municipal WWTP with influents that contain the sufficient nitrogen sources although the WWTP does not have any specialized processes for the removal of nitrogen.

• 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 Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.41 no.11
• /
• pp.318-327
• /
• 2017

Background: A typical sewage treatment plant is designed for organic and nutrient removal from municipal sewage water and not targeted to eliminate micropollutants such as pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and nano-sized metals which become a big concern for sustainable human and ecological system and are mainly discharged from sewage treatment plant. Therefore, despite contaminant removal by wastewater treatment processes, there are still remaining environmental risks by untreated pollutants in STP (sewage treatment plant) effluents. This study performed aquatic toxicity tests of raw wastewater and treated effluents in two sewage treatment plants to evaluate toxicity reduction by wastewater treatment process and analyze concentration of contaminants to reveal potential toxic factors in STP effluents. Methods: Water samples were collected from each treatment steps of two STPs, and acute and chronic toxicity tests were conducted following USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) and OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) guidelines. Endpoints were immobility for mortality and reproduction effect for estrogenicity. Results: Acute $EC_{50}s$ (median effective concentration) of influents for Seungki (SK) and Jungnang (JN) STPs are $54.13{\pm}32.64%$ and $30.38{\pm}24.96%$, respectively, and reduced to $96.49{\pm}7.84%$ and 100%. Acute toxicity reduction was clearly correlated with SS (suspended solids) concentration because of filter feeding characteristics of test organisms. Chronic toxicity tests revealed that lethal effect was reduced and low concentration of influents showed higher number of neonates. However, toxicity reduction was not related to nutrient removal. Fecundity effect positively increased in treated wastewater compared to that in raw wastewater, and no significant differences were observed compared to the control group in JN final effluent implying potential effects of estrogenic compounds in the STP effluents. Conclusions: Conventional wastewater treatment process reduced some organics and nutritional compounds from wastewater, and it results in toxicity reduction in lethal effect and positive reproductive effect but not showing correlation. Unknown estrogenic compounds could be a reason causing the increase of brood size. This study suggests that pharmaceutical residues and nanoparticles in STP effluents are one of the major micropollutants and underline as one of estrogenic effect factors.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.211-215
• /
• 2017

The market of the municipal wasetewater treatment plant (MWTP) operation is expanding across the world including Korea. The contracting-out system was introduced for the effective operation of MWTPs. However, an improvement of the contracting-out system of MWTP has been continuously required. This research investigated current operational status of MWTPs in Korea, to suggest the improvement of the cost effective MWTP operation to promote the contracting-out system of MWTP operation. Results showed that lower operational costs of MWTP were lower in larger MWTPs than in smaller MWTPs. Overall, MWTPs operated by a public enterprise showed lower operational costs than those operated by government agencies and private enterprises. Among the MWTPs similar in their treatment capacity, treatment process and operation period, MWTPs operated by private enterprises showed the lowest operational cost. According to the survey, managers and operators of MWTPs emphasized the importance of improvement on the methods of selecting operating agencies and estimating operationing costs. The results of this study should be useful as important supporting data to promote the contracting-out system for the MWTP operation.