• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.5-11
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• 2015

The double sheeted permeable reactive barrier containing two different reactive materials can be applied to remediate the groundwater contaminated by nutrients and heavy metals. In this study, in order to evaluate the removal efficiency of contaminants including ammonium, cadmium and phosphate by double layered permeable reactive barrier containing zeolite and steelmaking slag, column tests were performed. In addition, nonequilibrium reaction in column tests was analyzed by two-site nonequilibrium advection-dispersion model. Column test results showed that zeolite is effective for removal of ammonium, while steelmaking slag is effective for removal of phosphate and cadmium. The sequential reaction of zeolite and steelmaking slag gave the better removal efficiency for ammonium.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.92-98
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• 2013

Microalgal cultivation using wastewater is now regarded as essential for biodiesel production, as two goals can be achieved simultaneously; that is, nutrient removal efficiency and biomass production. Therefore, this study examined the effects of carbon sources, the N:P ratio, and the hydraulic retention time (HRT) to identify the optimal conditions for nutrient removal efficiency and biomass production. The effluent from a 2nd lagoon was used to cultivate microalgae. Whereas the algal species diversity and lipid content increased with a longer HRT, the algal biomass productivity decreased. Different carbon sources also affected the algal species composition. Diatoms were dominant with an increased pH when bicarbonate was supplied. However, 2% $CO_2$ gas led to a lower pH and the dominance of filamentous green algae with a much lower biomass productivity. Among the experiments, the highest chlorophyll-a concentration and lipid productivity were obtained with the addition of phosphate up to 0.5 mg/l P, since phosphorus was in short supply compared with nitrogen. The N and P removal efficiencies were also higher with a balanced N:P ratio, based on the addition of phosphate. Thus, optimizing the N:P ratio for the dominant algae could be critical in attaining higher algal growth, lipid productivity, and nutrient removal efficiency.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Sciences Society Conference
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• 2019.10a
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• pp.134-134
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• 2019

Utilization of organic waste as a renewable energy source is promising for sustainability and mitigation of climate change. Pyrolysis converts organic waste to gas, oil, and biochar by incomplete biomass combustion. Biochar is widely used as a soil conditioner and adsorbent. Biochar adsorbs/desorbs metals and ions depending on the soil environment and condition to act as a nutrient buffer in soils. Biochar is also regarded as a carbon storage by fixation of organic carbon. Phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) are strictly controlled in many wastewater treatment plants because it causes eutrophication in water bodies. P and N is removed by biological and chemical methods in wastewater treatment plants and transferred to sludge for disposal. On the other hand, P is an irreplaceable essential element for all living organisms and its resource (phosphate rock) is estimated about 100 years of economical mining. Therefore, P and N recovery from waste and wastewater is a critical issue for sustainable human society. For the purpose, intensive researches have been carried out to remove and recover P and N from waste and wastewater. Previous studies have shown that biochars can adsorb and desorbed phosphates implying that biochars could be a complementary fertilizer. However, most of the conventional biochar have limited capacity to adsorb phosphates and nitrate. Recent studies have focused on biochar impregnated with metal salts to improve phosphates and nitrate adsorption by synthesizing biochars with novel structures and surface properties. Metal salts and metal oxides have been used for the surface modification of biochars. If P removal is the only concern, P adsorption kinetics and capacity are the only important factors. If both of P and N removal and the application of recovery are concerned, however, P and N desorption characteristics and bioavailability are also critical factors to be considered. Most of the researches on impregnated biochars have focused on P removal efficiency and kinetics. In this study, coffee waste is thermally treated to produce biochar and it was impregnated with Mg/Al to enhance phosphates and nitrate adsorption/desorption and P bioavailability to increase its value as a fertilizer. Kinetics of phosphates and nitrate adsorption/desorption and bioavailability analysis were carried out to estimate its potential as a P and N removal adsorbent in wasewater and a fertilizer in soil.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.727-735
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• 2007

The use of water by cities is increasing owing to industrialization, the concentration of population, and the enhancement of the standard of living. Accordingly, the amount of waste water is also increasing, and the degree of pollution of the water system is rising. In order to solve this problem, it is necessary to remove organisms and suspended particles as well as the products of eutrophication such as nitrates and phosphates. This study developed a high-end treatment engineering solution with maximum efficiency and lower costs by researching and developing a advanced treatment engineering solution with the use of Biosorption. As a result, the study conducted a test with a $50m^3/day$ Pilot Scale Plant by developing treatment engineering so that only the secondary treatment satisfies the standard of water quality and which provided optimal treatment efficiency along with convenient maintenance and management. The removal of organisms, which has to be pursued first for realizing nitrification during the test period, was made in such a way that there would be no oxidation by microorganisms in the reactor while preparing oxygen as an inhibitor for the growth of microorganism in the course of moving toward the primary settling pond. The study introduced microorganisms in the endogeneous respiration stage to perform adhesion, absorption, and filtering by bringing them into contact with the inflowing water with the use of a sludge returning from the secondary settling pond. Also a test was conducted to determine how effective the microorganisms are as an inner source of carbon. The HRT(Hydraulic Retention Time) in the nitrification tank (aerobic tank) could be reduced to two hours or below, and the stable treatment efficiency of the process using the organisms absorbed in the NAR reactor as a source of carbon could be proven. Also, given that the anaerobic condition of the pre-treatment tank becomes basic in the area of phosphate discharge, it was found that there was excellent efficiency for the removal of phosphate when the pre-treatment tank induced the discharge of phosphate and the polishing reactor induced the uptake of phosphate. The removal efficiency was shown to be about 94.4% for $BOD_5$. 90.7% for $COD_{Cr}$ 84.3% for $COD_{Mn}$, 96.0% for SS, 77.3% for TN, and 96.0% for TP.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.263-271
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• 2018

In this study, we analyzed the removal efficiency of ammonia nitrogen and phosphate dependant on the column depths using various absorbents such as zeolite silica sand, and activated carbon through the column test. In addition, we analyzed electrochemical adsorption behaviors of ammonia nitrogen and phosphate through the quantum mechanical calculation based on density functional theory calculation. Experimental results represent the removal efficiency of ammonia nitrogen and phosphate are zeolite > activated carbon > silica sand, and activated carbon > zeolite > silica sand, respectively. Zeolite shows high adsorption property for ammonia nitrogen over 90%, regardless of the column depth, while activated carbon exhibits high adsorption property for both ammonia nitrogen and phosphate as the column depth for filter media increases. Theoretical findings using DFT calculation for the adsorption behaviors of adsorbents (activated carbon and silica sand) and nutrients ($PO_4{^{3-}}$, $NH_4{^{+}}$) show that activated carbon represented narrower HOMO-LUMO band gap with high adsorption energy, and even more favorable environment for electron adsorption than silica sand, which leads to the effective removal of nutrients.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.620-626
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• 2014

The main focus of this study was the evaluation of arsenic concentration in the ground water of Lahore at different depth and application of different mitigation techniques for arsenic removal. Twenty four hours of solar oxidation gives 90% of arsenic removal as compared to 8 hr. or 16 hr. Among oxides, calcium oxide gives 96% of As removal as compared to 93% by lanthanum oxide. Arsenic removal efficiency was up to 97% by ferric chloride, whereas 95% by alum. Activated alumina showed 99% removal as compared to 97% and 95% removal with bauxite and charcoal, respectively. Elemental analysis of adsorbents showed that the presence of phosphate and silica can cause a reduction of arsenic removal efficiency by activated alumina, bauxite and charcoal. This study has laid a foundation for further research on arsenic in the city of Lahore and has also provided suitable techniques for arsenic removal.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.1459-1469
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• 2008

Using a rotating biological contactor modified with a sequencing bath reactor system (SBRBC) designed and operated to remove phosphate and nitrogen [58], the microbial community structure of the biofilm from the SBRBC system was characterized based on the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) constituents, electron microscopy, and molecular techniques. Protein and carbohydrate were identified as the major EPS constituents at three different biofilm thicknesses, where the amount of EPS and bacterial cell number were highest in the initial thickness of 0-100${\mu}m$. However, the percent of carbohydrate in the total amount of EPS decreased by about 11.23%, whereas the percent of protein increased by about 11.15% as the biofilm grew. Thus, an abundant quantity of EPS and cell mass, as well as a specific quality of EPS were apparently needed to attach to the substratum in the first step of the biofilm growth. A FISH analysis revealed that the dominant phylogenetic group was $\beta$- and $\gamma$-Proteobacteria, where a significant subclass of Proteobacteria for removing phosphate and/or nitrate was found within a biofilm thickness of 0-250${\mu}m$. In addition, 16S rDNA clone libraries revealed that Klebsiella sp. and Citrobacter sp. were most dominant within the initial biofilm thickness of 0-250${\mu}m$, whereas sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, such as Beggiatoa sp. and Thiothrix sp., were detected in a biofilm thickness over 250${\mu}m$. The results of the bacterial community structure analysis using molecular techniques agreed with the results of the morphological structure based on scanning electron microscopy. Therefore, the overall results indicated that coliform bacteria participated in the nitrate and phosphorus removal when using the SBRBC system. Moreover, the structure of the biofilm was also found to be related to the EPS constituents, as well as the nitrogen and phosphate removal efficiency. Consequently, since this is the first identification of the bacterial community and structure of the biofilm from an RBC simultaneously removing nitrogen and phosphate from domestic wastewater, and it is hoped that the present results may provide a foundation for understanding nitrate and phosphate removal by an RBC system.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.1271-1277
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• 2007

This study was conducted to investigate the ratios of phosphorus release to COD uptake, phosphorus release to nitrate removal, and phosphorus uptake to phosphorus release by DNPAOs(denitrifying phosphate accumulating organisms). In case $I{\sim}IV$, influent 1 were fed with synthetic wastewater with influent 2 $NO_3^--N$ injection to anoxic zone and the case V were fed with municipal wastewater with side stream oxic zone instead of influent 2 $NO_3^--N$ injection. As a result, the ratio of phosphorus release to carbon uptake was increased in accordance with nitrate supply. The DNPAOs simultaneously took up phosphate and removed nitrate from the anoxic reactor. In case $I{\sim}IV$, with above 20 mg/L of sufficient $NO_3^--N$ supply, phosphate was taken up excessively by the DNPAOs in anoxic condition. The large amount of both uptake and release of phosphorus occurred above 20 mg/L of nitrate supply, achieving the ratio of phosphorus uptake to phosphorus release to be 1.05. In case V, phosphate luxury uptake was not occurred in system due to 6.98 mg/L of insufficient $NO_3^--N$ supply and the ratio of phosphorus uptake to phosphorus release was 0.98. Consequently, if nitrate as the electron acceptor was sufficient in anoxic zone, the ratio was found to be high.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.873-879
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• 2005

This study was investigate to evaluate the phosphate uptake rate of green algae in relation to diurnal rhythm and algae control method. The phosphate uptake rates of Chlorella vulgaris and Ankistrodesmus convolutus increased in light period and decreased in dark period. On the contrary, those of Chlamydomonas sp. showed a peak in the late dark period. The differences among species in phosphate uptake in relation to diurnal rhythm were due to the severe competition among species and seemed to alleviate the competition for nutrient supplies. The compound of CellCaSi, Ca and Fe showed the effective removal of the phosphorus. The extracts from rice and barley straw exhibited a significant effect on the growth inhibition of Microcystis aeruginosa.

• BMB Reports
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.346-351
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• 1997

The maximum adsorption/desorption conditions and the adsorption mechanism of globular proteins to vaccine adjuvants were determined. The maximum adsorption ratio of protein to the $Al^{3+}$ content of aluminum oxyhydroxide and the optimal adsorption pH are 2:1 (${\mu}g:{\mu}g$) for bovine serum albumin (BSA) at pH 6.0 and 2.5:1 (${\mu}g:{\mu}g$) for immunoglobulin G (IgG) at pH 7.0, respectively. The maximum adsorption ratio onto aluminum phosphate gel was 1.5:1 (${\mu}g$ Protein:${\mu}g$ $Al^{3+}$) at pH 5.0 for both BSA and IgG. Adsorption of the native globular proteins, BSA and IgG, to aluminum oxyhydroxide and aluminum phosphate gel was reversible as a function of pH. Complete desorption of these proteins from aluminum phosphate gel was observed at alkaline pH, whereas only 80~90% removal from aluminum oxyhydroxide was achieved with alkaline pH and 50 mM phosphate buffer. We conclude that electrostatic and hydrogen bonding interactions between the native proteins and adjuvants are important binding mechanisms for adsorption, and that the surface charge of the protein and the colloid components control the maximum adsorption conditions.