• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.121-131
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• 2018

Domestic sewage treatment plants (STPs) consume about 0.5 % of total electric energy produced annually, which is equivalent to 207.7 billion Korean won per year. To minimize the energy consumption and as a way of mitigating the depletion of energy sources, the sewage treatment strategy should be improved to the level of "energy positive". The core processes for the energy positive sewage treatment include A-stage for energy recovery and B-stage for energy-efficient nitrogen removal. The integrated process is known as the A/B-process. In A-stage, chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT) or high rate activated sludge (HRAS) processes can be utilized by modifying the primary settling in the first stage of sewage treatment. CEPT utilizes chemical coagulation and flocculation, while HRAS applies returned activated sludge for the efficient recovery of organic contents. The two processes showed organic recovery efficiencies ranging from 60 to 70 %. At a given recovery efficiency of 80 %, 17.3 % of energy potential ($1,398kJ/m^3$) is recovered through the anaerobic digestion and combustion of methane. Besides, anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) can recover 85% of organic contents and generate $1,580kJ/m^3$ from the sewage. The recovered energy is equal to the amount of energy consumption by sewage treatment equipped with anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX)-based B-stage, $810{\sim}1,620kJ/m^3$. Therefore, it is possible to upgrade STPs as efficient as energy neutral. However, additional novel technologies, such as, fuel cell and co-digestion, should be applied to achieve "energy positive" sewage treatment.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.603-608
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• 2009

Activated sludge sewage treatment processes are difficult to be controlled because of their complex and nonlinear behaviour, however, the control of the dissolved oxygen level in the reactors plays an important role in the operation of the facility. For this reason, this study is designed to present a system which accurately measures DO, MLSS, pH and ORP in the aeration tank to alleviate situations above and provide the automatization of a sewage treatment plant (STP) using new DO control system. The automatic control systems must be guaranteed the accuracy. Therefore, the proposed automatic DO control system in this study could be commercial applications in the aeration tanks by means of operating cost analysis and user-friendly for operation and maintenance. We could get accurate data from the lab tank which has water quality checker because there was no vortex and air bubble during the measurement process. Improvement of confidence in the lab tank enabled effective and automatic operation of sewage treatment plants so that operation costs and manpower could be saved. If this result is put in place in every sewage treatment plant nationwide for practical purposes, it is estimated to cost 18.5 million dollars in installing the lab tank and to save 9.8 million dollars in management cost a year, except for cost saved by automation.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.20-31
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• 2021

In this study, an analysis of the characteristics of organic matter and nitrogenous oxygen demand (NOD) of 17 sewage effluent and wastewater treatments was conducted. High CODMn and carbonaceous biological oxygen demand (CBOD) concentrations were observed in the livestock treatment plants (LTP), wastewater treatment plants(WTP), and night soil treatment plants (NTP), but the highest NOD concentration and contribution rates of NOD to BOD5 were found in sewage treatment plants (STP). There was no significant difference in the CBOD/CODMn ratio for each of the six pollution source groups, but the LTPs, WTPs, and NTPs all showed relatively high CODMn concentrations in their effluent samples, indicating that they are facilities which discharge large amounts of refractory organic matter. The seasonal change of NOD in all facilities' effluent was found to be larger than the seasonal change of CBOD, and data results also revealed an elevation of NOD and NH3-N concentration from December to February, when the water temperature was low. There was no significant difference in NH3-N concentration in relation to pollution source group (p=0.08, one-way ANOVA), but the STP, which had a high NOD contribution rate to BOD5 of 48%, showed a high correlation between BOD5 and NOD (r2=0.95, p<0.0001). These results suggest that the effect of NOD on BOD5 is an important factor to be considered when analyzing STP effluent.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.211-218
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• 2007

The objectives of this study have been carried out to investigate the solubilization of municipal sewage sludge by single and dual frequency ultrasonic pretreatment, and the methane production characteristics of pretreated sewage sludge by specific methanogenic activity test for sewage sludge reduction. The waste activated sludge was collected from thickened tank of Suyoung sewage treatment plant in Busan city, and its concentration was adjusted to 1.0% total solids. Ultrasonic frequency was varied 15, 20, 15+20 kHz, and acoustic density was used a maximum 176W/L. The dual frequency ultrasonic pretreatment was found to be more effective than single frequency ultrasonic in the solubilization rate and methane production. The $SCOD_{Cr}/TCOD_{Cr}$, rate were 15.2%, 13.9%, 17.0% with single frequency of 15 kH2, 20 kHz, dual frequency of 15+20 kHz, respectively. The application of dual frequency ultrasound for sewage sludge pretreatment can be interest for sewage treatment plants having problems in sludge treatment and disposal.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.778-784
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• 2009

The purpose of this study is to figure out the differences of the inflow rates of Sewage Treatment Plants (STP), invested by public fund or public-private partnership (PPP). This paper finds that the average ratio of sewage inflow according to facility capacities (medium and small scale STP) was either nearly below 30% or above 100% in the first year. As the size of STP increased, there was decrease in the accuracy of demand assumption. This was because the operation time when the ratio of sewage inflow was uniform was different according to the size of STP, whereby the time was short when the STP were small. The design average ratio of sewage inflow was 10% larger than the real average ratio; this was considered overdesigned. In the case of a plant built by the PPP scheme, the average ratio of inflow of the STP before an abolition of MRG was larger than after the abolition of MRG. This may be explained by moral hazard from too much reliance on MRG. After the abolition of MRG, the demand risk of PPP was shifted from a PPP project to a conventional project.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.99-107
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• 2018

In order to design the improvement process for T-N removal, the treatment process of Suyoung, Gangbyeon, and Noxan sewage treatment plants (STP) in Busan was anlayzed. Suyoung STP shows a T-N removal efficiency of about 69.8% with MLE(Modified Ludzack ettinger) and A2O+MBR. However, it is necessary to improve the process to maintain over DO of 1 mg/L and is required to install a flow control tank to minimize the rainfall effect. Gangbyun STP shows a about 70.2% T-N removal efficiency with A2O+GFF(gravity fiber filtration). However, in order to improve T-N removal efficiency, it is needed to install MLE process to treat recycle water. Noksan STP shows a T-N removal efficiency of about 71.0% with MLE+Chemical treatment and shows stable T-N concentration in effluent. However, it is required a toxic chemical management process because bad wastewater flows into the STP, also is necessary a process improvement in order to increase internal recycling ratio. Especially, it is required a process improvement to increase HRT of nitrification tank because Suyoung and Gangbyeon STPs shows low nitrification efficiency during winter season.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.373-382
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• 2013

In this study, a biological odor treatment system was proposed to remove odor(foul smell) materials causing several problems in the closed sewage treatment plant. This odor treatment system was composed of a two-step biofilter system in one reactor. The two-step biofilter reactor was constructed with natural purification layer in upper part and artificial purification layer in lower part. The reed grasses of water purification plants were planted in the surface area and mixed porous ceramic media were filled with the lower part of biofilter reactor. By using the above experimental apparatus, the ammonia gas removal efficiency was attained to 98.3 % and the hydrogen sulfide gas removal efficiency was appeared more than 97.7 % which shows more effective than the conventional odor removal process.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.523-532
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• 2011

In this study, from 2004 to 2008 influents and discharging effluents from 241 municipal public sewage treatment plants were surveyed. Statistics including average, Coefficient of Variation (CV) and Coefficient of Reliability (COR) for each season, time series analysis for removal efficiency and water quality of effluents, and a comparison of the effluent standards in Korea and other countries were presented. The average concentrations of TN and TP in influents. during winter season were 32.6 and 3.78 mg/L and during other season were 30.8 and 3.61 mg/L in 2008, respectively. The average TN concentration on the basis of the maximum monthly concentrations in the effluents during winter season ranged from 14.2~17.4 mg/L and during other season ranged from 12.2~14.8 mg/L. The TP concentration in the effluents depending on the each season was no big difference. TN removal efficiency decreased from Jan. to Feb. and TP removal efficiency decreased in Jan., Jun and July. Maximum COR during winter season were 0.61 but the COR for TN and TP during other season ranged from 0.96~1.48 and 1.09~1.81, respectively, due to big difference in the standard for TN and TP in effluents depending on the season. TN and TP standards for effluent of sewage treatment during winter season in Korea was much higher than those in other countries. Therefore the lower effluent standards during winter season is essential for the water quality improvement.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.200-207
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• 2010

The sewage treatment plants to be built to improve the water quality of the Mankyung River will total 11, of which combined capacity will reach $39,850m^3/day$, and saying in detail, 5 at Gunsan city, 2 at Iksan city, 1 at Kimje city and 3 at Wanju gun, The scenario for water quality improvement was developed, considering the conditions of plant operation ratio and the accomplishment of the water quality target (BOD 4.4 mg/L, T-P 0.356 mg/L) at the end of the watershed of Mankyung B was predicted, making use of QUAL2E model. As a result of prediction using QUAL2E model based on scenarios with 70% and 100% of operation ratio, respectively, at 11 plants in 2010, the water quality at the watershed of Mankyung B was estimated at 4.322 mg/L which was lower than the target of BOD 4.4 mg/L, indicating the target water quality was achieved, when it comes to 70% of operation ratio, But in case of T-P, it was estimated at 0.565 mg/L, which was higher than the target. When it comes to 100% of operation ratio, T-P also was 0.563 mg/L which exceeded the target, 0.356 mg/L. As indicated above, the effect of water quality improvement appeared very insignificant, which was attributable to the limit of small scale sewage treatment plant in total reduction capacity. Hence, the measures for additional reduction in a bid to achieve the target water quality of T-P at the designated location need to be taken, and the measures to build the Sewage treatment facilities at the place where the pollution is significantly caused by T-P appeared to be required as well.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.233-239
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• 2008

In order to improve reactor performance of existing sewage treatment plants, the feasibility of enhancing reactor performance by bioaugmentation using EM as bioaugmentation agent and the effects of anoxic: oxic time ratio on reactor performance were investigated. Continuous and intermittent aeration modes were compared under the 6 hr of HRT. Three different types of intermittent aeration modes, that is, 15 min, of anoxic:45 min of oxic, 30 min of anoxic: 30 min of oxic, and 45 min of anoxic: 15 min oxic respectively were chosen as test modes to study the effects of anoxic : oxic time ratios on reactor performance. The optimum anoxic: oxic time ratio was 30 min:30 min when considering simultaneous removal of organic, nitrogen and phosphorus. When applying EM into a continuously aerated reactor under the varying dosing rates of 50-200 ppm, reactor performance in terms of organic and nitrogen removal efficiencies was not improved at all. Nitrogen removal efficiency was increase when the EM dosing rate was increased. However the degree of improvement was slight when the EM was injected above 100 ppm. However optimum phosphorus removal was found at the EM dosing of 200 ppm. Thus it was found that optimum injection concentration of EM is 200 ppm. It is apparent that putting EM into a sewage treatment plant significantly affects the T-N removal efficiency of the reactor by enhancing denitrification efficiency especially in operational conditions of relatively long anoxic periods. To achieve reciprocal condition in a reactor with intermittent aeration it is necessary to enhance the reactor performance by EM injection. In the case of modifying existing continuously aerated reactors into intermittent aerated reactors, it is obvious that operating costs of aeration would be reduced by reducing aeration time when compared with existing conventional sewage treatment plants.