• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.186-194
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• 2009

Understanding the environmental fate of human and animal pharmaceuticals and their risk assessment are of great importance due to their growing environmental concerns. Although there are many potential pathways for them to reach the environment, effluents from sewage treatment plants (STPs) are recognized as major point sources. In this study, the removal efficiencies of the 43 selected priority pharmaceuticals in a conventional STP were evaluated using two simple models: an equilibrium partitioning model (EPM) and STPWIN$^{TM}$ program developed by US EPA. It was expected that many pharmaceuticals are not likely to be removed by conventional activated sludge processes because of their relatively low sorption potential to suspended sludge and low biodegradability. Only a few pharmaceuticals were predicted to be easily removed by sorption or biodegradation, and hence a conventional STP may not protect the environment from the release of unwanted pharmaceuticals. However, the prediction made in this study strongly relies on sorption coefficient to suspended sludge and biodegradation half-lives, which may vary significantly depending on models. Removal efficiencies predicted using the EPM were typically higher than those predicted by STPWIN for many hydrophilic pharmaceuticals due to the difference in prediction method for sorption coefficients. Comparison with experimental organic carbon-water partition coefficients ($K_{ocs}) revealed that log KOW-based estimation used in STPWIN is likely to underestimate sorption coefficients, thus resulting low removal efficiency by sorption. Predicted values by the EPM were consistent with limited experimental data although this model does not include biodegradation processes, implying that this simple model can be very useful with reliable Koc values. Because there are not many experimental data available for priority pharmaceuticals to evaluate the model performance, it should be important to obtain reliable experimental data including sorption coefficients and biodegradation rate constants for the prediction of the fate of the selected pharmaceuticals.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.177-188
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• 2010

The use of an activated carbon (AC) system alone has the limitation that the pollutants are not eliminated but only transferred to another phase with the consumed AC becoming hazardous waste itself. Therefore, the present study investigated the feasibility of using a combined system of granular AC (GAC) with S-doped visible-light-induced $TiO_2$ (GAC/S-doped $TiO_2$) to clean monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (MAHs) with concentrations at $\leq$ 3 mg $m^{-3}$, using a continuous air-flow reactor. This study conducted three different experiments: an adsorption test of pure GAC and GAC/S-doped $TiO_2$; a long-term adsorptional photocatalytic (AP) activity test of GAC/S-doped $TiO_2$; and an AP activity test of GAC/S-doped $TiO_2$ under different conditions. For the AP activity test, three parameters were evaluated: various weights of GAC/S-doped $TiO_2$ (0.9, 4.4, and 8.9 g); various flow rates (FRs) (0.5, 1 and 2 L $min^{-1}$); and various input concentrations (ICs) of the target MAHs (0.1, 1, 2 and 3 mg $m^{-3}$). The adsorption efficiencies were similar for the pure GAC and GAC/S-doped $TiO_2$ reactors, suggesting that S-doped $TiO_2$ particles on GAC surfaces do not significantly interfere with the adsorption capacity of GAC. Benzene exhibited a clear AP activity, whereas no other target MAHs did. In most cases, the AP efficiencies for the target MAHs did not significantly vary with an increase in weight, thereby suggesting that, under the weight range tested in this study, the weights or FRs are not important parameters for AP efficiency. However, ICs did influence the AP efficiencies.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.24-31
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• 2004

This study was initiated to evaluate the efficiencies of DEPHANOX and Modified-DEPHANOX, which were devoloped to enhance nitrogen removal efficiency in municipal wastewater treatment. In the results, removal efficiency of organic matters was not affected much by increased loading rate of organic matters which is contained in influent. The nitrogen removal efficiencies according to the loading rate of influent TN was decreased drastically in conditions of over $0.2kg/m^3{\cdot}day$, which is T-N loading rate, and the DEPHANOX process was affected more sensitively than the M-DEPHANOX was. When the temperature was altered from $25^{\circ}C$ to $16^{\circ}C$ at HRT 6hrs, the removal efficiency of ammonia nitrogen was still over 90% and it was concluded that both DEPHANOX and M-DEPHANOX were strong enough to endure temperature variation. Moreover, both processes showed over 90% in ammonia removal efficiencies in over HRT 5hrs, so it was concluded that they were strong in HRT variation. M-DEPHANOX process showed a higher value than DEPHANOX did in T-N removal efficiency to the extent of 4~21 %, which resulted from differency of denitrification rates and the biosorption efficiency of organic matter in both processes. In the condition of HRT less than 4hrs, concentrations of ammonia nitrogen contained in effluents and nitrification reactors, might be sensitively affected by biosorption efficiency of organic matters in first separation tank. In the effect of effluent nitrate concentration in phosphorus removal, the more effluent nitrate concentration was decreased, the more phosphorus removal efficiency was increased. This result is related to the decrease of concentration of effluent nitrate which resulted from nitrification inhibition by decreased HRT.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.54-61
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• 1998

This study was conducted in order to evaluate the treatment efficiencies of anaerobic packed and fluidized-bed biofilm and to investigate applicability in treating livestock wastewater. Biocarbonate alkalinity(BA) and volatile fatty acid(VFA) were about 3,230-3,270 mg/l, 3,790-3,126 mg/l(as CaCO$_3$) and 224-402 mg/l, 141-387 mg/l(as CH$_3$COOH), and VFA/BA ratio was about 0.069~0.12, 0.045-0.12 in packed and fluidized-bed biofilm. When COD loading rate was 6.0 kg COD/$m^3\cdot$ day in packed and fluidized-bed biofilm, methane gas production were 3.23 l/day and 4.38 l/day, respectively. In the same COD loading rate, methane gas production volumes per kg COD removal were 0.25 m$^3$ CH$_4$/kg COD$_{rm}$ and $0.28 m^3 CH_4/kg COD^{rm}$, respectively. At this time, it could be estimated that fluidized-bed biofilm was more high. In case of HRT 0.94 day(6.0 kg COD/$m^3\cdot$ day) and 11 day(0.5 kg COD/$m^3\cdot$ day), packed-bed biofilm showed 59% and 81% COD removal efficiency, respectively. While fluidized-bed biofilm showed 72% and 85% removal efficiency, respectively. It was showed that fluidized-bed biofilm was more efficient. Packed-bed biofilm was higher than fluidized in treatment efficiencies of organic matters, but required continuous treatment using combined system, because it was very exceeded over an environmental standard solidified from '96 year. In operating fluidized-bed biofilm, if farm house consider high power cost according to high circulation ratio in an economic point of view, it would have an effect that farm house use packed-bed biofilm as combined system in treating livestock wastewater.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.12 no.7
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• pp.284-294
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• 2012

In the study, we estimate efficiencies using CCR model of DEA, Super efficiency(AP) model, and super-SBM model with the data of 32 regional public hospitals in Korea from 205 to 2009. With Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney statistics, we analyze efficiency differences for environmental factors(regions, type of hospital, type of operations, type of education training, relative importance of madicaids) among regional public hospitals. The results can be summarized as follows. Firstly, technical inefficiencies of regional public hospitals range from 15% to 17% in CCR model, 13% to 15% in AP model, 7% to 12.6% in SuperSBM model. Second, we confirm that environmental factors of hospitals cause different inefficiencies among them. The implication of this study is that policy and institutional change may need to improve the efficiencies along with internal managerial reform.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.611-620
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• 2018

In this study, a metal-organic framework (MOF) material $NH_2$-MIL-101(Fe) was synthesized using the solvothermal method, and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV-visible spectrophotometry, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and surface area measurements. The XRD pattern of the synthesized $NH_2$-MIL-101(Fe) was similar to the previously reported patterns of MIL-101 type materials, which indicated the successful synthesis of $NH_2$-MIL-101(Fe). The FT-IR spectrum showed the molecular structure and functional groups of the synthesized $NH_2$-MIL-101(Fe). The UV-visible absorbance spectrum indicated that the synthesized material could be activated as a photocatalyst under visible light irradiation. FE-SEM and TEM images showed the formation of hexagonal microspindle structures in the synthesized $NH_2$-MIL-101(Fe). Furthermore, the EDS spectrum indicated that the synthesized material consisted of Fe, N, O, and C elements. The synthesized $NH_2$-MIL-101(Fe) was then employed as an adsorbent and photocatalyst for the removal of Indigo carmine and Rhodamine B from aqueous solutions. The initial 30 min of adsorption for Indigo carmine and Rhodamine B without light irradiation achieved removal efficiencies of 83.6% and 70.7%, respectively. The removal efficiencies thereafter gradually increased with visible light irradiation for 180 min, and the overall removal efficiencies for Indigo carmine and Rhodamine B were 94.2% and 83.5%, respectively. These results indicate that the synthesized MOF material can be effectively applied as an adsorbent and photocatalyst for the removal of dyes.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.46-55
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• 2013

The main objective was to evaluate the efficiencies of different separation techniques, such as gravity separation, magnetic separation, and aerial separation. Zinc and cadmium removal efficiencies by gravity separation and magnetic separation were 28.3~29.3% and 19.1%, respectively, and were higher than the efficiency obtained by aerial separation. Results showed that the combination of gravity separation and magnetic separation in series which was to maximize the removal efficiencies gave removal efficiency of 21.5~38.7% for zinc and 22.1~23.4% for cadmium. The mass of soil meeting the regulation standards for zinc and cadmium after retrieval from the combined separation process accounted for approximately 80% of the treated soil that would be reusable without the pre-treatment procedure as the neutralization process using in the soil washing method. Physical separation techniques utilizing heavy metal properties are the alternative method to remediate heavy-metal contaminated soils in environmental and economic aspects.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.29 no.12
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• pp.1213-1222
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• 2020

In the current study, a Cu2O/TiO2 photoinduced nanocomposite materials prepared by ultrasonification method was evaluated the photocatalytic oxidation efficiency of volatile organic compounds (BTEX) under visible-light irradiation. The results of XRD confirmed the successful preparation of photoinduced nanocomposite materials. However, diffraction peaks belonging to TiO2 were not confirmed for the Cu2O/TiO2. The possible reason for the absence of Cu2O peak is their low content and small particle size. The result of uv-vis spectra exhibited that the fabricated Cu2O/TiO2 can be activated under visible light irradiation. The FE-SEM/EDS and TEM showed the formation of synthesized nanocomposites and componential analysis in the undoped TiO2 and Cu2O/TiO2. The photocatalytic oxidation efficiencies of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and o-xylene with Cu2O/TiO2 were higher than undoped TiO2. According to light sources, the average oxidation efficiencies for BTEX by Cu2OT-0.5 were exhibited in the orer of 8 W day light > violet LEDs > white LEDs. However, the photocatalytic oxidation efficiencies normalized to supplied electric power were calculated to be in the following order of violet LEDs > white LEDs > 8 W day light, indicating that the LEDs could be a much more energy efficient light source for the photo-oxidation of gaseous BTEX using Cu2O/TiO2.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.29 no.12
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• pp.1337-1344
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• 2007

In this research, we synthesized potassium ferrate(VI) acting as an oxidant, disinfectant, and coagulant, and used it to treat natural organic matter(NOM, HA and FA) in river water. The removal efficiencies obtained by $UV_{254}$ ranged from 20.7 to 73.6% for 10 mg/L HA and from 52.6 to 77.5% for 10 mg/L FA in Nakdong river sample as the ferrate dose varied from 2 to 46 mg/L(as Fe). However, the removal efficiencies by TOC analysis ranged from 0 to 20.3% for HA and from 0 to 26.6% for FA at the same ferrate doses. The removal efficiencies of NOM increased either with decreasing pH or with increasing temperature. The removal efficiency of HA by ferrate was comparable to those by traditional coagulants such as $Al_2(SO_4)_3{\cdot}18H_2O$, $FeSO_4{\cdot}7H_2O$, and FeO(OH). The reaction between ferrate and HA reached a steady state within 60 seconds, showing first-order with respect to the reaction time. The removal efficiencies of HA by traditional coagulants were improved by pretreatment of HA using a small amount of ferrate.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.33 no.10
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• pp.709-716
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• 2011

Effect of inorganic coagulants dosing on the performance of electro-chemical process was studied when treating hospital wastewater having low electrolyte concentration. It is thought that adding inorganic coagulants caused increase in concentration of electrolyte and this caused increase in free chloride concentration and consequently, caused increase in indirect oxidation effect. Thus, COD removal efficiencies more than doubled in percentage terms at the 2 hrs of reaction time and current density of $1.76A/dm^2$ compared with the results obtained from the parallel experiments without adding inorganic coagulants. T-N removal efficiencies approximately doubled in percentage terms at the 2 hrs of reaction time and 700 ppm of coagulants addition and applied current density of $1.76A/dm^2$ due to the increase of free residual chlorine such as HOCl caused by increase of electrolyte concentration through the addition of inorganic coagulants. Under the same experimental condition, more than 90% of T-P removal efficiencies was obtained. The reason can be explained that increase of chemical adsorption rate between phosphate and insoluble metal compounds caused by dissolved oxygen generated from anode by the increased electrolyte concentration through inorganic coagulants addition make a major role in improving T-P removal efficiencies. It can be concluded that inorganic coagulants addition as the supplemental agent of electrolyte is effective way in improving organic and nutrient salt removal efficiency when treating hospital wastewater having low electrolyte concentration.