• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.38-44
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• 2015

In Korea, most rainfall events occur during summer which then leads to an increasing concern regarding high influx of non-point source pollutants since the pollutant loadings from these non-point sources are very significant. In particular, the first flush of roof-harvested rainfall is said to contain the most highest concentration of nutrients and heavy metals. Accordingly, it is important to develope the possible water quality management options in treating the contaminants and considering reclaimed water reuse. The rain garden could be one of suitable alternatives in addressing this issue. In this study, the development of an effective adsorption media and its application to a lab-scale rain garden was tested to evaluate the removal rate of various nutrient and organic matter (TN, TP, CODcr), and heavy metals (Cu, Cd, Pb). Results showed that carbonized peatmoss produced at higher temperature have better adsorption capacity as compared to the one produced at a lower temperature. When the carbonized peatmoss was applied as rain garden media, the highest removal of TN, TP, and CODcr was observed compared to no carbonized peatmoss applied rain garden. Therefore, this study showed that the carbonized peatmoss would be effectively applied to the rain garden for removing nutrients and heavy metals from roof-harvested rainwater.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.45-64
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• 2020

Objectives: Limited information is available on the presence and associated ecological risks of pharmaceutical residues in aquatic environments near pharmaceutical manufacturing areas in Korea. In this study, we investigated the current state of pharmaceutical contamination and its associated ecological risks in streams near a pharmaceutical manufacturing complex. Methods: Seven pharmaceuticals (acetaminophen, clarithromycin, diclofenac, diphenhydramine, ibuprofen, mefenamic acid and roxithromycin) were measured in water samples collected from the streams near a pharmaceutical manufacturing complex. A predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC) was derived using either the assessment factor method or species sensitivity distribution method. In addition, a hazard quotient for each pharmaceutical was calculated by dividing its measured environmental concentration by its PNEC. Results: Samples collected downstream from the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) had higher concentrations of pharmaceuticals than those collected from the reference site (upstream). Moreover, pharmaceutical concentrations were greater in ambient water than in the final effluent from the WWTP, which suggested that non-point sources were contributing to the contamination of the ambient water environment. Some of the target pharmaceuticals exhibited a hazard quotient >1, indicating that their potential ecological effects on the aquatic environment near the pharmaceutical industrial area should not be ignored. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the pharmaceutical manufacturing area was contaminated with residual drugs, and that there was a possible non-point source near the WWTP effluent discharge area. The results of this study will aid in the development of management plans for pharmaceuticals, particularly in hotspots such as pharmaceutical industrial sites and their vicinities.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.95-101
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• 2014

Nonpoint pollution sources from agricultural activities are a major cause of water quality impairment. A nutrient management program utilizes farm practices that maintain efficient crop production systems and control agricultural nonpoint pollution sources. The objectives of present study were to identify appropriate best management practices (BMPs) according to changes of cropping system of main upland crop for reducing AGNPs loadings and to simulate the effects of the application of the several BMPs scenarios in Saemangeum watershed. The selected BMP scenarios were: 1) to convert naked barley and hulled barley to hairy vetch or chinese milk vetch, 2) to convert red pepper to soybean crop, and 3) to combine two scenarios, converting naked barley and hulled barley to hairy vetch or chinese milk vetch + converting red pepper to soybean crop. As a result of BMPs application, the crop requirement of nitrogen and phosphorus for upland crop reduced nitrogen by 41% and phosphorus by 47% in scenario 1, whereas scenario 2 reduced nitrogen by 30% and phosphorus by 23%. Overall, scenario 3 reduced nitrogen by 72% and phosphorus by 70% in agricultural non-point pollution sources associated with chemical fertilizer and livestock manure in Saemangeum watershed.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.247-255
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• 2016

Non-point pollutants from surface runoff during rainfall exert adverse effects on urban river water quality management. In particular, the first flush effect during the initial phase of rainfall can deliver significant amounts of pollutant loads to surface waters with extremely high concentrations. In this study, a sustainable first flush effect management system was developed by using settling and filtration that require no additional power or chemicals. A pilot scale experiment has shown that the removal of total suspended solid (TSS), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) are in ranges of 84 - 95%, 31 - 46%, and 42 - 86%, respectively. An Integrated Stormwater Runoff Management System (ISTORMS) was also developed to efficiently manage the developed system by linking weather forecast, flow rate and water quality modeling of surface runoff and automatic monitoring systems in fields and in the system. This study can provide effective solutions for the management of urban river in terms of both quantity and quality.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.40 no.2 s.175
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• pp.183-190
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• 2007

Soil layer in vegetation filter strip is one of the very important factor for reduction of non-point pollutants by physical, chemical and biological reactions of it through infiltration process. This study was carried out to prepare more effective vegetation filter strip through modification of soil layer for river water quality improvement. Therefore, the main aims of this study are to compare and evaluate normal (straighten type) and modified (step type) vegetation filter strip, which make artificially change the soil layer to improve infiltration ability, through bench scale experiments. In the results of this study, vegetation filter strip of step type is much more highly reduction effectiveness of pollutants in surface flow compared with normal vegetation filter strip. In case of below effluent, however, it appeared that the vegetation filter strip modified soil layer showed lower reduction effectiveness of pollutants than the general vegetation filter strip. This result was judged because effluent through the vegetation filter strip of step type passed bigger size of aggregate or sand than the vegetation filter strip of straighten type. If we compare it as a definition of pollutant load to estimate total amount of reduced pollutants by vegetation filter strip, reduced pollutants load by step type showed higher than those by straighten type because below effluent amount relied on total effluent amount was higher at step type (4%) than at straighten type (2%). In conclusion, the vegetation filter strip of step type to improve infiltration effect is much more reduction effectiveness of pollutants than vegetation filter strip of straighten type.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.221-229
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• 2023

Extracted from the metropolitan area, the Paldang Lake, which supplies approximately 8 million tons of water, has achieved a BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) of 1.1 mg/L as a result of water quality preservation policies. However, concerning the COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) component that encompasses refractory organic matter, there has been an observable upward trend in concentration. The introduction of refractory organic matter into the water source of Paldang Lake brings potential increments in BOD, generates off-putting tastes and odors in tap water, increases THM (Trihalomethane) formation, and triggers algae proliferation. Moreover, if residual hazardous refractory pollutants persist in aquatic environments, they may induce endocrine disruption and phenomena such as antibiotic resistance. In this study, a monitoring campaign was executed to discern the concentration of refractory organic matter emissions from point and non-point sources within Paldang Lake and its upstream region, with the aim of managing refractory organic matter in Paldang Lake. By comparing refractory organic matter emission concentrations across monitored areas, the elimination efficiency at wastewater treatment plants was assessed. Additionally, employing the Pearson correlation correlation analysis technique, correlations among refractory organic matter indices, antecedent wet days, and antecedent dry days were explored. The concentrations of refractory organic matter in rivers and Paldang Lake exhibited a similar pattern. Wastewater treatment plant effluents exhibited higher concentrations compared to rivers and Paldang Lake. The assessment of refractory organic matter removal at wastewater treatment plants indicated a removal efficiency of 65.73%. However, no significant correlation emerged between refractory organic matter emission concentration and antecedent wet days or priory antecedent dry days. This absence of correlation is attributed to data scarcity, underscoring the need for long-term monitoring and data accumulation.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.400-407
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• 2011

To evaluate the aquatic ecological characteristics in Sinpyongcheon constructed wetlands for treating nonpoint source pollution, the removal rates of nutrients in water, the total amounts of T-N and T-P uptakes by water plants, and chemical characteristics of T-N and T-P in sediment were investigated. The concentrations of BOD, COD, SS, T-N and T-P in inflow were 0.07~1.47, 0.60~2.65, 0.50~4.60, 1.38~6.26 and $0.08{\sim}0.32mg\;L^{-1}$, respectively. The removal rates of BOD, COD, SS, T-N, and T-P were 14%, 6%, 18%, 24%, and 10%, respectively. The maximum amount of T-N uptake by water plants in August was $813mg\;plant^{-1}$ for Phragmites communis TRIV in $2^{nd}$ bed, $1,172mg\;plant^{-1}$ for Typha orientalis PRESL in $3^{rd}$ bed, respectively. The maximum amount of T-P uptake by water plants in August was $247mg\;plant^{-1}$ for Phragmites communis TRIV in $2^{nd}$ bed, $359mg\;plant^{-1}$ for Typha orientalis PRESL in $3^{rd}$ bed, respectively. Organic matter, T-N, and T-P contents in sediments were high in the order of $1^{st}$ bed > $2^{nd}$ bed > $3^{rd}$ bed. Microbial biomass C/N/P ratios in sediments in $1^{st}$, $2^{nd}$, and $3^{rd}$ were 78~110/3~6/1, 73~204/1~6/1, and 106~169/1~6/1, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.102-114
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• 2013

The basin of Lake Shihwa is one of highly industrialized region of Korea and a current environmental issue of study area is the operation of tidal power plant (TPP) to improve water quality. The application of water quality index (WQI) which integrates five physiochemical parameters (transparency, DO, DIN, DIP and chlorophyll-a) of water quality in Lake Shihwa and outer sea during 2011~2012 were performed not only to evaluate the spatial and temporal distribution of the water quality but also to assess the effect of water quality improvement by the operation of tidal power plant. The higher WQI values were observed in monitored sites near the industrial complexes in Lake Shihwa and the outfall of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in outer sea. This indicates that the quality of seawater is influenced by diffuse non-point sources from industrial, municipal and agricultural areas in Lake Shihwa and by point sources from the effluence of municipal and industrial wastewater throughout WWTPs in outer sea. Mean WQI value decreased from 53.0 in 2011 to 42.8 in 2012 of Lake Shihwa. Water quality has improved significantly after TPP operation because enhancement of seawater exchange between Lake Shihwa and outer sea leads to improve a hypoxic condition which is primarily a problem in Lake Shihwa. Mean WQI of outer sea showed similar values between 2011 and 2012. However, the results of hierarchical cluster analysis and the deterioration of water quality in summer season indicate that the operation of tidal power plant was not improved the water quality in the upper most area of Lake Shihwa. To successfully improve overall water quality of Lake Shihwa, it is urgently necessary to manage and reduce of non-point pollution sources of the basin of Lake Shihwa.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.342-349
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• 2016

Andong belongs to the Nakdong River Basin, Nakdong River is flowing through the city, including Andong dam and Imha dam. The runoff due to provincial transfer and impervious area has been increasing by urbanization increases and nonpoint source loads. In this study, we evaluate the runoff and nonpoint pollution loads in accordance with the development targeted at selected urban water cycle leading to Andong city. Andong city leading to the water cycle plan to evaluate the directly runoff and BOD, T-N and T-P nonpoint pollutant loads using the CN into account the temporal and spatial changes. Evaluation, direct runoff per year is 10.41 % if the green roof and a water permeable pavement replacement, water cycle parks and streets compositions, City impermeable layer improvements to be business including four kinds of scenario is applied to both the development and the BOD non-point pollutant loads 20.56%, T-N 9.55% and T-P pollution and nonpoint loads was investigated to be reduced 14.29%. Four kinds of low lapse rate of the development scenario of the highest thing urban impervious surface was investigated by improving business development prior year annual direct runoff is 6.25 %, BOD nonpoint pollution loads are 11.84%, T-N nonpoint pollution loads are 4.46 % and T-P was investigated by reducing pollutant loads to be 10.20%.