• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.63-70
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• 2010

In this study, the response surface method and experimental design were applied as an alternative to conventional methods for the optimization of coagulation tests. A central composite design, with 4 axial points, 4 factorial points and 5 replicates at the center point were used to build a model for predicting and optimizing the coagulation process. Mathematical model equations were derived by computer simulation programming with a least squares method using the Minitab 15 software. In these equations, the removal efficiencies of turbidity and total organic carbon (TOC) were expressed as second-order functions of two factors, such as alum dose and coagulation pH. Statistical checks (ANOVA table, $R^2$ and $R^2_{adj}$ value, model lack of fit test, and p value) indicated that the model was adequate for representing the experimental data. The p values showed that the quadratic effects of alum dose and coagulation pH were highly significant. In other words, these two factors had an important impact on the turbidity and TOC of treated water. To gain a better understanding of the two variables for optimal coagulation performance, the model was presented as both 3-D response surface and 2-D contour graphs. As a compromise for the simultaneously removal of maximum amounts of 92.5% turbidity and 39.5% TOC, the optimum conditions were found with 44 mg/L alum at pH 7.6. The predicted response from the model showed close agreement with the experimental data ($R^2$ values of 90.63% and 91.43% for turbidity removal and TOC removal, respectively), which demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach in achieving good predictions, while minimizing the number of experiments required.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.743-750
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• 2008

In water treatment plant the Dissolved Ozone Flotation(DOF) System may be employed because this system has various abilities, such that it can remove SS using microbubbles, and it can exert strong oxidation power in removing taste and odor, color, and microbial agents. In order to investigate effectiveness of the DOF system in water treatment, removal characteristics of various water quality parameters were observed depending on the different levels of ozone concentrations. Removal efficiencies of water quality parameters in DOF system were compared with those in DAF(Dissolved Air Flotation) system and in CGS(Conventional Gravity Settling) system. Optimum ozone dose obtained in the pilot experiments was 2.7 mg/L. With increasing ozone dose higher than 2.7 mg/L, removal rates of turbidity, KMnO$_4$ consumption, UV$_{254}$ absorbance, and TOC were reversely lowered. High concentration of ozone dissociate organic matter in water, so that increasing dissolved organic level in effluent. Removal rates of water quality parameters at optimum ozone dose were obtained, such that removal rates of turbidity, KMnO$_4$ consumption, TOC, and UV$_{254}$ asorbance were 88.9%, 62.9%, 47%, and 77.3% respectively. Removal rate of THMFP was 51.6%. For all the parameters listed above, the DOF system was more effective than the DAF system or the CGS system. It is found that the DOF system may be used in advanced water treatment not only because the DOF system is more efficient in removing water quality parameters than the existing systems, but because the DOF system is also required smaller area than the CGS system for the treatment plant.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.99-105
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• 1998

This research explored the feasibility of preparing and utilizing a preformed polymeric solution of Al(III) for coagulation in water treatment. Slow base(NaOH) injection into supersaturated aluminum chloride solutions did produce high yields of the type of Al polymers useful to water treatment applications. PACl's characteristic analysis showed that the quantity of polymeric Al produced at value of $r(OH_{added}/Al)=2.2$ was 83% of the total aluminum in solution, as showing maximum contents and precipitate was dramatically increased when r was increased above 2.35. And PACl was stable during sitoring period so aging effect was negligible. Results of the coagulation of Nakdong river waters with three PACls showed that the effectiveness of the three coagulants can be considered as r = 2.2 > r = 2.0 > r = 2.35 which are also the order of higher polymeric aluminum contents. Coagulation results for synthetic water exhibited optimum dose of 0.25mM Al, for three PACls, but above optimum dose, r = 2.0 and 2.2 PACl impaired the coagulation and sedimentation of turbidity and humic acid because of the restabilization of particulate. The effect of pH for on coagulation of Nak Dong River water showed that it had much effect turbidity and TOC removal, especially near pH 7. But pH effect was little for turbidity and TOC removal when r = 2.35 PACl was used for coagulation, that PACl had much more precipitates content.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.861-871
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• 2005

This study was carried out to get more operational characteristics of Anoxic(anaerobic)-Oxic-Anoxic-Oxic $(AO)_2$ sequencing batch biofilm reactors (SBBRs) at the low TOC concentration, The operating time in anoxic (anaerobic) time to oxic time was I : I. Experiments were conducted to find the effects of the aeration time distribution on the organic matters and nutrients removal. Three lab-scale reactors were fed with synthetic wastewater based on glucose as carbon source. During studies, the operation mode was fixed. The first aeration time to the second aeration time in SBBR-I was 2 : 3, and those in SBBR-2 and SBBR-3 were I : 4 and 3 : 2, respectively. The organic removal efficiency didn't show large difference among three reactors of different aeration time distribution. However, from these study results, the optimum aeration time distribution in the first and the second aeration time for biological nutrient removal was shown as 3 : 2. The release of phosphorus was inhibited at the second non-aeration period because of the low TOC concentration and the nitrate produced by the nitrification at the first aeration period.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.29-43
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• 2014

Pharmaceutical wastewater effluents are well known for their difficult elimination by traditional biotreatment methods and their important contribution to environmental pollution due to its fluctuating and recalcitrant nature. OTC is one of the nonbiodegradable antibiotics that makes antibiotic-resistant, so it can make be high risk for environment. NZVI can be a good choice for removal of OTC in aqueous solution. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the amounts of NZVI and OTC to be used at pH 3 and under 200 W, UV-A irradiation. The responses were removal percent of absorption at 290 and 348 nm, TOC and COD of OTC. In the optimum condition, Linear model was performed 155 ppm of OTC were removed by 1000 ppm NZVI after 6.5 hours and the removal efficiency of absorption at 290 and 348 nm, TOC and COD were 87, 95, 85 and 89 percent, respectively. In the similar process, there is no organic compound after 14 hours. The parameters ORP, DO and pH were investigated for 6:30 hours to study the type of NZVI reaction in process. In the beginning of reaction, oxidation was the dominant reaction after 3 hours, photocatalytic reaction was remarkable. The mechanism of OTC degradation is proposed by HPLC/ESI-MS and four by products were found. Also the rate constants (first order kinetic chain reaction model) were 0.0099, 0.0021, 0.0010, 0.0049 and $0.0074min^{-1}$, respectively.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.289-299
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• 2013

Objectives: For the field application of the dielectric barrier discharge plasma reactor, scale-up of the plasma reactor is needed. This study investigated the possibility of inactivation of microorganisms in sewage using pilot multi-plasma reactor. We also considered the possibility of degradation of total organic carbon (TOC) and nonbiodegradable matter ($UV_{254}$) in sewage. Methods: The pilot plasma reactor consists of plasma reactor with three plasma modules (discharge electrode and quartz dielectric tube), liquid-gas mixer, high voltage transformers, gas supply equipment and a liquid circulation system. In order to determine the operating conditions of the pilot plasma reactor, we performed experiments on the operation parameters such as gas and liquid flow rate and electric discharge voltage. Results: The experimental results showed that optimum operation conditions for the pilot plasma reactor in batch experiments were 1 L/min air flow rate), 4 L/min liquid circulation rate, and 13 kV electric discharge voltage, respectively. The main operation factor of the pilot plasma process was the high voltage. In continuous operation of the air plasma process, residual microorganisms, $UV_{254}$ absorbance and TOC removal rate at optimal condition of 13 kV were $10^{2.24}$ CFU/mL, 56.5% and 8.6%, respectively, while in oxygen plasma process at 10 kV, residual microorganisms, $UV_{254}$ absorbance and TOC removal rate at optimal conditions were $10^{1.0}$ CFU/mL, 73.3% and 24.4%, respectively. Electric power was increased exponentially with the increase in high voltage ($R^2$ = 0.9964). Electric power = $0.0492{\times}\exp^{(0.6027{\times}lectric\;discharge\;voltage)}$ Conclusions: Inactivation of microorganisms in sewage effluent using the pilot plasma process was done. The performance of oxygen plasma process was superior to air plasma process. The power consumption of oxygen plasma process was less than that of air plasma process. However, it was considered that the final evaluation of air and oxygen plasma must be evaluated by considering low power consumption, high process performance, operating costs and facility expenses of an oxygen generator.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.10
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• pp.1129-1135
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• 2005

In this study. the applicability of a rotating reactor for the oxidative removal of aqueous humic substances extracted from the Han River in Seoul, Korea was investigated. As air blowing for proper mixing of $TiO_2$ photocatalyst could inhibit UV-irradiation between a UV lamp and photocatalyst by air bubbles, a rotating reactor with some baffles was used for better UV-irradiation effect in this study. Han River humic substances are different from the other commercial humic substances(e.g., from Aldrich and International Humic Substance Society). Their characteristics were investigated with structural and spectroscopic analyses using FT-IR(Fourier transform-infrared), and $^{13}C$-NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance). The humic substances were extracted by XAD-7HP and treated with $TiO_2$-coated hollow beads under UV-A and UV-C irradiation in order to solve problems of separation and recovery of photocatalyst after reaction. At approximately 5 mg/L of initial TOC concentration, pH 3 and $2.0\;g-TiO_2/L$ dose, photocatalytic oxidation of Han River humic substances showed the optimum removal efficiency. Also, UV-C and UV-A lamps showed similar TOC removal efficiency. However, under UV-C irradiation, Han River humic substances were degraded to smaller compounds and increased the proportion of low molecular weight fractions compared to UV-A.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.761-772
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• 1998

This study was performed to determine the optimum coagulant dosing amount for effective treatment of raw water. The removal rate of turbidity and the variations of water qualities according to various dosage of coagulants such as Alum, PAC and PACS were investigated. The optimum coagulant dosing amount to make the lowest turbidity of water were 35mg/ι t of Alum, 30mg/ι of PAC and 10mg/ι of PACS in case of 5 NTU of raw water turbidity, and 30mg/ι of Alum, 25mg/ι of PAC and 10mg/ι of PACS in case of 10 NTU of that, respectively. The removal rates of turbidity at 4 min. and 8 min. of settling time were 10 and 72% of Alum, 44 and 62% of PAC and 25 and 55% of PACS in case of 5 NTU, and 52 and 70% of Alum, 90 and 95% of PAC and 10 and 28% of PACS in case of 10 NTU, respectively. Judging from the settling capability of floc., the reaction time of floe. formation and removal efficiency of turbidity, PAC was evaluated as more effective coagulant than Alum and PACS. Also PAC was regarded as the most effective coagulant when the water supply was changed sharply and the fluctuation of the surface loading occured with wide and sharp in settling basin. pH and alkalinity of the water were decreased with increasing coagulants dosage. But pH and alkalinity were not decreased below 5.8 which is the standard for drinking water quality, and 10mg/ι which is the limit concentration of floc. breakage, respectively. Residual Al of the treated water was decreased with increasing coagulants dosage in case of 5 and 10NTU of raw water turbidity. $KMnO_4$ consumption of the water was decreased with increasing coagulants dosage. The reduction rate of $KMnO_4$ consumption at the optimum coagulants dosage were 39% of Alum. 18% of PAC and 11% of PACS in case of 5 NTU of raw water turbidity, and 42% of Alum, 27% of PAC and 36% of PACS in case of 10 NTU of that, respectively. Any relationship was not found between the removal rate of turbidity and KMnO$_4$ consumption. TOC of the water was a bit decreased with increasing coagulants dosage up to 30mg/ι but not changed above 30mg/ι of coagulants dosage. The degree of TOC reduction was increased in the order of Alum, PAC and PACS treatment. Zeta potential of the colloidal floe. at the optimum coagulants dosage was in the range of -20~-15mV in case of 5 NTU of raw water turbidity and 0~0.5mV in case of 10 NTU of that. respectively. Although the kinds and dosages of coagulants were different, zeta potential range were fixed under the conditions of the best coagulation efficiency.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.402-408
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• 2005

This investigation aimed at selecting the optimum catalyst and reaction conditions used in Fenton oxidation for landfill leachate treatment and was carried out at ambient temperature using a lab-scale experiment. The investigation led to the following results: 1) The optimum pH and dose for each iron catalyst were as follows: $Fe^{2+}\;=\;1,200\;mg/L$, $H_2O_2\;=\;1,200\;mg/L$, initial pH=3.0; $Fe^{3+}\;=\;1,200\;mg/L$, $H_2O_2\;=\;1,500\;mg/L$, initial pH=4.5; $Fe^0\;=\;1,200\;mg/L$, $H_2O_2\;=\;900\;mg/L$, initial pH=4.0, respectively. 2) The progress of Fenton oxidation could be instrumentally monitored by measuring redox potential evolution during leachate oxidation, thus, indicating the possibility of an on-line process monitoring. 3) A simple acid-base titration of Fenton-treated leachate proved that a relevant fraction of by- products formed during the treatment was made of acidic compounds in the optimum reaction condition for each catalyst used, thus demonstrating that the higher the extent of Fenton oxidation the greater was the amount of acids formed. 4) With the aim of selecting the optimum catalyst among $Fe^0$, $Fe^{2+}$ and $Fe^{3+}$, removal efficiency of each parameter in the optimum reaction conditions was considered. Although $Fe^{3+}$ was higher than other catalysts($Fe^0$, $Fe^{2+}$) in removal efficiency, $Fe^0$ was a optimum catalyst with a view of cost effectiveness.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.10
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• pp.1273-1279
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• 2013

Aromatic hydrocarbons, such as phenol, have been detected frequently in wastewater, soil, and groundwater because of the extensive use of oil products. Bacterial strains (56 isolates) that degraded phenol were isolated from soil and industrial wastewater contaminated with hydrocarbons. GN13, which showed the best cell growth and phenol degradation, was selected for further analysis. The GN13 isolate was identified as Neisseria sp. based on the results of morphological, physiological, and biochemical taxonomic analyses and designated as Neisseria sp. GN13. The optimum temperature and pH for phenol removal of Neisseria sp. GN13 was $32^{\circ}C$ and 7.0, respectively. The highest cell growth occurred after cultivation for 30 hours in a jar fermentor using optimized medium containing 1,000 mg/l of phenol as the sole carbon source. Phenol was not detected after 27 hours of cultivation. Based on the analysis of catechol dioxygenase, it seemed that catechol was degraded through the meta- and ortho-cleavage pathway. Analysis of the biodegradation of phenol by Neisseria sp. GN13 in artificial wastewater containing phenol showed that the removal rate of phenol was 97% during incubation of 30 hours. The removal rate of total organic carbon (TOC) by Neisseria sp. GN13 and activated sludge was 83% and 78%, respectively. The COD removal rate by Neisseria sp. GN13 from petrochemical wastewater was about 1.3 times higher than that of a control containing only activated sludge.