• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.59-79
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• 2022

Conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) do not fully remove micropollutants. Enhanced treatment of sewage effluents is being considered or implemented in some countries to minimize the discharge of problematic micropollutants from WWTPs. Representative enhanced sewage treatment technologies for micropollutant removal were reviewed, including their current status of research and development. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) such as ozonation and UV/H₂O₂ and adsorption processes using powdered (PAC) and granular activated carbon (GAC) were mainly discussed with focusing on process principles for the micropollutant removal, effect of process operation and water matrix factors, and technical and economic feasibility. Pilot- and full-scale studies have shown that ozonation, PAC, and GAC can achieve significant elimination of various micropollutants at economically feasible costs(0.16-0.29 €/m³). Considering the current status of domestic WWTPs, ozonation and PAC were found to be the most feasible options for the enhanced sewage effluent treatment. Although ozonation and PAC are all mature technologies, a range of technical aspects should be considered for their successful application, such as energy consumption, CO₂ emission, byproduct or waste generation, and ease of system construction/operation/maintenance. More feasibility studies considering domestic wastewater characteristics and WWTP conditions are required to apply ozonation or PAC/GAC adsorption process to enhance sewage effluent treatment in Korea.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.493-499
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• 2022

The standards pertaining to the quality of discharged water in sewage treatment plants are strengthening, and accordingly, facilities in sewage treatment plants are being upgraded. In addition, the discharge water quality of sewage treatment plants must be maintained at a high level, and efficient sewage treatment plant operations have thus emerged as a very important issue. For the efficient operation of sewage treatment plants, this study applied a basic blowing amount calculation method based on sewage facilities to evaluate the required oxygen amount and blowing amount according to inflow water quality by logicizing various influencing factors. As a result of calculating the amount of air blown by applying actual April water quality data from sewage treatment plant A to the blower demand calculation developed through this study, it was found that the average amount of air blown was reduced by about 12%. When the blower demand calculation developed here is applied to an actual sewage treatment plant, the amount of air blown can be controlled based on the inflow water quality. This can facilitate the realization of an autonomous control of sewage treatment plants, in contrast to the existing sewage treatment operation method that relies on operational experience of operator. In addition, it is expected that efficient sewage treatment plants can be operated by reducing blowing amounts and power costs, which will contribute to both energy and carbon savings.

• ALGAE
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.157-167
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• 2003

Effect of the effluent of the sewage and wastewater plants on the algal growth was investigated from the 19 plants located in the Nakdong river basin. Most of the samples showed high values of the algal growth potential (AGP) when they were mixed with natural river water at 20% of final concentration. At 20% of the mixing ratio, the mixed effluents of sewage and wastewater showed 3.5 and 1.8 times higher AGP than those of the natural river water. The higher AGP values are attributable to the high contents of phosphorus and ammonium in the effluent. The mixing ratio of effluents of the discharge/river flow was highest in the Kumho River (42.8%) followed by the middle of Nakdong River (22.7%), Kam Stream (13.9%), Byungsung Stream (13.3%), Yangsan Stream (7.9%), and Young River (5.4%). Comparison of the trophic state of the effluents with natural river water indicated that the effluents showed higher trophic values than natural water. Concentrations of total phosphorus, total nitrogen and conductivity in the effluents were 12.3, 4.9 and 5.3 times higher than the those found in natural river water respectively. The AGP values were highly related with the trophicity of the water especially on the concentrations of phosphate and ammonium. Toxicities of the treated sewage water, wastewater and livestock waste water tested by the luminescent bacteria, Vibrio fischerii were generally low.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.676-681
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• 2008

The evaluation of the effluent water quality of sewage treatment plant is one of the most important factor in calculating total maximum daily loads (TMDLs). Current method to calculate 95% upper limit of effluent water quality of sewage treatment plant assuming normal distribution of data needs to be implemented in case of non-normal distribution. We have investigated the applicability of percentile ranking method as a non-parametric statistical analysis in case of non-normal distribution of data.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.376-381
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• 2004

The use of electron beam irradiation was investigated to disinfect total coliforms in the secondary sewage treatment effluent. Unchlorinated secondary effluent was irradiated at different dose of 0.2~1.0 kGy by 1 MeV, ELV-4 Model electron beam accelerator. It is interesting to note that a 100 % reduction in total coliforms and total colonies were achieved until a dose of approximately 0.8 kGy. Even at low dose of 0.2 kGy, the total coliforms and total colonies were successfully inactivated to the level of satisfying the new effluent discharge guideline. Besides disinfection of total coliforms, approximately a 50% removal in biochemical oxygen demand was pronounced at a dose of 0.2 kGy. More than 20 % removal in suspended solids and turbidity was also observed at a dose of 1.0 kGy. The application of electron beam irradiation appeared to be one of options to reuse sewage treatment effluent as agricultural or industrial water.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.122-128
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• 2008

We evaluated the relationship between the multiplication of heterotrophic microorganisms and physicochemical factors in the final discharged sewage water from J municipal waste water treatment plants. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was the most crucial factor influencing multiplication of heterotrophic plate counts (HPC) among the water quality variables selected. Degrading bacteria, such as proteolytic bacteria, lipholytic bacteria, starch degrading bacteria, cellulolytic bacteria, and pectinolytic bacteria, were monitored to understand the condition of nutrients in finished sewage effluent. The percentages of lipid and protein combined occupied 81% in finished sewage water. The multiplication of HPC showed the highest value in August. The formation of trihalomethane (THM) was low in the finished discharge water during chlorine disinfection, which was $71{\mu}/L$ (which was less than $100{\mu}/L$- the standard of drinking water quality) with 10 mg/L of chlorine during 15 min.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.57-65
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• 2007

The objective of this study was to evaluate chemical water quality by hourly monitoring(25hr) of Saemangeum esturary. For this study, we selected 2 sites like a Mangyong Bridge(St. 6) and Dongjin Bridge(St. 7). Inflow of salt water was not detected during low tide(maximum 553, 508cm) of all stations, while the salinity rises were detected in spring tide(750cm). When 602m of maximum tide was reached, salinity concentration was increased at St. 7, while there was no change in St. 6. Therefore, We know that salinity variation is greatly influenced by tide height at survey site. Also, significant variance of salinity(p<0.05) was found between St. 6 and St. 7 because dike construction made the flood tide move into the Dongjin river. Total suspened solids(TSS) concentration was increased because of the river runoff at St. 6, and also the turbulance and resuspension according to salt intrusion at St. 7. During the high tide, the water discharge from the sea seemed to dilute the nutrient but to elevate TSS concentration in St. 7. Silicate and nitrate concentrations in the studied site were decreased by the mixing of sea water, whereas the evident trend of phosphate concentration was not found. This result can be explained by the phosphorus condition. Phosphorus exists inactive when it is affected by hydrated iron and adsorbed onto suspended matters. Compared to the environmental conditions of the St. 6 and St. 7, physical factors such as temperature, dissolved oxygen and TSS have statistically no significant difference(p<0.001), but nutrient concentrations were higher at St. 6 than St. 7. It could be suggested from these results that it is important to control the discharge of fresh water by sewage treatment plants located in St. 6 for water quality management.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.657-668
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• 2014

Under Korea's Enforcement Decree of the Framework Act on Environmental Policy amended in 2013, total organic carbon (TOC) is newly added as water quality parameter to assess organic pollution in water and aquatic ecosystem. To meet the TOC requirement and improve quality of effluent discharged into public watershed, it is also necessary to develop standards for TOC in effluent from public sewage treatment works (PSTWs). In this study, we reviewed the characteristics and removal efficiency of TOC in influent and effluent of PSTWs. The study found that phosphorus treatment process removed not only soluble phosphorus but also a portion of TOC remaining after the secondary treatment process. TOC concentration in effluent from PSTWs operated in tandem with industrial wastewater treatment work was higher due to influx of insoluble substances from the industrial wastewater treatment work. In order to lay a foundation for the management of TOC from PSTWs, it is necessary to carry out research on TOC from different perspectives. For example, studies on the generation mechanism of TOC and the impact of TOC on drinking water resources, assessment of effluent qualities through monitoring, and development of measures to control TOC for the preservation of aquatic ecosystem are needed.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.231-239
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• 2023

Public sewage treatment facilities are a necessary infrastructure for public health that treat sewage generated in cities and basin living areas and discharge it into rivers or seas. Recently, the role of public sewage treatment is receiving attention as a place of use of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE), which analyzes human specific metabolic emissions or biomarkers present in sewage to investigate the environment to which the population is exposed in the water drain. WBE is mainly applied to investigate legal and water-law drug use or to predict and analyze the lifestyle of local residents. WBE has also been applied to predict and analyze the degree of infectious diseases that are prevalent worldwide, such as COVID-19. Since sewage flowing into public sewage treatment facilities includes living information of the population living in the drainage area, it is easy to collect basic data to predict the confirmation and spread of infectious diseases. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a new role of public sewage treatment facilities as an infrastructure necessary for WBE that can obtain information on the confirmation and spread of infectious diseases other than the traditional role of public sewage treatment. In South Korea, the sewerage supply rate is about 95.5% and the number of public sewage treatment facility is 4,209. This means that the infrastructure of sewerage is fully established. However, to successfully drive for WBE , research on monitoring and big-data analysis is needed.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.144-148
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• 2002

This study was carried out to investigate sewage treatment efficiencies using water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and watercress (Oenanthe Javanica). In the hyacinth system about 30% of COD introduced was removed during 2 days of hydraulic retention time, and about 30$\sim$50% of COD was removed in the watercress system during 1.2$\sim$2 days of hydraulic retention time. Therefore, COD loading of $76\sim170$ kg $COD/ha{\cdot}day$ was removed during 2$\sim$3 days of hydraulic retention time at the 0.18 $m^2$ area in the water hyacinth-watercress continuous system. Also 40$\sim$50% of N and P in the sewage were removed in the tested water hyacinth-watercress system Although COD, N and P concentrations in the final effluent were still higher than the limits of waste discharge, applicability of this waste water treatment system should be further investigated as an alternative method far small scale sewage treatments.