• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.810-815
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• 2010

Ultrasonic sludge pre-treatment has been studied to enhance the performance of anaerobic digestion by increasing sludge hydrolysis which is regarded as the rate-limiting-step of anaerobic digestion. In this study, the effect of ultrasonic pre-treatment on sludge hydrolysis (solubilization) and methane production was investigated. Sludge solubilization efficiency increased with ultrasonic energy input. However, it is uneconomical to apply more than 720 kJ/L as the solubilization efficiency per energy input declines afterwards. Volatile fatty acids concentration increased after the ultrasonic sludge hydrolysis. Anaerobic batch digestion showed that methane volume reached 64.7 and 84.5 mL after 18 days of incubation with the control sludge and ultrasonically hydrolyzed sludge, respectively. Methane production potential, maximum methane production rate, and the lag time of modified Gompertz equation were changed from 70 mL, 6.4 mL/day, and 1.2 days to 89 mL, 9.6 mL/day, and 0.5 day, respectively, after the ultrasonic sludge treatment. The results proved that ultrasonic pre-treatment contributed significantly not only for the methane production but also for the reduction of anaerobic digestion time which is critical for the performance of anaerobic sludge digestion.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.85-102
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• 1993

This study was conducted to achieve develop organic sludge recycling technology as sludge make a prey of earthworm. Therefore sludge treatment and recycling technology is an important field by which this research project to solve landfill site and reduction treatment expense using vermicomposting treatment process on the waste sludge from the biological wastewater treatment plant. In experimental results on the optimum conditions of vermicomposting of nightsoil treatment sludge, survival rates were observed 98.3% in temperature of $10-15^{\circ}C$, 75% in pH 5.8-7.5 and 100% in density of $1/79.8cm^3$, respectively. Liveweight changes of earthworm were increased 266% in temperature of $10-15^{\circ}C$, 227% in pH 5.8-7.5 and 325 % in density $1\;cap./79.8cm^3$, respectively. Casting production rate were generated 0.06 g/cap./day in temperature $20-25^{\circ}C$, 0.065 g/cap./day in pH 5.8-7.5 and 0.1 g/cap./day in density $1\;cap./79.8cm^3$, respectively. Cocoon production numbers were observed 3.8 ea. /cap.in $10-15^{\circ}C$, 2.95 ea./cap.in pH 5.8-7.5 and 3.16 ea./cap. in $1\;cap./79.8cm^3$ during 6 weeks, respectively. pH was droped by 6.2 to 5.7, volatile solids was decreased by 2.9%, $NH_3-N$ were also reduced by $6.984{\mu}g/g$ to $0.991{\mu}g/g$. $NO_3-N$, however, were increased by $3.213{\mu}g/g$ to $7.706{\mu}g/g$. Fecal coliforms and pathogenic bacteria are analyzed by microbiological method to assess public health safety of casting. Number of fecal coliform groups were reduced 88.6-99.1% (Avg. 95.7%) approximately. And pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella, Shiegella and Vibrio, were not isolated from the earthworm cast.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.29-37
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• 2008

In this work, it was investigated that various aspects of process, application situation, merits and short-coming results of the thermophilic methane fermentation with highly concentrated organic waste substances such as sewage sludges, food wastes and excretions. The merits of this methane fermentation were that it had a very fast reaction rate and was possible to proceed in high loads. It was also high in mortality for pathogenic microorganism and the digested sludge was more hygienic. However, the short-comings were that more energy was required for heating in the fermentation facility, no surplus energy could be gained from low concentration of organic waste, the fermentation treatment dropped level of water quality, thus burdens discharging process of water. Especially, the high concentration of methane fermentation could possibly lack nutritious salt and could face the disturbance by ${NH_4}^+-N$, a proper alternative was required. In general, thermophilic methane fermentation was considered as a better mean in disposing of cow excretion and food waste which were highly concentrated organic wastes. On the other hand, under the condition where the concentration of waste material was low and the high concentrate waste material became higher than 3,000 mg/L in ${NH_4}^+-N$, thermophilic methane fermentation resulted less desirable outcome.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.5-16
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• 2021

In this study, the applicability of the MBR(Membrane Bio Reactor) process of oxygen dissolve was evaluated through comparison and evaluation of the efficiency of oxygen dissolve device and conventional aeration device in the explosive tank within the MBR process. The organic matter and ammonia oxidation by oxygen dissolve device were evaluated, and the efficiency of persaturation was evaluated by applying real waste water (anaerobic digester effluent treatement from food waste). SCOD and ammonia removal rates for oxygen dissolve device and conventional aeration device methods were similar. However, it was determined that the excess sludge treatment cost could be reduced as the yield of microorganisms by oxygen dissolve device is about 0.03 g MLSS-produced/g SCOD-removed lower than that of microorganisms by conventional aeration device. The removal rates of high concentrations of organic matter (4,000 mg/L) and ammonia (1,400 mg/L) in anaerobic digester effluent treatment from food waste were compared to the conventional aeration device and the oxygen dissolve device organic matter removal rate was approximately 13% higher than that of the conventional aeration device. In addition, for MLSS, the conventional aeration device was 0.3 times higher than for oxygen dissolve device. This is believed to be due to the high progress of sludge autooxidation because the dissolved oxygen is sufficiently maintained and supplied in the explosive tank for oxygen dissolve device. Therefore, it was determined that the use of oxygen dissolve device will be more economical than conventional aeration device as a way to treat wastewater containing high concentrations of organic matter.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.837-847
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• 2000

For the treatment of wastewaters generated from beer industry and petrochemical company with high organic and nitrogen contents, laboratory scale of A/O Pure-Oxygen Biofilm (POB) process was developed and studied by means of the comparative economic analysis with extended aeration process. When the wastewater of beer company was initially treated by the A/O POB process in the ranges of 70 to 150 mg TOC/L diluted with tap water, higher than 92% of TOC removal was accomplished in the all ranges. In case of petrochemical wastewater, the initial TOC removal was as low as 52%, though, it increased to 86% after 32 days of operation and also the TKN removal marked 71% after 27 days. Continuous high removal rates were monitored in both the TOC and TKN parameters during the experimental period. Due to the cost for PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) setting and biomass supporting media installation, the initial construction cost of A/O POB process was 2.9 times higher than that of extended aeration process. However, the advantages such as low sludge production, no need for sludge recycling and low energy consumption allow the A/O POB process to have 2.5 times lower operation and maintenance costs. Consequently, in the long term of operation, it is likely that A/O POB process would show higher performance as well as cost effectiveness compared to extended aeration process.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.35-43
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• 2008

This study was carried out to estimate the performance of modified sequencing batch reactor (SBR) process by the application of SBR process for small advanced wastewater treatment plant. Organic, nitrogen and phosphorus were able to remove in the unit reactor by SBR process and it would be able to select the suitable operation method. The plant was operated to achieve high performance with influent control, optimum anoxic/oxic condition using intermediate aeration method, and solid (sludge) /liquid (effluent) separation by modified decanter. The optimum operating mode was 3Cycles a day and intermediate input and aeration. Under these conditions, the treatment efficiencies were good with 60% of designed flow rate and low influent quality. When the influent concentrations of BOD and CODMn were 120.4 mg/L and 95.7 mg/L, respectively. The effluent concentrations of BOD and CODMn were 6.8 mg/L and 11.0 mg/L, respectively. The average removal efficiencies of BOD and CODMn were 94.4% and 88.5%, respectively. The removal efficiencies of T-N and T-P were 69.6% and 73.6%, respectively when the average T-N and T-P concentrations were 32.2mg/L and 4.65mg/L, respectively. The T-N and T-P removal efficiencies were slightly decreased to 58.8% and 68.5%, respectively in the winter season but its were also stable efficiencies. BOD, T-N and T-P were removed by 90%. 67% and 46% respectively in the first anoxic/oxic condition, in addition to T-P was removed by 70% in the second anoxic/oxic condition. From the results, modified sequencing batch reactor (SBR) process is suitable for small advanced wastewater treatment.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.54-60
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• 1999

Three different types of lab-scale anaerobic bioreactors, AF and two-stage ASBF-PR and ASBF-SP, were evaluated in treating swine wastewater by operating at $1{\sim}2$ days of hydraulic retention time with increasing organic loading rate upto 6.3 $kg-COD/m^3{\cdot}d$ at $35^{\circ}C$. Seeding the anaerobic bioreactors with waste anaerobic digester sludge from a municipal wastewater treatment plant was effective and a 40-day acclimation period was required for steady-state operation. Three anaerobic bioreactors were effective in treating swine wastewater with COD removal efficiency of $66.4{\sim}84.9$% and biogas production rate of $0.333{\sim}0.796m^3/kg-COD_{removed}{\cdot}d$. Increases of organic loading rate by increasing influent COD concentration and/or decreasing hydraulic retention time caused decreases in COD removal efficiency and increases in biogas production rate. At relatively high organic loading rate employed in this study, the treatment efficiency of AF and ASBF-PR were similar but superior than that of ASBF-SP, indicating that porosity and pore size of the media packed in the bioreactors are more important factors contributing the performance of to bioreactors than specific surface area of the media. TKN in swine wastewater must be removed prior to the anaerobic processes when anaerobic process is considered as a major treatment process since influent TKN concentration of $1,540{\sim}1,870mg/L$ to the bioreactors adversely affect the activity of methanogenic bacteria, resulting in decreases of treatment efficiency and biogas production rate by 50%.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.641-646
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• 2008

In this research, recovery of high quality organics from excess activated sludge and its potential as a external carbon sources for BNR process was studied. By simultaneous treatment of alkali and ozone, TSS concentration was reduced by 32%, and RBDCOD fraction was increased by 76.2%, and major constitute of produced organic were acetic acid and propionic acid. Also, nitrogen and phosphorus were greatly solubilized. However, because acid-hydrolyzable phosphorus(AHP) was major part of solubilized phosphorus, $NH_4{^+}-N$ and $PO_4{^3}-P$ concentration were insufficient for effective formation of crystal like as MAP(Magnesium Ammonium Phosphate) and hydroxyapatite. By placing BPR reactor before alkali-ozone treatment reactor, $PO_4{^3}-P$ concentration in pretreated sludge was increased by 1.8 times, and improved potential of phosphorus recovery by crystallization. In experiment of crystallization, hydroxyapatite formation was more easily applied than MAP. By hydroxyapatite formation, $SCOD/PO_4-P$ ratio was greatly increased from 32.7 at control to 141.9 at $Ca^{2+}/PO{_4}^{3-}-P$ mole ratio of 2.4. The results based on this study indicated that the proposed system configuration has potential to reduce the excess sludge production, to recover phosphorus in usable forms as well as utilize organics as a external carbon source in BNR process.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.299-307
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of low temperature thermal pre-treatment on biodegradation of waste activated sludge for anaerobic digestion as a countermeasure for increasing sludge generation. The experimental condition was accomplished in 2 %, 4 %, and 6 % TS concentration, and $70^{\circ}C$, $80^{\circ}C$, $90^{\circ}C$ of temperature for a maximum of 120 minutes retention time. Then, it was followed by analysis of physical/chemical properties, BMP test and composition of biogas. The biogas characteristic was evaluated by applying the modified Gomperz model. As a result, solubility of dissolved substrate, such as $SCOD_{Cr}$, soluble carbohydrate, and soluble protein, and biogas production increased as temperature increased. Solubilization efficiency at $90^{\circ}C$ was 18.4 %, 17.03 % and 16.88% in 2 %, 4 %, and 6 % TS concentration respectively. Also, solubilization rates of carbohydrate and protein similarly increased. BMP test results also showed that methane production in excess sludge increased to 0.194, 0.187 and $0.182m^3/kg$ VS. respectively, and lag phase decreased to 0.145, 0.220, 0.351 day due to acceleration of the hydrolysis step. Consequently, low-temperature thermal pre-treatment could increase biodegradability of sludge, positively affecting biogas production and sludge reduction.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.783-789
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• 2011

Recently, auto-thermal thermophilic aerobic digestion (ATAD) has a great attention for destruction of wasted sludge biomass in wastewater treatment plant. Reduction of sludge concentration has been successfully achieved with pilot scale ATAD and ceramic filtration process in field condition. However, high concentration of COD, total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) was observed in filtrate, which should be treated before recirculation of filtrate to biological wastewater treatment plant. This study was focused on removal of nitrogen and phosphorus contained in the filtrate of ATAD, using struvite crystallization method. The effect of operational and environmental parameters (such as, N, P and Mg ion concentration and molar ratio, pH, reaction time, agitation strength, seed dosage, and reaction temperature) on the treatment of TN and TP with struvite crystallization were evaluated. Magnesium (as $MgCl_26H_2O$) and phosphorus (as $K_2HPO_4$) ions were, if necessary, added to increase nitrogen removal efficiency by the crystal formation. Average concentration of $NH_4^+-N$ and $PO_4^{3-}-P$ of the filtrate were 1716.5 mg/L and 325.5 mg/L, respectively. Relationship between removal efficiencies of nitrogen and phosphorus and molar ratios of $Mg^{2+}$ and $PO_4^{3-}-P$ to $NH_4^+-N$ was examined. Crystal formation and nitrogen removal efficiencies were significantly increased as increasing molar ratios of magnesium and phosphorus to nitrogen. As molar ratio of $Mg^{2+}:PO_4^{3-}-P:NH_4^+-N$ were maintained to 2 : 1 : 1 and 2 : 2 : 1, removal efficiencies of nitrogen and phosphorus were 71.6% and 99.9%, and 93.8% and 98.6%, respectively. However, the effect of reaction time, mixing intensity, seed dose and temperature on the struvite crystallization reaction was not significant, comparing to those of molar ratios. Settled sludge volume after struvite crystallization was observed to be reduced with increase of seed dose and to be increased at high temperature.