• Clean Technology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.87-98
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• 2007

As the interest in environmental problems increased, the guideline of effluent qualities becomes strict and the amount of sludge produced from the wastewater treatment facilities steeply increased. The revised Korean acts prohibit the direct reclamation of the sludge exhausted in sewage treatment works from 2003, and the ocean dump of sludge will be also prohibited from 2012. Therefore, the sludge must be recycled, incinerated or composted. To properly perform the utilization and disposal operations, the establishment of well-defined procedures for the characterization of sludge by physical, chemical and biological method and setting up of guidelines for different treatment and disposal routes has become necessary. However, there have not been such standardized methods for sludge characterization in Korea. This review analyzes the present status of establishment and problems of sludge characterization method of Korea. Finally, it was proposed total 15 items of standardized characterization methods suitable to our country for proper sludge recycling and disposal, which was based on the more systematic standard methods of Germany (DIN 38414) and those of advanced nations.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.293-301
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• 2005

We conducted several different leaching experiments for assessing the potential environmental risk when utilizing recycled concrete for stabilizing bridge pier. The methods include continuous batch leaching test (DIN 38414-S4), availability test (NEN 7341), pH-stat test (CEN/TC 292/WG6) and tank diffusion test (NEN 7345). The concentration ranges vary depending on the testing method. Nearly all the trace elements were low, some elements recording under detection limit. The maximum concentrations for trace elements leached throughout the whole tests are (as mg/L); Cd (0.029), Cu (0.437), Pb (0.14), Ni, Zn (0.95), Hg (0.005). Although the testing methods we used in this study are much more rigorous than other commonly adapted method including TCLP and domestic testing method for solid waste, the trace elemental concentrations are under the criteria for hazardous material set by the TCLP and domestic method. The result seems to suggest that applying the recycled concrete on stream water will be accepatable practice as for as trace elements are concerned. However, the influence of inorganics such as Ca, Mg, Ni and $SO_4^{2-}$ on aquatic ecology should be further examined.