• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.969-975
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• 2010

Estimating the organic matter loadings from individual treated sewage has become important for establishment of effective management strategies to control refractory organic matter (R-OM) in watersheds. For this study, regression equations were constructed using treated sewage data to convert the chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentrations, which are mostly available from open database, into total organic carbon (TOC) and R-OM concentrations. Effluent samples were collected from five major sewage treatment plants (STPs) located upstream of the lake Paldang. Variations in the OM concentrations were not associated with either the location of the STP or the sampling season. The effluent investigated were characterized by higher ratio of R-OM with respect to biodegradable organic matter (B-OM) and higher presence of dissolved organic matters (DOM) versus particulate organic matter (POM). Compared to $COD_{Mn}$, $COD_{Cr}$ exhibited higher oxidation efficiencies and greater variations in the concentrations. The concentrations of $COD_{Mn}$ were positively correlated with dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total organic carbon (TOC), and R-OM concentrations. There was nearly no seasonal and annual variation in the regression equations between $COD_{Mn}$ and TOC or R-OM concentrations. The constructed regression equations for TOC and R-OM were $0.650({\pm}0.071){\times}COD_{Mn}+1.426({\pm}0.575)$ and $0.340({\pm}0.083){\times}COD_{Mn}+2.054({\pm}0.670)$, respectively. The established equations are expected to contribute to estimating OM loadings from the STPs into the lake Paldang and also to compensating for the deficiency of the data for effluent OM concentrations in STP.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.31 no.9
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• pp.803-810
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• 2009

This study is conducted to examine spatial variations of Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) in stream and waste waters of the different watershed areas (agricultural, residential, and industrial complex area) by using fluorescence 3D-EEMs (3 Dimensional Excitation Emission Matrix Spectroscopy). Furthermore, the research investigates the changes of DOM characterization by synchronous and 3D-EEMs during a rainfall event. The characterizations of DOM obtained by 3D-EEMs show two noticeable peaks at humic and protein-like regions. Humic-like substances (HLS) are found in rural and urban areas, and humic and protein-like substances (PLS) are shown in industrial area. According to the fluorescence peak $T_1:C_1$ ratios, it is observed that high amount of HLS was discharged from Banweol Industrial Complex (3TG). Additionally, linear relationships (Regression rate, $r^2$=0.65, $r^2$=0.66) have been shown between PLS (peak $T_1,\;B_1$) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), which indicates the impact of sewage. For the rainfall event (30 mm), no remarkable difference of DOM was found at rural area except increment of fluorescence intensity comparing dry period. In contrast, HLS at urban area is highly discharged within 30 minutes from the beginning of rainfall. Also, there are high influences of HLS and PLS within 20 minutes at industrial complex (4TG). Fluorescence 3D-EEMs has not only verifies a watershed of DOM origination but also monitors diffuse and point source impacts.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.189-207
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• 2010

Several ocean color algorithms have been developed for GOCI (Geostationary Ocean Color Imager) using in-situ bio-optical data sets. These data sets collected around the Korean Peninsula between 1998 and 2009 include chlorophyll-a concentration (Chl-a), suspended sediment concentration (SS), absorption coefficient of dissolved organic matter ($a_{dom}$), and remote sensing reflectance ($R_{rs}$) obtained from 1348 points. The GOCI Chl-a algorithm was developed using a 4-band remote sensing reflectance ratio that account for the influence of suspended sediment and dissolved organic matter. The GOCI Chl-a algorithm reproduced in-situ chlorophyll concentration better than the other algorithms. In the SeaWiFS images, this algorithm reduced an average error of 46 % in chlorophyll concentration retrieved by standard chlorophyll algorithms of SeaWiFS. For the GOCI SS algorithm, a single band was used (Ahn et al., 2001) instead of a band ratio that is commonly used in chlorophyll algorithms. The GOCI $a_{dom}$ algorithm was derived from the relationship between remote sensing reflectance band ratio ($R_{rs}(412)/R_{rs}(555)$) and $a_{dom}(\lambda)$). The GOCI Chl-a fluorescence and GOCI red tide algorithms were developed by Ahn and Shanmugam (2007) and Ahn and Shanmugam (2006), respectively. If the launch of GOCI in June 2010 is successful, then the developed algorithms will be analyzed in the GOCI CAL/VAL processes, and improved by incorporating more data sets of the ocean optical properties data that will be obtained from waters around the Korean Peninsula.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.236-243
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• 2007

Fluorescence measurements of dissolved organic matter (DOM) have the superior advantages over other analysis tools for the applications to water quality management due to their rapid analysis. It is known that protein-like fluorescence characteristics are well corelated with microbial activities and biodegradable organic matter. In this study, potential biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) predictor were explored using the fluorescence peak intensities and/or the integrated fluorescence intensities derived from synchronous fluorescence spectra and the first derivative spectra of river samples. A preliminary study was conducted using a mixture of a river and a treated sewage to test the feasibility of the approach. It was demonstrated that the better BOD predictor can be derived from synchronous fluorescence spectra and the derivatives when the difference between the emission and the excitation wavelengths (${\Delta}{\gamma}$) was large. The efficacy of several selected fluorescence parameters was rivers in Seoul. The fluorescence parameters exhibited relatively good correlation coefficients with the BOD values, ranging from 0.59 to 0.90. Two parameters were suggested to be the optimum BOD predictors, which were a fluorescence peak at a wavelength of 283 nm from the synchronous spectrum at the ${\Delta}{\gamma}$ value of 75 nm, and the integrated fluorescence intensity of the first derivatives of the spectra at the wavelength range between 245 nm and 280 nm. Each BOD predictor showed the correlation coefficients of 0.89 and 0.90, respectively. It is expected that the results of this study will provide important information to develop a real-time efficient sensor for river BOD in the future.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.36 no.3 s.104
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• pp.235-241
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• 2003

The effect of ultraviolet (UV) radiation on the characteristics of algae-derived dissolved organic matter (DOM) was examined by comparing the biodegradability and DOM fraction distribution of algal DOM before and after UV exposure. Algal DOM from two axenic cultures of Microcystis aeruginosa and Oscillatoria agardhii were irradiated for 24 h at a UV intensity of 42 W/$m^2$. A complete degradation of algal DOM during the UV exposure did not occur, remaining at constant concentrations of dissolved organic carbon(DOC). After UV exposure, however, microbial degradations were reduced by 17% in M. aeruginosa and 53% in O. agardhii, respectively, and decomposition rates also were two times lower in UV exposed algal DOM. In addition, the chemical compositions of algal DOM altered substantially after UV radiation exposure. The proportions of hydrophilic bases (HiB; protein-like DOM) decreased considerably in both algal DOM sources after UV exposure (16.8% and 20.0% of DOM, respectively), whereas those of hydrophilic acids (HiA; carboxylic acids-like DOM) increased as much as the decrease of the HiB fraction. Capillary ion electrophoresis (CE) analysis showed that several carboxylic acids increased significantly after UV exposure, further confirming an increase in HiA fractions. The results of this study clearly indicate that algal DOM can be changed in its chemical composition as well as biodegradability without complete degradation by UV radiation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.31-38
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• 2008

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the variation of the molecular size distribution by granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption. GAC adsorption was assessed by using the rapid small-scale column test (RSSCT) and high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) was used to analyze the molecular size distribution (MSD) in the effluent of GAC column. RSSCT study suggested that GAC adsorption exhibited excellent interrelationship between dissolved organic carbon (DOC) breakthrough and MSD as function of bed volumes passed. After GAC treatment, the nonadsorbable fraction which was about 25percents of influent DOC corresponded to the hydrophilic (HPI) natural organic carbon (NOM) of NOM fractions and was composed entirely of <300 molecular weight (MW) in the HPSEC at the initial stage of the RSSCT operation. The dominant MW fraction in the source water was 1,000~5,000daltons. At the bed volumes 2,500, MW <500 of GAC treated water was risen rather than it of source water. After the bed volumes 7,300 of operation, the MW 1,000~3,000 fraction was closed to about 80percents of DOC found in the GAC influent. The Number-average molecular weight (Mn) value determined using HPSEC for the effluent of GAC column was gently increased as DOC breakthrough progress. The quotient p(Mw/Mn) can be used to estimate the degree of polydispersity was shown greatest value for the GAC effluent at the initial stage of the RSSCT operation.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.843-849
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• 2007

Monitoring of NOM characteristics is important for improving removal efficiency of natural organic matter (NOM) in water treatment processes. In this study, several NOM characteristics, which include specific UV absorbance (SUVA), total carbonate content, molecular weight distribution, and fluorescence properties, were measured using samples collected from a pilot-scale water treatment plant consisting of coagulation/flocculation (C/F), filtration, ozonation and granular activated carbon (GAC) processes. The highest removal of NOM was observed in C/F and filtration processes as demonstrated by the reduction of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) by 25% and 21%, respectively. Despite nearly no change in DOC, however, the lowest SUVA value and the highest total carbohydrate content were observed in the sample from ozonation process. This indicates that non-degradable aromatic compounds become depleted and biodegradable organic compounds are enriched during the process. Comparison of synchronous fluorescence spectra of the samples showed that ozoation process increased protein-like fluorescence while it decreased fulvic-like and terrestrial humic-like fluorescence. Consistently, a slight peak of protein-like fluorescence was observed in the sample from ozonation process. The greatest change in molecular weight distributions of the samples was observed in C/F process. Comparison of size exclusion chromatogram of the samples revealed that NOM fractions with the molecular weight greater than 2000 Da were reduced by over 90% after C/F process. SUVA values and total carbohydrate content of the samples were well correlated with a ratio of protein-like fluorescence and terrestrial humic-like fluorescence intensities with the correlation coefficients of 0.99 and 0.91, respectively. This suggests that synchronous fluorescence properties of NOM could be used as useful tolls for monitoring changes of some NOM characteristics during water treatment processes.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.163-172
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• 2018

This study investigated the effect of organic matter on the precipitation of struvite and calcium phosphate for phosphorus recovery from synthetic dairy wastewater. Batch precipitation experiments were performed to precipitate phosphorus from solutions containing $PO_4{^{3-}}$ and $NH_4{^+}$ by the addition of $Mg^{2+}$ and $Ca^{2+}$, separately, at varying pH, Mg/P and Ca/P molar ratios, and organic matter concentrations. Soluble total organic solids exhibited more inhibition to precipitation due to potential interaction with other dissolved ionic species involved in phosphorus precipitation. Xylan with low total acidity only exhibited significant inhibition at very high concentrations in synthetic wastewater (at up to 100 g/L). No significant inhibition was observed for Mg and Ca precipitation at relatively lower concentrations (at up to 1.2 g/L). MINTEQ simulations show that dissolved organic matter (DOM) as humic substances (HS) can cause significant inhibition even at relatively low concentrations of 0.165 g/L fulvic acid. However, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis suggested that xylan altered the crystal structure of both precipitates and had caused the formation of smaller sized struvite crystals with slightly rougher surfaces This could be due to xylan molecules adhering on the surface of the crystal potentially blocking active sites and limit further crystal growth. Smaller particle sizes will have negative practical impact because of poorer settleability.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.133-142
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• 2022

Natural organic matter (NOM) is a heterogeneous mixture of organic matter with various polarities and molecular weights in an aquatic environment. This study investigated the effects of separation conditions (resin volume, organic matter, etc.) and the repeated use of the resin for the fractionation of organic components in the DAX resin fractionation method. The distribution characteristics of the organic components ((hydrophilic [Hi], hydrophobic acid [HoA], and hydrophobic neutral [HoN]) under the derived fractionation conditions were also analyzed. Constant fractionation results (i.e. HoA/Hi ratio) were obtained in the column capacity factor (i.e. the packed resin volume) in the range of 50 to 100. The resin-packed column maintained constant separation efficiency for up to two repeated uses. The above conditions were applied to wastewater and stream water samples (before and after rainfall). The results showed that the concentration of organic matter in the wastewater effluent was 2-15 times lower with an increased ratio of hydrophilicity to hydrophobicity (i.e. Ho/Hi) compared to the influent depending on the industrial wastewater classification. Particularly, HoN was found to have a high content distribution, 10.2-50.4% of the total dissolved organic matter (DOM), in the effluents. For the stream water, the content of Hi or HoN increased significantly after rainfall, suggesting a correlation with the distribution characteristics of pollutants from the stream watershed. The results provide useful data to enhance the reliability of the DAX resin fractionation and its application to environmental samples.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.769-775
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• 2013

UV-induced transformations in the characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and the subsequent effects on the disinfection by-product formation potential (DBPFP) were investigated using the mixtures of the two humic substances with different sources, and two different size fractions of Suwannee River fulvic acid (SRFA). 7 day-photodegradation resulted in the decrease of specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA) of the mixtures as well as the specific DBPFP. After the irradiation, however, higher specific DBPFP values were consistently observed at the same range of the SUVA values. This suggests that non UV-absorbing components, generated by the UV-irradiation, may contribute to the formation of DBPs. Two different molecular size fractions of SRFA showed dissimilar responses to photodegradation. The behavior was also influenced by the types of the DBPs generated. Higher levels of trihalomethenes (THMs) were formed per organic carbon for the high molecular fraction compared to the low molecular fraction, whereas no differences were found in the formation of haloacetic acids (HAAs) between the two different size fractions. The formation of the two types of DBPs also differed by the irradiation times. Specific formation potential of THMs consistently increased upon the irradiation, whereas HAAs showed the initial increase followed by the decrease in their specific formation potential.