• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.41 no.11
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• pp.318-327
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• 2017

Background: A typical sewage treatment plant is designed for organic and nutrient removal from municipal sewage water and not targeted to eliminate micropollutants such as pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and nano-sized metals which become a big concern for sustainable human and ecological system and are mainly discharged from sewage treatment plant. Therefore, despite contaminant removal by wastewater treatment processes, there are still remaining environmental risks by untreated pollutants in STP (sewage treatment plant) effluents. This study performed aquatic toxicity tests of raw wastewater and treated effluents in two sewage treatment plants to evaluate toxicity reduction by wastewater treatment process and analyze concentration of contaminants to reveal potential toxic factors in STP effluents. Methods: Water samples were collected from each treatment steps of two STPs, and acute and chronic toxicity tests were conducted following USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) and OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) guidelines. Endpoints were immobility for mortality and reproduction effect for estrogenicity. Results: Acute $EC_{50}s$ (median effective concentration) of influents for Seungki (SK) and Jungnang (JN) STPs are $54.13{\pm}32.64%$ and $30.38{\pm}24.96%$, respectively, and reduced to $96.49{\pm}7.84%$ and 100%. Acute toxicity reduction was clearly correlated with SS (suspended solids) concentration because of filter feeding characteristics of test organisms. Chronic toxicity tests revealed that lethal effect was reduced and low concentration of influents showed higher number of neonates. However, toxicity reduction was not related to nutrient removal. Fecundity effect positively increased in treated wastewater compared to that in raw wastewater, and no significant differences were observed compared to the control group in JN final effluent implying potential effects of estrogenic compounds in the STP effluents. Conclusions: Conventional wastewater treatment process reduced some organics and nutritional compounds from wastewater, and it results in toxicity reduction in lethal effect and positive reproductive effect but not showing correlation. Unknown estrogenic compounds could be a reason causing the increase of brood size. This study suggests that pharmaceutical residues and nanoparticles in STP effluents are one of the major micropollutants and underline as one of estrogenic effect factors.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.22 no.12
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• pp.1643-1650
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• 2013

This study investigated water quality of effluents and stream from the sewage treatment plants located at Gumi Complex 4, Gumi, and Wonpyeong in Gumi. Downstream region was found to increase the concentration of nutrients for sewage treatment plant effluent. Both phosphorus and nitrogen were accounted most as soluble form. In particular, the high ratio of dissolved effluent of sewage treatment plants were investigated. In the streams, Phosphorus concentration was high during rainy season and nitrogen concentration was high in the dry season. Sewage treatment plant effluent was relatively less microbial activity and nutrient concentrations were higher in the winter. TN/TP ratio was the highest in the upstream region and the lowest in the sewage treatment plant effluent. The effect of the nutrient matter from a discharge of a sewage treatment plant on rivers varied depending on the size of the river and the treatment plant. However, the influence of the concentration was greater than that of flowrate. Sewage treatment plant effluent loads phosphorus, nitrogen accounted for 8% and 6% respectively at the point N3 of the Nakdong river.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.202-209
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to analyze the correlation between the effluent of a sewage treatment plant (STP) and the adjacent stream located downstream of the STP in Nakdong River. Flow and water quality data, such as BOD, COD, SS, T-N, and T-P data, for 12 STPs and adjacent downstream monitoring stations in the main stream and tributaries of Nakdong River were collected from 2012 to 2015. As a result of correlation analysis between river flow and water quality at the river water quality measurement point, COD, SS, and T-P were correlated positively with the river flow rate at 6, 8, and 6 points, respectively. As a result of analyzing the water quality of sewage treatment plant effluents and downstream streams, BOD and COD were correlated at 2 and 3 points, respectively. T-N showed a positive correlation at 9 points, and 7 of them had a strong positive correlation, indicating that sewage treatment effluent had a large effect on downstream streams. In this study, we found that the correlation between the river flow rate and the water quality factors (COD, SS, TP) was high at river water measurement points, and the sewage treatment plant effluent was correlated with the T-N value of adjacent streams.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.756-760
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• 2007

Most of the sewage treatment plants in Korea are being operated by using the conventional activated sludge process. Recently, as the water criteria have been strict with regard to such main culprits of eutrophication, the existing sewage treatment plants are obliged to upgrade their treatment technology to meet the criteria. Under such circumstances, this study was aimed at analyzing the conditions of an existing sewage treatment plants in Korea, and thereupon, test its treatment performance for the actual sewage water by operating a pilot plant. When the pilot plant was operated with the NPR process at the capacity of $30m^3/day$, the average contents of BOD, $COD_{Mn}$, SS, T-N and T-P in the effluents were 7.0 mg/L, 9.7 mg/L, 5.1 mg/L, 8.0 mg/L and 0.23 mg/L, respectively, which were very stable in general. Accordingly, if the NPR process used for this pilot plant to upgrade the treatment technology for the sewage treatment plat could be adopted, the effluent water quality criteria effective beginning from 2008 would be met.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.82-91
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• 2006

We investigated the possibility of using effluents from a municipal sewage treatment plant (STP) as tracers a tracer for hydrologic studies of rivers. The possibility was checked in a 12-km long reach downstream of Jeonju Municipal Sewage Treatment Plant (JSTP). Time-series monitoring of the water chemistry reveals that chemical compositions of the effluent from the JSTP are fluctuating within a relatively wide range during the sampling period. In addition, the signals from the plant were observed at the downstream stations consecutively with increasing time lags, especially in concentrations of the conservative chemical parameters (concentrations f3r chloride and sulfate, total concentration of major cations, and electric conductivity). Based on this observation, we could estimate the stream flow (Q), velocity (v), and dispersion coefficient (D). A 1-D nonreactive solute-transport model with automated optimization schemes was used for this study. The values of Q, v, and D estimated from this study varied from 6.4 to $9.0m^3/sec$ (at the downstream end of the reach), from 0.06 to 0.10 m/sec, and from 0.7 to $6.4m^2/sec$, respectively. The results show that the effluent from a large-scaled municipal STP frequently provides good, multiple natural tracers far hydrologic studies.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.1332-1339
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• 2005

The purpose of this study is to the distributive property of organic pollutants in effluents of domestic sewage treatment plants around Youngsan River using simultaneous analysis method of 310 chemicals. The numerous organic pollutants were detected in five sampling sites, and the major chemicals were pesticides, CH type chemicals such as benzenes and polycyclic compounds, ande CHO type chemicals such as phenols and phthalates. About 14 pesticides were detected in the effluent and most of them were found in summer. 1-Chlorobenzen and p-octylphenol were frequently detected in the concentration range of $0.52{\sim}0.61\;{\mu}g/L$ and $0.04{\sim}0.89\;{\mu}g/L$, respectively. Moreover, 18 kinds of endocrine disrupters include diethylphthalate were detected in effluents. From the results of this study, therefore, we confirmed that the pesticides, CH and CHO type chemicals in domestic effluents throughout Youngsan River are required specific regulation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Environment and Ecology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.105-126
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• 2003

In Korea most of annual rainfall is concentrated in several episodic heavy rains during the season of summer monsoon and typhoon. Because of uneven rainfall distribution many dams have been constructed in order to secure water supply in dry seasons. The Han River system has the most dams among Korean rivers, and the river is a series of dams now. Reservoirs need different strategy of water quality control from river water. Autochthonous organic matter and phosphorus should be the major target to be controlled in lakes. In this Paper some problems are discussed that makes efforts of water quality improvement ineffective in lakes of Korea, even after the substantial investment to wastewater treatment facilities.1) Phosphorus is the key factor controlling eutrophication of lakes and the reduction ofphosphors should be the major target of water treatment. However, water quality management strategy in Korea is still stream-oriented, and focused on BOD removal from sewage. Phosphorus removal efficiency remains as low as 10-30%, because biological treatment is adopted for both secondary treatment and advanced treatment. The standard for TP concentration of the sewage treatment plant effluent is 6 mgP/l in most of regions, and 2 mg/l in enforced region near metropolitan water intake point. TP in the effluents of sewage treatment plants are usually 1-2 mg/1, and most of plants meet the effluent regulation without a further phosphorus removal process. The generous TP standard for effluents discourages further efforts to improve phosphorus removal efficiency of sewage treatment. Considering that TP standard for the effluent is below 0.1 mg/l in some countries, it should be amended to below 0.1 mg/l in Korea, especially in the watershed of large lakes.2) Urban runoff and combined sewer overflow are not treated, even though their total loading into lakes can be comparable to municipal sewage discharges on dry days. Chemical coagulation and rapid settling might be the solution to urban runoff in regard of intermittent operation on only rainy days.3) Aggregated precipitation in Korea that is concentrated on several episodic heavyrains per year causes a large amount of nonpoint source pollution loading into lakes. It makes the treatment of nonpoint source discharge by methods of other countries of even rain pattern, such as retention pond or artificial wetland, impractical in Korea.4) The application rate of fertilizers in Korea is ten times as high as the average ofOECD countries. The total manure discharge from animal farming is thought to be over the capacity of soil treatment in Korea. Even though large portion of manure is composted for organic fertilizer, a lot of nutrients and organic matter emanates from organic compost. The reduction of application rate and discharge rate of phosphorus from agricultural fields should be encouraged by incentives and regulations.5) There is a lot of vegetable fields with high slopes in the upstream region of the HanRiver. Soil erosion is severe due to high slopes, and fertilizer is discharged in the form of adsorbed phosphorus on clay surface. The reduction of soil erosion in the upland area should be the major preventive policy for eutrophication. Uplands of high slope must be recovered to forest, and eroded gullies should be reformed into grass-buffered natural streams which are wider and resistant to bank erosion.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.265-271
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• 2009

Concentrations of industrial, agricultural and natural chemicals have been increasing in secondary effluents without their combined sub-lethal effects having been elucidated. In this study, two assays (the comet and acetylcholinesterase assays) were combined to evaluate the genotoxic and neurotoxic effects of effluent from the Noksan wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) on two local marine fish species (flounder and sea eel). The fish were exposed to WWTP secondary effluent that had been diluted with filtered seawater to final concentrations of 1%, 10% and 50%. Analysis of fish samples collected 3 and 5 days after exposure showed that DNA damage occurred in flounder exposed to 50% effluent and in sea eels exposed to 10% or 50% effluent. Furthermore, it was found that acetylcholinesterase (EC:3.1.1.7, AChE) activity decreased in both species when exposed to 10% effluent, indicating the presence of large amounts of genotoxic and neurotoxic chemicals in the effluent. Our results indicate that the comet and AChE assays are promising tools for biomonitoring of secondary effluents.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.337-348
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• 2018

As the issue of microplastics (MPs) detection in tap water was raised in other countries in 2017, monitoring of MPs in drinking and source water, and sewage treatment plant (STP) effluents was initiated. This study intends to look into other studies on MPs in STPs at home and abroad, and review the characteristics of MPs and their removal efficiencies in the STPs, the risk and effect of MPs on watersheds, and management practices in order to help better understand MPs in STPs. To manage MPs effectively in STPs, it is necessary to investigate the detection of MPs discharged from STPs, do research on human health risk and control measures, and build a monitoring system including standardized analytical methods.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.697-703
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• 2006

Endocrine disruptors were measured with GC/MS in effluents discharged from sewage treatment processes in pilot scale for the purpose of water reuse. From that analysis, we compared the removal rate of them by treatment processes. Nonylphenol was mainly detected in effluents and high concentration from 0.36 to 0.94 ${\mu}g/L$. $17{\beta}$-estradiol(E2) and $17{\alpha}$-ethynylestradiol(EE2) were detected as below the limit of detection in effluent. Endocrine disruptors were removed effectively in the range from 50 to 100% by treatment process. EC50 value($9.0{\times}10^{-3}$ M) of $17{\beta}$-estradiol(E2) by dose response curve of E-screen assay has higher than that of bisphenol A($2.736{\times}10^{-5}M$) and p-octylphenol($9.760{\times}10^{-6}$ M). These results showed that alkylphenols have lower relative estrogen potency than other estrogens such as $17{\beta}$-estradiol(E2). Calculated estrogenic activity(ng-EEQ/L) was 2 times higher than measured total estrogenic activity which estimated by E-screen assay. Moreover estrogenic activity of effluent by treatment process showed very low as below 1 ng-EEQ/L.