• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• 제41권11호
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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.

• 한국환경과학회지
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• 제22권12호
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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.

• 한국물환경학회지
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• 제34권2호
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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.

• 한국물환경학회지
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• 제23권5호
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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.

• 한국해양학회지:바다
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.82-91
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• 2006

본 연구에서는 도시하수처리장 방류수를 하천연구용 추적자로 이용할 수 있는지 여부를 검토하였다. 이 같은 연구는 전주하수처리장 처리수 방류지점 하류 12 km구간에 대해서 수행 되었다. 연속 수질조사 결과 당 하수처리장 방류수의 수질은 조사기간 동안 비교적 넓은 범위에서 변화되고 있음이 관찰되었다. 특히 염소이온농도, 황산이온농도, 총양이온 농도, 전기전도도 등과 같은 변수들은 하수처리장 방류수에서의 수질변화 양상이 방류지점 하류의 관측지점들에서도 시간차이를 두고 순차적으로 관찰되었으며, 이러한 관측결과를 바탕으로 하천의 유속(v), 유량(Q), 수리분산계수(D) 값을 유추해 낼 수 있었다. 본 연구를 위해서는 1차원 비반응성 이산-분산 모델을 자동최적화 기법으로 역산하는 방법이 이용되었다. 이 같은 방법을 통하여 추산된 최하류 지점의 유량은 조사기간동안 6.4에서 $9.0m^3/sec$ 까지 변화되는 것으로 나타났으며, 유속은 조사구간내에서 0.06에서 0.10 m/sec까지, 수리분산계수는 0.7에서 $6.4m^2/sec$까지 변화되는 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구결과는 대도시의 대규모하수처리장이 수문연구에 적합한 추적자들을 제공해줄 수 있다는 점을 보여 주는 것이다.

• 대한환경공학회지
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• 제27권12호
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• pp.1332-1339
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• 2005

본 연구의 목적은 310종 다성분 동시분석법을 이용하여 영산강유역 생활하수처리장 방류수에서 유기오염물질의 분포특성을 연구하는 것이다. 그 결과, 5개 시료채취지점에서 많은 유기오염물질이 검출되었고 그 중 농약류, CH구조의 벤젠류와 다환방향족화합물 그리고 CHO구조의 페놀류와 프탈레이트류 화합물이 주요오염물질로서 검출되었다. 특히, 14종의 농약류가 주로 여름철에 방류수에서 검출되었다. 1-Chlorobenzen과 p-octylphenol은 각각 $0.52{\sim}0.61\;{\mu}g/L$과 $0.04{\sim}0.89\;{\mu}g/L$ 농도범위를 가지고 빈번히 검출되는 오염물질이다. 또한, 5개 시료채취지점에서 diethylphthalate를 포함한 18종의 내분비계교란물질이 관찰되었다. 따라서 이러한 연구결과로부터 우리는 영산강유역 생활하수처리장 방류수에서 농약류와 CH, CHO구조를 가진 화학물질들에 대해 특별 관리가 이루어져야 한다고 생각한다.

• 한국환경생태학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국환경생태학회 2003년도 추계학술논문발표회 논문집
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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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• 제5권3호
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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.

• 상하수도학회지
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• 제32권4호
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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.

• 대한환경공학회지
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• 제28권7호
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• pp.697-703
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• 2006

물 재이용 목적으로 설계한 pilot scale의 하수 처리공정에서 배출되는 방류수 중 내분비계 장애물질을 GC/MS로 분석하였고, 처리 공정별로 제거율을 비교하였다. 각 처리 공정별 방류수에서 nonylphenol이 주로 검출되었고, 평균 $0.36{\sim}0.94$ ${\mu}g/L$으로 높게 검출되었으나, E2와 EE2는 처리수에서 정량 이하로 검출되었다. 내분비계 장애물질은 처리 공정별로 $50{\sim}100%$의 제거율을 보여주었다. E-screen assay에 의해 얻어진 양-반응 곡선에서 E2의 EC50값은 $9.0{\times}10^{-3}$ M로 bisphenol A와 p-octylphenol의 EC50값인 $2.736{\times}10^{-5}$ M, $9.760{\times}10^{-6}$ M에 비해 매우 높았다. 이는 알킬페놀류가 E2에 대한 상대적인 에스트로겐 활성도가 매우 낮음을 보여주었다. 환경 호르몬 농도와 이 물질의 상대적인 에스트로겐 활성도에 근거하여 계산된 에스트로겐 활성도(ng-EEQ/L)는 E-screen assay에 의해 실측한 총 에스트로겐 활성도(ng-EEQ/L)에 비해 평균 2배의 높은 활성도를 보여 주었다. 각 처리 공정별 방류수의 에스트로겐 활성도는 1 ng-EEQ/L 이하의 매우 낮은 활성도를 보여주었다.