• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.42-49
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• 2017

The application of electro-coagulation has been attempted to control the membrane fouling problem in a MBR (Membrane Bio-Reactor). This study examined the effects of the operating parameters (current density and contact time) of the electro-coagulation process on the change in the characteristics of activated sludge. The current density changed from 2.5 to 12, $24A/m^2$, and the contact time was varied from 0 to 2 and 6 hr, respectively. At a current density of $24A/m^2$ and 6 hr of operation, the MLSS changed from 6,800 to 7,000 mg/L (3% increase), but the MLVSS did not increase significantly. After 6 hr of operation, the soluble COD decreased from 71 to 37 mg/L under the $24A/m^2$ condition, from 113 to 67 mg/L under the $12A/m^2$ condition, and from 84 to 80 mg/L under the $2.5A/m^2$ condition. On the other hand, soluble-TN and -TP concentration showed slight changes. The soluble-EPS and Bound-EPS concentration decreased slightly with increasing current density. The membrane filtration performance of activated sludge before and after electro-coagulation was compared. The filtration resistances after electro-coagulation decreased from 6 to 61 %, particularly as the current density and contact time were increased. This indicates that electro-coagulation can be used to control membrane fouling in the MBR process.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.30 no.12
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• pp.1231-1238
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• 2008

This study was performed to evaluate the treatability of food waste leachate using lab-scale two-phase anaerobic digestion system. Effects of influent pH, hydraulic retention time (HRT), and recycle of methanogenic reactor effluent to the thermophilic acidogenic reactors were investigated. For methanogenic reactors, effects of internal solids recycle and temperature were studied. Performance of the acidogenic reactors was stable under the conditions of influent pH of 6.0 and HRT of 2 d with the recycle of methanogenic reactor effluent, and acidification and VS removal efficiency were about 30% and 40%, respectively. Up to the organic loading rate (OLR) of 7 g COD/L/d, effluent SCOD values of mesophilic and thermophilic methanogenic reactors either lower or kept the same with the internal solids recycle. Also, decreasing tendency in specific methane production (SMP) due to the organic loading increase became diminished with the internal solids recycle. Mesophilic methanogenic reactors showed higher TCOD removal efficiency and SMP than thermophilic condition under the same OLR as VSS was always higher under mesophilic condition. In sum, thermophilic acidogenesis-mesophilic methanogenesis system was found to be better than thermophilic-thermophilic system in terms of both organic removal and methane production.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.323-338
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• 1993

The primary objective of this study was to examine the toxic effects of PCP on activated sludge and to analyze its metabolic responses while treating wastewater containing pentachlorophenol (PCP) in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) system operating under different control strategies. This study was conducted in two phases 1 and 2 (8-hr and 12-hr cycles). Each phase was operated with two control strategies I and II. Strategy I (reactor 1) involved rapid addition (5 minutes to complete) of substrate to the reactor with continuous mixing but no aeration for 2 hours. Strategy II (reactor 2) involved adding the feed continuously during the first 2 hours of the cycle when the system was mixed but not aerated. During both phases each reactor was operated at a sludge age of 15 days. The synthetic wastewater was used as a feed. The COD of the feed solution was about 380 mg/L. After the reference response for both reactors was established, the steady state response of each system was established for PCP feed concentrations of 0.1 mg/L, 1.0 mg/L, and 5.0 mg/L in SBR systems operating on both 8-hr and 12-hr cycles. Soluble COD removal was not inhibited at any feed PCP concentrations used. At 5.0 mg/L feed PCP concentration and in SBR systems operating on phase 2, the concentrations or ML VSS were decreased; selective pressure on the mixed biomass might be increased, narrowing the range of possible ecological responses; the settleability of activated sludge was poor; the SOURs were increased, showing that the systems were shocked. Nitrification was made to some extent at all concentrations of feed PCP in SBR systems operating on phase 2 whereas in SBR systems operating on phase 1 little nitrification was observed. Then, nitrification will be delayed as much as soluble COD removal is retarded due to PCP inhibition effects. Enhanced biological phosphorus removal occurring in the system operating with control strategy I during phase 1 of this work and in the presence of low concentrations of PCP was unreliable and might cease at anytime, whereas enhanced biological phosphorus removal occurring in the system operating with either control strategy I or II during phase 2 of this work and in the presence of feed PCP concentrations up to 1.0 mg/L was reliable. When, however, such processes were exposed to 5.0 mg/L PCP dose, enhanced phosphorus removal ceased and never returned.