• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.574-582
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• 2012

This study presents the concentrations of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) listed as priority pollutants by United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), in 98 sludges from 54 industrial wastewater treatment facilities of South Korea. The mean concentrations of ${\Sigma}_{16}PAHs$ were ranged from 32.5 ${\mu}g/kg-dw$ to 1189.3 ${\mu}g/kg-dw$ by industries, and the highest content was found in the petrochemical industry, followed by chemical, clothing manufacturing and dying, pulp and papermaking, secondary wastewater treatment, and food/beverage producing industries. Comparisons to the EU and Danish standards of ${\Sigma}_{16}PAHs$ in sewage sludge for land application showed only two samples (one from petrochemical, and the other from chemical industry) exceeded the limits. ANOVA test with PAH concentrations as variables revealed no statistically significant influences by industrial types and sampling time (i.e., seasonal variations). Pearson correlations between individual PAHs showed strong relationships (r>0.7) among 4-ring PAHs. Concentrations of acenaphthylene, anthracene, fluoranthene, benzo(a)anthracene, benzo(f)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(a)pyrene presented strong correlations to ${\Sigma}_{16}PAHs$. Principal component analysis discriminated entire samples into three groups by two principal components (PC1 and PC2) with 70% of data variations, in which industrial types were not of importance, but a dominance of certain PAHs. Samples in group-I, which is high PC1 and low PC2, were characterized by a dominance of 2-ring PAHs, and in group-II, PC1 and PC2 showed a linear relation, was dominant 4-ring PAHs. Group-III with low PC1 and high PC2 includes 17 samples showing a noticeably high contribution of 3-ring PAHs to ${\Sigma}_{16}PAHs$. This study provides concentrations of PAHs in industrial sludges collected from a wide variety of sources (six industrial types) and two seasons of sampling events, and the comparison of ${\Sigma}_{16}PAHs$ with other studies are also discussed.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.25-41
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• 2002

In order to investigate the hydrogeochemical characteristics and contamination of dissolved major ions and heavy metals in the Tancheon River, river water and sediment samples were collected at 18 locations, along a distance of 69 km, between Yongin-si in Kyunggi-do and Samsung-dong in Seoul on October in 2000 and April in 2001. After appropriate sample preparation, waters were analyzed for the dissolved constituents and sediments. The pH values of river waters were in the range of 7.0 to 9.3 and could be plotted in the area of surface environment. The level of $Ca^{2+}$, , CI-, sol-, N0$_{3}$ and HC0$_{3}$ in the Tancheon River were higher than those in world average river water. Most of dissolved constituents in the river waters increased toward downstream from upstream. In particular, high concentrations of Zn2+, Na$_{+}$, CI$^{-}$, SO$_{4}^{2-}$ and N03- were found near densely residential areas and the Sungnam waste water treatment plant. The relative ion enrichment was caused by the inflow of local domestic and industrial sewages. Also, Ca2+ and HC03- concentrations were enriched in the middle of the Tancheon River due to the dissolution of cements. This indicates that the apartment complexes were built on a large scale in the upriver since these ten years and large amounts of construction materials such as cements were flowed into the Tancheon River. Concentrations of heavy metals (Mn, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn) in sediments from the Tancheon River exceeded the lower limit of tolerence level in bottom sediment established by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (OME) of Canada. In particular, these metals were highly elevated in sediment (TSM-12) collected from near the Sungnam waste water treatment plant. Heavy metals were higher enriched in sediments collected from dry period rather than wet period.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.374-383
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• 2019

The Wangpo stream located in the Buyeo-gun was a small stream with both low water quality and quantity due to the cultivated land and settlement area through the stream. In order to restore ecosystem, the Sustainable Structured wetland Biotop system was applied to treat 1,500 to 7,000 ㎥/d amount of effluent water pumped from the Buyeo sewage treatment plant facility as well as inflowed from nonpoint pollution source of Wangpo stream. As a result of continuous monitoring for 2 years from 2016 to 2018 after completing restorative construction, the average BOD₅ as an index of organic pollution was 7.3 mg/L and the average effluent concentration became 2.1 mg/L, showing an improvement by 71.2%. The average inflow concentration of T-N was 7.953 mg/L and the average outflow concentration was 3.379 mg/L, showing 57.5% of improvement. The average inflow concentration of T-P was 0.177 mg/L and the average outflow concentration was 0.052 mg/L, showing about 70.7% improvement. The results of ecological monitoring after creating biotope by reuse of treated waste water and nonpoint pollution source of the Wangpo Stream are as follows. The plant taxa founded in water SSB(Sustainable Structured wetland Biotop) system of the Wangpo Stream was total 41 species in 21 families, showing a higher proportion of naturally introduced plant than that of artificially planted species. In case of other terrestrial animals, both amphibian and reptile group were confirmed as 3 species in 6 families, avian group was 25 species of 15 families, and mammal group observed 5 species in 5 families, respectively. All species have been created and enhanced through purified water inhabited in the SSB(Sustainable Structured wetland Biotop) system as a treatment wetland, eventually migrating to the Wangpo Stream.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.37 no.1 s.106
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• pp.112-121
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• 2004

A study was performed to examine the effects of UV-disinfected reclaimed water on microorganism concentration during rice culture. Four treatments were used and each one was triplicated to evaluate the changes of microorganism concentrations: stream water irrigation (STR), biofilter effluent irrigation (BE), UV-disinfected water irrigation with dose of 6 mW ${\cdot}$ s $cm{-2}$ (UV-6), and UV-disinfected water irrigation with dose of 16 mW ${\cdot}$ s $cm{-2}$ (UV-16). The indicator microorganisms of interest were total coliform (TC), fecal coliform (FC), and E. coli. The biofilter effluent from 16-unit apartment sewage treatment plant was used as reclaimed water and flowthrough type UV-disinfection system was used. Concentrations of indicator microorganisms in the treatment plots ranged from $10^2$ to $10^5$ MPN/100 mL during 24 hours after irrigation in May and June, where initial irrigation water for transplanting reparation was biofilter-effluent without UV-disinfection. It implies that initial irrigation using only non-disinfected reclaimed water for puddling in paddy field can be health-concerned because of more chance of farmer's physical contact with elevated concentration of microorganisms. The concentrations of microorganisms varied widely with rainfall, and treatments using UV-disinfected water irrigation showed significantly lower concentrations than others and their levels were within the range of paddy rice field with normal surface water irrigation. The mean concentrations of STR and BE during growing season were in the range of 4 ${\times}\;10^3$ MPN/100 mL for TC, and 2${\times}\;10^3$ MPN/100 mL for FC and E, Coli, While mean concentrations of UV-S and UV-lS were less than 1${\times}\;10^3$ MPN/100 mL for all the indicator microorganisms. Overall, UV-disinfection was thought to be feasible and practical alternative for agricultural reuse of secondary level effluent in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.295-302
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• 2014

This study demonstrates a double-path CDI as an alternative of advanced wastewater treatment process. While the CDI typically consists of many pairs of electrodes connected in parallel, the new double-path CDI is designed to have series flow path by dividing the module into two stages. The CFD model showed that the double-path had uniform flow distribution with higher velocity and less dead zone compared with the single-path. However, the double-path was predicted to have higher pressure drop(0.7 bar) compared the single-path (0.4 bar). From the unit cell test, the highest TDS removal efficiencies of single- and double-path were up to 88% and 91%, respectively. The rate of increase in pressure drop with an increase of flow rate was higher in double-path than single-path. At 70 mL/min of flow rate, the pressure drop of double-path was 1.67 bar, which was two times higher than single-path. When the electrode spacing was increased from 100 to $200{\mu}m$, the pressure drop of double-path decreased from 1.67 to 0.87 bar, while there was little difference in TDS removal. When proto type double-path CDI was operated using sewage water, TDS, $NH_4{^+}$-N, $NO_3{^-}$-N and $PO_4{^{3-}}$-P removal efficiencies were up to 78%, 50%, 93% and 50%, respectively.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.63-75
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• 2004

This research sought to determine the status of the installation and operation of domestic public resource-making facilities of resource-making facilities and come up with corresponding improvement measures. Currently compost is most numerous set-up out of facilties already established ever since, then the rest of them are feeds, anaerobic degradation, sewage combination, and combination of compost and feeds in order. As such, food waste is processed more into compost than into feeds, presumably because relevant facilities, which were originally designed for processing into feeds, were converted into composting facilities due to little demand for the processed feeds. The finding says that many related firms had yet to register their businesses in accordance with feeds and fertilizers management laws, and that food waste resources-making facilities used various basic facilities but few of them treated food waste in linkage with leaching water, bad odors, and energy. Some of current facilities were found to be 7 years old and thus outdated. Due to lack of skilled operational manpower, many facilities had less than 300 days of normal operation yearly, and some needed minor and serious repairs periodically. In overall facilities, 87% of the planned food waste was rolled in, thus requiring measures to treat the whole planned volume. For costs of resource-making facilities, some with a capacity of below 50 tons topped 100 million won, and facilities with a capacity of over 50 tons required less installation costs. Overall, installation costs ranged from 10 million to 20 million, and to 200 million won per ton, and this suggests a need to establish the installation cost calculation criteria, as well as to reshape the facility criteria. With operating costs varying greatly according to the size and treatment methods of facilities, the finding indicates a need to rationalize the operating costs, and to plan appropriate-size installation and operation of facilities to ensure economic operation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.398-405
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• 2012

PAHs(Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons) in coastal area and estuary adjacent to urban area and industrial activities region are mainly introduced into marine environment via atmosphere and river. This study which is evaluated the distribution characteristics of PAHs discharge from rivers and sewage disposal water which flowing into Ulsan bay, and were carried out in Jun of dry season and in Auguest of wet season, 2008. The water samples from eight main rivers and Youngyeon WWTP(Wastewater Treatment Plant) flowed into Ulsan bay were taken for analysis of dissolved PAHs. The range and mean values of dissolved PAHs concentrations showed 10.30 to 87.88 ng/L, its mean 36.94 ng/L in dry season and 10.30 to 69.57 ng/L, its mean 24.37 ng/L in wet season. The distribution of dissolved PAHs showd the high concentrations in the Gungcheoncheon which is flowed from urban and industrial area. The ranges and means values of the loading fluxes were estimated with 0.04 to 8.27 g/day, its mean 2.05 g/day in dry season, and 0.03 to 4.77 g/day, its mean 1.61 g/day, in wet season. The loading flux showed the highest value in Taewha river due to the high flow rate and the urban activity. The composition patterns of dissolved PAHs compound showed most of the trend occupying low molecuar weight PAHs than high molecular weight PAHs. These results were due to physical and chemical characteristics of PAHs compound, and were similar to those of other studies. The concentrations of dissolved PAHs in this study are lower than those of other studies, and the level of PAHs pollution appeared to be not serious in reverine waters of Ulsan coast.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.472-487
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• 2020

With the emergence of abnormal climate due to the rapid industrialization, the importance of water quality management and management costs are increasing every year. In Korea, for the management of total phosphorus and total nitrogen, the major materials causing the water quality pollution, coagulants are injected in sewage treatment plants to process organic compounds. However, if the coagulant is injected in an excessive amount to PAC (Poly Aluminium Chloride), a secondary pollution problem might occur. As such, a study on the applicability of natural material-based coagulant is being conducted in Korea. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the applicability of a mixed coagulant developed by analyzing water quality pollutants T-P, T-N as well as their turbidity, in order to derive the optimum mixing ratio between PAC and torrefied wood flour for the primary settling pond effluent. Under the condition where the content of PAC (10%) and torrefied wood flour is 1%, T-P showed the maximum removal efficiency of 92%, and T-N showed approximately 22%. This indicates that removal of T-N which includes numerous positively charged organic compounds that are equivalent to mixed coagulant is not well accomplished. Turbidity showed the removal efficiency of approximately 91%. As such, 1% of torrefied wood flour was determined to be the optimum addition. As a result of analyzing the removal efficiency for organic compounds by reducing PAC concentration to 7%, T-P showed a high maximum removal efficiency of 91%, T-N showed 32%, and turbidity showed the maximum of 90%. In addition, a coagulation process is performed by using the mixed coagulant based on 1% content of torrefied wood flour produced in this study by performing a coagulation performance comparative experiment with PAC (10%). As a result, PAC concentration was reduced to 30-50%, a similar performance with other coagulants in market was secured, PAC injection amount was reduced that an economic effect can be achieved, and it is considered to perform a stable water treatment that reduces the secondary pollution problem.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.431-440
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• 2014

To propose the improvement and management plans to strengthen the pollutant removal efficiency of dam reservoir's constructed wetlands(CWs), the operation status and configuration of CWs (including water depth, operational flow, water flow distribution, residence time, and pollutant removal efficiency, aspect ratio, open water/vegetation ratio etc.) were analyzed in 10 major wetlands constructed in dam reservoirs. The pollutant concentrations in the inflows of the studied CWs were lower than those of American and European constructed wetlands. Especially, organic matter concentrations in all of inflows were below 3 mg/L(as BOD) due to advanced treatment of sewage disposal plant and an intake of low concentration water during dry and normal seasons. The average removal efficiency of total nitrogen(TN) and total phosphorus(TP) for 10 CWs ranged from 7.6~67.6%(mean 24.9%) and -4.9~74.5%(mean 23.7%), respectively, showing high in wetlands treating municipal wastewater. On the other hand, the removal efficiency of BOD was generally low or negative with ranging from -133.3 to 41.7%. From the analysis of the operation status and configuration of CWs, it is suggested that the low removal efficiency of dam reservoir's CWs were caused by both structural (inappropriate aspect ratio, excessive open water area) and operational (neglecting water-level management, lack of facilities and operation for first flush treatment, lake of monitoring during rainy events) problems. Therefore, to enable to play a role as a reduction facility of non-point source(NPS) pollutants, an appropriate design and operation manuals for dam reservoir's CW is urgently needed. In addition, the monitoring during rainy events, when NPS runoff occur, must be included in operation manual of CW, and then the data obtained from the monitoring is considered in estimation of the pollutant removal efficiency by dam reservoir's CW.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.26 no.1B
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• pp.51-60
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• 2006

Water quality improvement in mattress/filter system using porous material like slag from industrial activity and zeolite that has been studied for environment improvement and pollution abatement is very useful in polluted stagnant stream channel. Slag is consisted of CaO, $SiO_2$, $Al_2O_3$ and $Fe_2O_3$. Slag with large specific surface area of porosity has been used such as sludge settling and adsorptive materials. Because slag is porous, it can be used for purification filter. As slag is used as filled materials of mattress/filter system and the system has good advantages for the waste water treatment, water recycling, and the improvement of water quality at the same time and so on. Because zeolite has much advantage of cation exchange, adsorption, catalyst and dehydration characteristics, It is used for environment improvement of livestock farms, treatment of artificial sewage and waste water, improvement of drinking water quality, radioactive waste disposal and radioactive material pollution control. In this study, according to verifying effects of water quality improvement of fill materials by porosity that 38.6%, 45.8% and 49.8% respectively in the stagnant stream channel, water quality monitoring of inflow and outflow was conducted on pH, DO, BOD, COD, SS, T-N and T-P. Mattress/filter system was able to accelerate water quality improvement by biofilter as waste water flows through gap of mattress/filter fill materials and by contact catalysis, absorption, catabolism by biofilm. Mattress/filter system used slag and zeolite forms biofilm easily and accelerates adsorption of organic matter. As a result, mattress/filter system increases water self-purification and accelerates water quality improvement available for stream water clean-up.