• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.94-104
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• 2001

A pilot study was performed at the experimental field of Konkuk University in Seoul, to examine the feasibility of the constructed wetland system for sewage and the effect of treated sewage irrigation on the paddy rice culture and its soil characteristics. The constructed wetland performed well, in that effluent concentrations of pollutants were significantly lower than concentrations of the influent. Median removal efficiencies of BOD$_{5}$ was about 78% and slightly lower during winter. Removal efficiencies form TN and TP were approximately 48 and 21%, respectively, and relatively less effective than that of BOD$_{5}$. Irrigation of treated sewage to paddy rice culture did not affect adversely in both growth and yield of rice. Instead, plots of treated sewage irrigation showed up to 50% more yield in average than the control plot. It implies that treated sewage irrigation might be beneficial to rice culture rather than detrimental as long as it is treated adequately and used properly. Soil was sampled and analyzed before transplanting and after harvesting. pH was slightly increased due to irrigation water, but it may not be concerned as long as the treated sewage is within the normal range. EC was increased in first year but decreased in second year, therefore salts accumulation in the soil could be less concerned. OM and CES was slightly increased, which might be beneficial on growing plants. TN did not show apparent pattern. Available phosphorus was decreased after rice culture, but the quantity of phosphorus(TP-available phosphorus) was rather increased which implies that excessive phosphorus supply may result in phosphorus accumulation in the soil. Overall, the constructed wetland was thought to be an effective sewage treatment alternative, and treated sewage could be reused as a supplemental source of irrigation water for paddy rice culture without causing adverse effect as long as it is treated adequately and used properly. For full-scale application, further investigation should be followed on environmental risk assessment, tolerable water quality, and fraction of supplemental irrigation.ion.

• Journal of National Security and Military Science
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• s.1
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• pp.423-446
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• 2003

While the demand for energy has shown a sharp increase recently, the supply seems to be limited by the fact that the conventional fossil fuel energy or nuclear energy has its own environmental problems such as, for example, global warming or nuclear waste disposal. To overcome such limited supply of energy, the utilization of natural thermal energy such as river water and seawater as well as treated sewage can be a substantial supplement. The potential use of the unused energy has become more and more feasible these days as the heat pump technology has been advanced. In the present study, the unused energy resources are estimated on regional and monthly basis for each resource by the method proposed here in order to establish the fundamental data for its utilization. The potential use of the unused energy is a1so discussed.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.55-68
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• 2020

Because of the intensified environmental problems such as climate change and resource depletion, sewage treatment technology focused on energy management has recently attracted attention. The conversion of primary sludge from the primary sedimentation tank and excessive sludge from the secondary sedimentation tank into biogas is the key to energy-positive sewage treatment. In particular, the primary sedimentation tanks recover enriched biodegradable organic matter and anaerobic digestion process produces methane from the organic wastes for energy production. Such technologies for minimizing oxygen demand are leading the innovation regarding sewage treatment plants. However, sewage treatment facilities in Korea lack core technology and operational know-how. Actually, the energy potential of sewage is higher than sewage treatment energy consumption in the sewage treatment, but current processes are not adequately efficient in energy recovery. To improve this, it is possible to apply chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT), high-rate activated sludge (HRAS), and anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) to the primary sedimentation tank. To maximize the methane production of sewage treatment plants, organic wastes such as food waste and livestock manure can be digested. Additionally, mechanical pretreatment, thermal hydrolysis, and chemical pretreatment would enhance the methane conversion of organic waste. Power generation systems based on internal combustion engines are susceptible to heat source losses, requiring breakthrough energy conversion systems such as fuel cells. To realize the energy positive sewage treatment plant, primary organic matter recovery from sewage, biogas pretreatment, and co-digestion should be optimized in the energy management system based on the knowledge-based operation.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.19-26
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• 2007

This paper concerns the study of absorption refrigeration and heat pump cycle to use sewage. Simulation analysis on the double-effect absorption refrigeration cycle with parallel and two-stage heat pump cycle has been performed. The working fluid is Lithium Bromide and water solution. The absorption refrigeration cycle use sewage as a cooling water for the absorber and condenser, and absorption refrigeration cycle does that as a chilled water for the evaporator of the first stage cycle. And the two-stage cycle consists of coupling double-effect with parallel and single effect cycle so that the first stage absorber and condenser produces heating water to evaporate refrigerant in the evaporator of the second stage. The effects of operating variables such as a absorber temperature on the coefficient of performance have been studied for absorption refrigeration and heat pump cycle.

• 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 on Water Environment
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.43-54
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• 2019

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of policies on water quality management based on the changes in pollutants and water quality in Special Water Preservation Area (SWPA) of Lake Paldang watershed from 1990 to 2016. The population, total sewage and flow rate of wastewater in SWPA continuously increased from 1990 to 2016, while the location of new facilities for industrial and livestock facilities has been restricted. However, unlike the buffer zone in which industrial and livestock facilities were continuously reduced after implementing of TMDL, it was found that the effect of land-use regulations on industrial and livestock facilities in SWPA were mitigated by the increase in the size of large facilities. Since 1999 when the emission standard of public sewage treatment plants (STP) was changed, the water quality of Lake Paldang has increased despite the increase of pollutant source. Since emission standard of STP changed in 2012 (BOD 5 mg/L, TP 0.2 mg/L), BOD concentration in Lake Paldang has also improved to the level of water quality in the early 1990s where as TP concentration has remained at its lowest since 1990. BOD and TP average discharge concentration of 43 STP (${\geq}500m^3/day$) in 2016 have been maintained $1.7{\pm}0.7mg/L$ and $0.06{\pm}0.02mg/L$ respectively. While the discharged load of STP in SWPA was decreased by the concentration management, the contribution rate to the total discharged load of non-point pollutants increased to 70 % in 2015, and the contribution rate to the point discharged load of individual treatment facilities increased to 80 %.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.291-297
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• 1993

The COD values and chloride ion concentrations of the Taewha river flowing through Ulsan area were determined along the main stream and the relationships between CODs and chloride ion concentrations were described. The results showed that the middle-upper stream and downstream of the Taewha river were polluted deeply with municipal sewage and self-purification occured in the middle-downstream of the river. When domestic sewage is a main source of pollutants, and is especially the only source of chloride in the stream water, the ratio of COD/[$\textrm{Cl}^{-}$] will be utilizable as a measure of self-purification of the stream.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.557-564
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• 2009

A combined sewer system can quickly drain both storm water and sewage, improve the living environment and resolve flood measures. A combined sewer system is much superior to separate sewer system in reduction of the non-point source pollutant load. However, during rainfall. it is impossible in time, space and economic terms to cope with the entire volume of storm water. A sewage system that exceeds the capacity of the sewer facilities drain into the river mixed with storm-water. In addition, high concentration of CSOs by first-flush increase pollution load and reduce treatment efficiency in sewage treatment plant. The aim of this study was to develope a processing unit for the removal of high CSOs concentrations in relation to water quality during rainfall events in a combined sewer. The most suitable operational design for processing facilities under various conditions was also determined. With a designed discharge of 19.89 m/min, the removal efficiency was good, without excessive overflow, but it was less effective in relation to underflow, and decreased with decreasing particle size and specific gravity. It was necessary to lessen radius of vortex separator for increasing inlet velocity in optimum range for efficient performance, and removal efficiency was considered to high because of rotation increases through enlargement of comparing height of vortex separator in diameter. By distribution of influent particle size, the actual turbulent flow and experimental results was a little different from the theoretical removal efficiency due to turbulent effect in device.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.123-128
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• 2008

The Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) existing in a water includes both hydrophobic and hydrophilic substances however, most of the discussion focuses on hydrophobic substances. The hydrophobic fraction was easily removed by absorption or coagulation more than hydrophilic fraction. Therefore, control of the hydrophilic fraction is very important in water treatment process. This study is to determine the variation of DOC, the removal efficiency of DOC, and Trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP) after each stage of water treatment process by fractionating Natural Organic Matters (NOM) into hydrophobic and hydrophilic substance. DOC from raw water was fractionated at acidic pH (pH<2) using XAD 8 resin column, into two fraction : hydrophobic substance (i.e. humic substance) adsorbed on XAD 8 and hydrophilic substance which represent the organics contained in the final effluent. THMFP was carried out according to the following set condition: Cl2/DOC=4 mg/mg, incubation at $25^{\circ}C$ in darkness, pH 7 adjust with HCl or NaOH as necessary, and 72hour-contact time. THMs analyzed in this study were chloroform, bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethan, and bromoform. Sewage was almost evenly split between the hydrophobic (56%) and hydrophilic fraction (44%). But, Aldrich humic substance (AHS) was found to contain less hydrophilics (14%) than hydrophobics (86%). The formation of THMs may depend on the source which is characterized by the composition of organic matters such as AHS and sewage. The THMFP yield of sewage and AHS were assessed as follows. The value of the THMFP reaction yield, AHS $172.65{\mu}g/mg$, is much higher than that of sewage $41.68{\mu}g/mg$. This illustrates possible significant difference in THMFP according to the component type and the proportion of organic matter existing in water source. Apparently AHS react with chlorine to produce more THMFP than do the smaller molecules found in sewage. Water treatment process may reduce THMFP, nevertheless residual DOC (the more hydrophilic substance) has significant THMFP. Further reduction in organic halide precursors requires application of alternative treatment techniques.

• 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.