• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.40 no.4
• /
• pp.168-178
• /
• 2024

Wastewater treatment plants are constantly exposed to influent wastewater that is constantly changing. This poses a major challenge to the operation of the plants. It is crucial to have a rapid and accurate measurement of the influent concentrations of wastewater in order to maintain and optimize treatment performance, as well as to develop energy-saving strategies. While laboratory measurements provide the highest accuracy in determining influent water quality, they are inevitably time-consuming procedures. In order to cope with the ongoing disturbances from wastewater influent, absorption-based optical measuring instruments have been developed. These instruments can detect the influent water quality in a short amount of time, improving their practicality and reliability. However, when these optical measuring instruments malfunction, the accuracy of the measured values decreases, leading to unreasonable operation of the treatment plant. This paper proposes a method for detecting anomalies in optical water quality measurement devices. The Harmony Search algorithm is used to validate the measured water quality values and detect abnormalities such as contamination or physical anomalies in the measurement apparatus. To assess the performance of the developed algorithm in detecting anomalies, validation was conducted by installing it in a field-scale wastewater treatment plant. The results consistently showed that the developed fault detection method for optical water quality measurements equipment provided acceptable results for normal, temporary abnormal, and long-term abnormal conditions.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.157-164
• /
• 2013

Depending on season, mixed wastewater can show great deviations in terms of the influent ratios of tannery and seafood-wastewater. Increases in the ratio of tannery wastewater in influent water also result in increases in the concentration of chromium, which decreases the ratio of BOD/T-N so that the removal efficiency of organic and nitrogen pollutants in biological wastewater treatment deteriorates. No substantial differences occur in the ratios of Eubacteria/total bacteria as the ratio between tannery wastewater and seafood wastewater changes in the influent water. In contrast, the cell numbers and activities of Eubacteria and total bacteria significantly decline with increasing ratios of tannery wastewater in the influent water. Stable removal of organic and nitrogen pollutants by biological wastewater treatments leads to dominance of Proteobacteria groups in all biological treatment basins. In aeration and oxic basins, ${\gamma}$-Proteobacteria account for approximately 21% of the Eubacteria groups, at $1.9{\times}10^9{\sim}2.0{\times}10^9$ cells/mL, while in an anoxic basin, ${\beta}$-Proteobacteria account for approximately 19% of the Eubacteria groups, at $1.3{\times}10^9$ cells/mL. However, a substantial decline in dominance of approximately 11% occurs for ${\gamma}$-Proteobacteria in aeration and oxic basins and about 1% for ${\beta}$-Proteobacteria in an anoxic basin. Mixed wastewater that undergoes extensive property changes of the influent water shows an efficiency of biological treatment that is greatly influenced by the ratio of dominant Proteobacteria groups.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.72-80
• /
• 1996

This study was carried to investigate the biodegradability of phenol wastewater in the sluge blanket-packed bed reactor(SBPBR). The reactor consisted of two regions. The lower region was a sludge blanket of 0.5 m height and the upper region was a packed-bed. The phenol and COD concentration of the effluent, the gas production and the composition of gas were measured to determine the performance of the anaerobic wastewater treatment system as the phenol concentration of the influent was increased from 600 to 1800 mg/l. Stable biodegradation of phenol wastewater could be achieved with the anaerobic treatment system from 600 to 1200 mg/l of the influent phenol concentration. But the SBPBR system was getting more serious at 1800 mg/l of influent phenol concentration. At the steady state of the influent phenol concentration of 600-1200 mg/l, the treatment performance showed the phenol removal efficiency of 94.5~96.3%, the COD removal efficiency of 93.3~96% and the gas production of 4.94~9.64 l/day.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.155-162
• /
• 2018

Process modeling with activated sludge models (ASMs) is useful for the design and operational improvement of biological nutrient removal (BNR) processes. Effective utilization of ASMs requires the influent fraction analysis (IFA) of the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). However, this is difficult due to the time and cost involved in the design and operation steps, thereby declining the simulation reliability. Harmony Search (HS) algorithm was utilized herein to determine the relationships between composite variables and state variables of the model IWA ASM1. Influent fraction analysis was used in estimating fractions of the state variables of the WWTP influent and its application to 9 wastewater treatment processes in South Korea. The results of influent $S_s$ and $Xs+X_{BH}$, which are the most sensitive variables for design of activated sludge process, are estimated within the error ranges of 8.9-14.2% and 3.8-6.4%, respectively. Utilizing the chemical oxygen demand (COD) fraction analysis for influent wastewater, it was possible to predict the concentrations of treated organic matter and nitrogen in 9 full scale BNR processes with high accuracy. In addition, the results of daily influent fraction analysis (D-IFA) method were superior to those of the constant influent fraction analysis (C-IFA) method.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.8 no.5
• /
• pp.617-623
• /
• 1999

This study was carried out to obtain the optimal operating parameter on organic matters and nutrient removal of mixed wastewater which was composed of sewage and stable wastewater using SBR. A laboratory scale SBR was operated with An/Ae(Anaerobic/Aerobic) ratio of 3/3, 2/4 and 4/2(3.5/2.5) at organic loading rate of 0.14 to 0.27 kgBOD/$m^3$/d. TCOD/SCOD ratio of mixed wastewater was 3, so the important operating factor depended upon the resolving the particulate parts of wastewater. Conclusions of this study were as follows: 1) For mixed wastewater, BOD and COD removal efficiencies were 93-96% and 85-89%, respectively. It was not related to each organic loading rate, whereas depended on An/Ae ratio. During Anarobic period, the amount of SCOD consumption was very little, because ICOD in influent was converted to SCOD by hydrolysis of insoluble matter. 2) T-N removal efficiencies of mixed wastewater were 55-62% for Exp. 1, 66-76% for Exp. 2, and 67-81% for Exp. 3, respectively. It was found that nitrification rate was increased according to organic concentration in influent increased. Therefore, the nitrification rate seemed to be achieved by heterotrophs. During anoxic period, denitrification rate depended on SCOD concentration in aerobic period and thus, was not resulted by endogenous denitrification. However, the amount of denitrification during anaerobic period were 3.5-14.1 mg/cycle, and that of BOD consumed were 10-40 mg/cycle. 3) For P removal of mixed wastewater, EBPR appeared only Mode 3($3^＊$). It was found that the time in which ICOD was converted to VFA should be sufficient. For mode 3 in each Exp., P removal efficiencies were 74, 87, and 81%, respectively. But for 45-48 of COD/TP ratio in influent, P concentration in effluent was over 1 mg/L. It was caused to a large amount of ICOD in influent. However, as P concnetration in influent was increased, the amounts of P release and uptake were increased linearly.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.73-83
• /
• 2010

This study was performed to increase the removal efficiency of the biofilter packed with granular sulfur in municipal wastewater reclamation facility. Constituent units were influent water tank, denitrification tank, BOD reduction tank and outlet. And, the major operation factor is a biofilter packed with submerged granular sulfur. Actual wastewater and synthetic wastewater were used as influent wastewater. Experimental condition was divided into two phases according to the amount of a phosphorus coagulant. Total phosphorus removal efficiency was insignificant at mode I that phosphorus coagulant was not injected. The average influent and effluent total phosphorus concentrations at mode II were 0.5 ~ 1.0 mg/L and 0.27 mg/L, respectively. As for COD and BOD effluent concentrations, COD was 3.0 mg/L and BOD was 1.0 mg/L. Additionally, nitrogen removal rates were high at low influent DO concentration. In conclusion, a new process, biofilter packed with granular sulfur is expected to treat high-rate nitrogen wastewater and expected to be utilized as an alternative of technological innovation for the nitrogen treatment.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.140-148
• /
• 2017

An important factor in determining the design and treatment efficiency of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is the quantity and quality of influent. These detailed and accurate information is essential for process control, diagnosis and operation, as well as the basis in designing the plant, selecting the process and determining the optimal capacity of each bioreactor. Probabilistic models are used to predict the wastewater quantity and quality of WWTPs, which are widely used to improve the design and operation of WWTPs. In this study, the optimal probability distribution of time series influent data was derived for predicting water quantity and quality, and wastewater influent data were generated using the Monte Carlo simulation analysis. In addition, we estimated various alternatives for the improvement of bioreactor operations based on present operation condition using the generated influent data and activated sludge model, and suggested the alternative that can operate the most effectively. Thus, the influent quantity and quality are highly correlated with the actual operation data, so that the actual WWTPs influent characteristics were well reproduced. Using this will improve the operating conditions of WWTPs, and a proposed improvement plan for the current TMS (Tele Monitoring System) effluent quality standards can be made.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
• /
• v.39 no.4
• /
• pp.55-63
• /
• 1997

Constructed wetland system which can be applied to the rural wastewater treatment system was examined by pilot plant in Kon-Kuk University. Hydraulic loading rate of wastewater was about 0.16m$^3$/m$^2$. day and theoretical detention time in the system was 1.38 days. The effluent of the septic tank for the school building was applied as inflow to the system. The influent concentration of DO was zero but effluent was up to 4.37mg/${\ell}$ which implies that oxygen was supplied enough from atmosphere by reaeration to support biological activity of the system. Average influent concentration of BOD was 104mg/${\ell}$ and effluent was 24mg/${\ell}$ with average removal rate of 76%. Average influent concentration of COD was 215mg/${\ell}$ and effluent was 63mg/${\ell}$ with average removal rate of 70 % . Average influent concentration of SS was 78mg/${\ell}$ and effluent was 10mg/${\ell}$ with average removal rate of 87%. Two components, BOD and SS, are regulated by law to keep maximum water quality standard of 80mg/${\ell}$ when daily outflow rate is less than 100$m^3$/day which is the case of most rural communities. Therefore, the results from the experiment showed that constructed wetland system can meet the water quality standard easily. Average influent concentration of total nitrogen was 165mg/lwhich is relatively higher than normal wastewater, and effluent was about 156mg/${\ell}$ with average removal rate of only 6%. Average influent concentration of total phosphorus was 41 mg/${\ell}$ and effluent was 6mg/${\ell}$ with average removal rate of 87%. Overall, constructed wetland system was thought to be effective to treat wastewater if nitrogen removal mechanism is improved. Considering low cost, less maintenance, and high treatability, this system can be a practical alternative for the wastewater treatment in rural area The experiment was performed during the summer and fall season, and treatment efficiency of the system is expected to decrease in low temperature. therefore, further study including temperature is required to evaluate feasibility of the system more in detail.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.25 no.5
• /
• pp.674-681
• /
• 2009

Characteristics of organic matters (OM) in wastewater and the removal efficiencies were investigated using the influent and the effluent samples collected from 21 wastewater treatment plants. The OM characteristics investigated included biodegradability, humic content, specific UV absorbance (SUVA), the distribution percentage of refractory OM (R-OM), and synchronous fluorescence spectra. The types of wastewater (sewage, livestock waste/night soils, industrial waste) were easily distinguished by comparing the synchronous fluorescence spectra of the influent wastewater. The prominent peak of protein-like fluorescence (PLF) was observed for livestock waste/night soils whereas sewage exhibited a unique fluorescence peak at a wavelength of 370 nm. Irrespective of the wastewater types, the distribution percentage of R-OM increased from the influent to the effluent. Livestock waste/night soils showed the highest removal efficiency among all the three types of wastewater. There was no statistical difference of the removal efficiency between a traditional activated sludge and biological advanced treatment processes. Removal efficiency based on dissolved organic carbon DOC presented good correlations with the distribution percentage of R-OM and fulvic-like fluorescence (FLF) of the influent. The prediction for DOC removal efficiency was improved by using multiple regression analyses based on some selected OM characteristics and mixed liquid suspended solid (MLSS).

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
• /
• v.22 no.6
• /
• pp.647-655
• /
• 2008

Sewer Rehabilitation Project (SRP) is planed, designed and constructed to perform its intended performance as sewerage delivery systems. Recently, a subject of performance evaluation methodology development for SRP has become a great deal of concern among researchers in Korea. From the view point of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), however, the estimation of improvement efficiency for SRP is in lack of reliability due to the fact that affections for the treatment efficiency and operating condition are not reflected on SRP design and construction. In this study, statistical methodology was used in the analysis of data, which are taken during 1,186 days ($1^{st}$ Jan. 2005 - $31^{th}$ Mar. 2008) from the influent, effluent and operating conditions of full-scale STP($25,000m^3/d$). Then the effect of SRP on the influent characteristics and operating conditions changing was compared and evaluated. Results from the statistical evaluation show that SRP causes characteristic changes in influent and exerts a significant effect especially on the performance of STP.