• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.169-174
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• 2008

In this study a trickling filter system was developed by using polypropylene media and polypropylene nylon media that has recently been developed. The experiment analyzed an ability of water purification of the two plastic media and the effects of biomass on the final effluent. As recycling ratio increases, polypropylene nylon suspender showed higher efficiency by 20%; and, when media height was lengthened twice, efficiency increased about 10%. EPS and biomass increased in proportion to the increase of recycling ratio, and bound-TOC showed a similar trend with bound-EPS (extra-cellular polymeric substances) concentration.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.122-127
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• 2000

A stream purification system was applied to the upper reaches of the Masan Reservoir to improve the water quality. This system consisted of two channels which were constructed on both sides of the stream, one side packed with crushed gravels and the other with plastic filter media. The system operated under low pollutant concentrations and high hydraulic loadings during a dry season to avoid clogging of the filter media. Removal rate and efficiency of chemical oxygen demand (COD) in the channel packed with crushed gravel were $14.8g/m^3/d$ and 11.5%, and for the channel with plastic filter media, $50.1g/m^3/d$ and 13.5%, respectively. Removal efficiencies of total phosphorus (T-P) were 6.6% (gravel) and 10.0% (plastic media). These results indicated plastic filter media having relatively high specific surface areas were more efficient than crushed gravels in removing pollutants. However, due to low influent water quality during dry season, the removal efficiencies were low. The proportion of nitrate nitrogen to total nitrogen (T-N) of the inflow was high but, as the system operated under aerobic condition, nitrate nitrogen could not denitrified. Accordingly, total nitrogen was not attenuated with this system. To improve the reservoir water quality effectively, this system should be able to treat the storm runoff containing higher pollutant loadings. When the filter materials are clogged by the storm runoff instead of backwashing, it would be more efficient to replace them, Therefore, the use of natural materials which are light, easily obtaining and replaceable, and have high specific surface areas is recommended.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.561-567
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• 1987

The purpose of this study was to find out the removal capacity of harmful ammonia by different filter media in the submerged biological filters in a given space of chamber. Four materials, pile cloth, corrugated skylight roofing plate, embossed plastic plate, and gravel, were used as the experimental filter media. Each filter medium was placed in two aquariums, each aquarium measuring $90cm\times60cm\times60cm\;(depth)$. Under the normal operating condition, the average of mean ammonia removal rates during the first and second functioning periods by each filter material which occupied tile space in the filter chamber (aquarium) was as follows: 1. Pile cloth: $8.381\;g{\cdot}m^{-3}.\;day^{-1}$ 2. Corrugated skylight roofing plate: $7.834\;g{\cdot}m^{-3}.\;day^{-1}$ 3. Embossed plastic plate: $7.797\;g{\cdot}m^{-3}.\;day^{-1}$ 4. Gravel: $7.051\;g{\cdot}m^{-3}.\;day^{-1}$ Thus, there were no significant differences between the media, but at the time of practical application of these materials, some other factors such as investment cost, easiness for the removal of excess detritus accumulated in tile interstices of filter media, etc. should be fallen into consideration. When large units are required, in particular, removal of excess detritus from tile gravel bed is extremely difficult, and in case of pile cloth filters the installation work is much complicated and a problem in supporting the structure when drained also exists. In these respects, corrugated skylight roofing plate and embossed plastic plate seem to be more optimal, but again in practice the local situation for the availability and the price of the materials should be rechecked and the fitness of tile materials in the particular filter chambers under use or under consideration for construction must be taken into account.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.129-135
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• 2009

PPCP (pharmaceuticals and personal care products) is known as micropollutant that is released from wastewater treatment plant. Research represents that these contaminants have increased in the last 10 years. This study tries to make four different trickling filter systems using plastic fiber media to remove PPCP such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, caffeine. The results of the experiment that compares the process efficiencies of four different systems (A, B, C and D) using HBC media show that almost all the reactor has around 95% removal efficiency. Slope type HBC reactor has twice higher efficiency rather than submerged type reactor to remove PPCP in water system. In 8 hours, 89% of acetaminophen, ibuprofen, caffeine are removed in slope type reactor while 39% of them in submerged type.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.679-685
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• 1998

The Soysauce wastewater removal characteristics of submerged biofilters filled with two filter media respectively were experimentally examined with constant temperature, pH value and variable BOD loading and recirculation ratio. The decreasing order of BOD removal is Netring(random plastic media), cubic wire meshes(plastic module). This is mainly due to the media characteristics such as void ratio, specific surface area and media shapes. The BOD removal ratio decreases with increasing $BOD_5$/ volumetric loading rate, and the loading rate for the BOD removal over 85% is lower than 1.5kg$BOD_5$ 5/$m^3$d for the plastic media of Netring and cubic wire meshes. The $BOD_5$ removal rate increases with the recirculation ratio, but the rate of increase become smaller as the recirculation ratio increases over 20. When $BOD_5$ volumetric loading is 1.5kg$BOD_5$/$m^3$d, the required recirculation ratio to obtain 85% BOD$_{5}$ removal is about 20 for Netring and it was about 30 for cubic wire meshes.s.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.669-678
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• 1994

The BOD removal characteristics of submerged biofilters filled with three kinds of filter media respectively were experimentally examined with constant temperature, pH value and variable BOD loading and recirculation ratio. Obtained results are as follows; 1. The BOD removal ratio decreases with the increasing $BOD_5$ volumetric loading rate, and the loading rate for the BOD removal over 90% is lower thean $1.6kg{\cdot}BOD_5/m^3{\cdot}d$ for the plastic media of Netring and cubic wire meshes. This is a much large value than $0.3{\sim}0.8kg{\cdot}BOD_5/m^3{\cdot}d$ for conventional activated sludge process. The required submerged biofilter volume is found to be much samller than that of conventional activated sludge process. 2. The decreasing order of BOD removal is Netring (random plastic media), cubic wire meshes (plastic module), and then gravel (stone media). This is mainly due to the media characteristics such as void ratio, specific surface area and media shapes. 3. The $BOD_5$ removal rate increases with the recircuration ration, but the rate of increases becomes samaller as the recirculation ratio increases over 20. When $BOD_5$ loading is $1.8kg{\cdot}BOD_5/m^3{\cdot}d$, the required recirculation rationto obtain 90% $BOD_5$ removal is about 20 for Netring and it was about 30 for cubic wire meshes. 4. Reynold's Number increases with recirculation ratio, and the Reynold's Numbers corresponding to the recircuration ratio of 10~50 are less than 52, showing laminar up flows in the filter. The settled and effluent sludges increase with increase of Reynol's Number, and there are the definite Reynold's Numbers at which the settling sludge concentrations become nearly constant respectively in each filters. 5. In this submerged biofilter system, small volume of sludge hopper can be substituted for a separated settling tank.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.37-46
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• 2007

This study developed composition-plastic media with woodchips and plastic as main materials, and examined the performance of media. Compared to the existing commercial media, the media had similar performance in removal efficiency and microbes attaching characteristic, and was evaluated that they are distinguished from economic side. Performance test of media was conducted to examine the removal capacity of toluene and hydrogen sulfide in a gas stream by using a lab-scale biotrickling filter systems packed with them. At a volumetric loading of $1.5\;m^3/hr$ with inlet concentration 260 ppm and empty bed residence time (EBRT) 42s, the toluene removal efficiency was shown over 90%, and the maximum elimination capacity of toluene in the biotrickling filter was $77g/m^3{\cdot}hr$. Effective co-treatments of $H_2S$ and Toluene were observed in the lab-scale biotrickling filters. The maximum elimination capacity of $H_2S$ was $100\;g-S/m^3{\cdot}hr$. Up to 100 ppm, the concentration of $H_2S$ did not have an effect on toluene removal efficiency, but the removal efficiency of toluene decreased with increasing inlet $H_2S$ concentration.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.231-235
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• 2020

Industrialization and modern developments have led to an influx of toxic heavy metals into the aquatic environment, and the accumulation of heavy metals has serious adverse effects on humans. Among the various heavy metal treatment methods, adsorption is very useful and frequently used. Plastic materials, such as polypropylene and polyethylene, have been widely used as filter media due to their mechanical and chemical stability. However, the surface of plastic material is inert and therefore the adsorption capability of heavy metals is very limited. In this study, granular media and fiber media composed of polypropylene and polyethylene are used, and the surface modification was conducted in order to increase adsorption capability toward heavy metals. Oxygen plasma generated hydroxyl groups on the surface of the media to activate the surface, and then acrylic acid was synthesized on the surface. The grafted carboxyl group was confirmed by FT-IR and SEM. Heavy metal adsorption capability of pristine and surface modified adsorbents was also evaluated. Overall, heavy metal adsorption capability was increased by surface modification due to electrostatic interaction between the carboxyl groups and heavy metal ions. Fibrous PP/PE showed lower improvement compared to granular PP media because pore blockage occurred by the surface modification step, thereby inhibiting mass transfer.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.79-84
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• 2010

Three biological aerated filters (BAFs) composed of a PVC pipe with a diameter of 75 mm were constructed and operated at a waste-water temperature at $13^{\circ}C$. The media used for each BAF were: 5-mm gravel; 5-mm lava rock; 12.5-mm diameter by 15-mm long plastic rings, all with a media depth of 1.7 m. The feedwater, which simulated the effluent of aerated lagoons, had influent soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD) and ammonia concentrations of approximately 50 and 25 mg/L, respectively. For a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of two hours without recirculation, ammonia percent removals were 98.5, 98.9, and 97.8%, for the gravel, lava rock, and plastic rings, respectively. By increasing the effluent recirculation from 100 to 200% for an HRT of one hour, respective ammonia removals improved from 90.1 to 96, 76.5 to 90, and 65.3 to 79.5% for gravel, lava rock, and plastic rings. Based on the ammonia and sCOD loadings for different HRTs, the estimated maximum ammonia loading was approximately 0.6 kg $NH_3-N/m^3$-day for the three BAFs of different media types. The zero-order biotransformation rates for the BAF with gravel were found to be higher than the lava rock and plastic ring media. The results ultimately showed that BAF can be used as an add-on system to aerated lagoons or as a secondary treatment unit to meet ammonia discharge limits.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.45-50
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• 2006

This study was performed to evaluate the air lift reactors (ALR) by variations of HRT and recycling rate. Air lift reactor was composed of bioreactor and clarifier above it. To remove organic matters and nitrogen through the formation of microbic film and filtration, bio-filter reactors were filled with clay, glass, bead, waste plastic, respectively. Influent wastewater was fed to biofilter reactor, and effluent wastewater from bio-filter reactor was injected ALR again, instead of adding external carbon source. Effluent BOD concentration was satisfied with lower than 10 mg/L in recycling rate 100% regardless of the variation of HRT and the kinds of media materials. In HRT 4 hr, recycling rate 100%, BOD removal efficiency rate was from about 85 to 90%, COD removal efficiency rate was higher than 90%. Effluent TN concentration was satisfied with less than 20 mg/L, if HRT was maintained by over than 6 hr regardless of recycling rate and media materials. Over than HRT was 4 hr, microbes concentration in air lift reactor was maintained over than 2,500 mg/L constantly, not sensitive to environmental condition, and organic removal was effective as it was higher.