• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.669-676
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of different Hydraulic Retention Times (HRTs) on the contaminant removal efficiency using Aerobic Granular Sludge (AGS). A laboratory-scale experiment was performed using a sequencing batch reactor, and the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), nitrogen, orthophosphate removal efficiency, AGS/MLSS ratio, and precipitability in accordance with the HRT were evaluated. As a result, the COD removal efficiency was not significantly different with the reduction in HRT, and at a HRT of 6 h, the removal rate was slightly increased owing to the increase in organic loading rate. The nitrogen removal efficiency was improved by injection of influent division at a HRT of 6 h. As the HRT decreased, the MLSS and AGS tended to increase, and the sludge volume index finally decreased to 50 mL/g. In addition, the size of the AGS gradually increased to about 1.0 mm. Therefore, the control of HRT provides favorable conditions for the stable formation of AGS, and is expected to improve the contaminant removal efficiency with the selection of a proper operation strategy.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.28 no.9
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• pp.719-727
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• 2019

In this study, the effect on the stability of Aerobic Granular Sludge (AGS) with different Carbon/Nitrogen (C/N) ratios was investigated. The C/N ratios were controlled to 10.0, 7.5, 5.0, and 2.5 using the sequencing batch reactor, and the results showed that the removal efficiency of organic matter and total nitrogen decreased simultaneously with the decrease of C/N ratio. The removal efficiency of organic matter and total nitrogen at C/N ratio of 2.5 was 70.7% and 52.3% respectively. In addition, the AGS/mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) ratio showed a tendency to decrease from 85.7% to 73.7%, while the sludge volume index showed a tendency to increase from 82 mL/g to 102 mL/g as the C/N ratio decreased. At the same time, the apparent deviation of polysaccharide (PS) content in extracellular polymeric substances was observed, and polysaccharides/protein (PS/PN) ratio decreased from 0.62 to 0.31 as the C/N ratio decreased. Optical microscope observations showed that the reduction in C/N ratio caused the growth of filamentous bacteria and significantly affected the stability of AGS.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.295-309
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the operational characteristics of wastewater treatment using Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) with Aerobic Granular Sludge (AGS) separator in the pilot plant. Pilot plant experiments were conducted using SBR with AGS separator and pollution removal efficiencies were evaluated based on the operational condition and surface properties of AGS. The results of the operation on water quality of the effluent showed that the average concentration of total organic carbon, suspended solids, nitrogen, and phosphorus was 6.89 mg/L, 7.33 mg/L, 7.33 mg/L, and 0.2 mg/L, respectively. All these concentrations complied the effluent standard in Korea. The concentration of mixed liquor suspended solid (MLSS) fluctuated, but the AGS/MLSS ratio was constant at 86.5±1.3%. Although the AGS/MLSS ratio was constant, sludge volume index improved. These results suggested that the particle discharged fine sludge and increased the AGS praticle size in the AGS. Optical microscopy revealed the presence of dense AGS at the end of the operation, and particles of > 0.6 mm were found. Compared to those of belt-type AGS separator, the required area and power consumption of the hydrocyclone-type AGS separator were reduced by 27.5% and 83.8%, respectively.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.255-262
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• 2018

This study attempted to evaluate the process of self-forming dynamic membrane formation on mesh filter in membrane bioreactor with a two-stage method of batch (agitation) and continues (aeration) stage at different sludge concentrations. Four concentrations of activated sludge including $6{\pm}0.4$, $8{\pm}0.5$, $10{\pm}0.3$, $14{\pm}0.3g/L$ were used to demonstrate the optimal concentration of sludge for treating municipal wastewater and reducing fouling in dynamic membrane bioreactor. The formation time and effluent turbidity were decreased in the batch stage when increasing the activated sludge concentration. The minimum values of formation time and effluent turbidity were 14 min and 43 NTU for the optimum mixed liqueur suspended solids of $8{\pm}0.5g/L$, respectively. To improve operational condition and fouling reduction in the aeration stage, critical fluxes were measured for all concentrations by flux-step method. With increasing the sludge concentration, the relevant critical fluxes reduced. The optimum subcritical flux of $30L/m^2/h$ was applied as operating flux in the second stage. The maximum COD removal efficiency of 98% was achieved by the concentration of $8{\pm}0.5g/L$. Compressibility index of self-forming dynamic membrane and transmembrane pressure trend remained somewhat constant until the optimal concentration of $8{\pm}0.5g/L$ and thereafter they increased steeply.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.362-369
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• 2019

In this study, biodegradation efficiency improvement of mixed sludge for the anaerobic digestion process in wastewater treatment plant was investigated. In order to release the organic material contained in the sludge cell and promote the hydrolysis step, mixed sludge of 7% TS (Total Solids) was physically shear-treated at a shear strength of 1,000 ~ 4,000 rpm and a maximum of 120 mins. As a result of the comparison between mixed sludge before and after the treatment, the concentration of $SCOD_{Cr}$(Soluble Chemical Oxygen Demand-chromium method) was increased through the conversion of granular organic matter into dissolved organic matter as shear strength and treatment time increases. The solubilization efficiency increased rapidly after 30 min of solubilization application time, and they were 11.23 %, 20.10 %, 22.52 % and 25.43% at 120 min for each shear strength conditions, respectively. Additionally, the BMP(Biochemical Methane Potential) test was conducted with the optimized samples to determine the increase of methane production by the shear pre-treatment. Consequently, methane production of each samples were 0.275, 0.310, 0.323 and $0.335m^3/kg\;VS_{add}$, which indicates that methane production was increased to a maximum of 21.28% compared to the control without the solubilization process ($0.262m^3/kg\;VS_{add}$). As a result, the physical shear-treatment is a promising process for sewage sludge pre-treatment to reduce the organic waste and increase the energy production.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.15 no.10
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• pp.15-21
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• 2014

In this study, biochemical methane potential test was conducted to estimate ultimate methane and carbon dioxide yield for anaerobic digestion and pretreatment with sewage sludge cake. Two of 0.2 % TS of sewage sludge cakes were treated with 5M NaOH or sonication of 0.51 W/mL during 30 min respectively. Another sample was treated simultaneously with NaOH and sonication in same condition. Then, initial soluble COD increased from 33.1 mg/L to 494 mg/L. After BMP test, methane production ranged from 3.12 and 84.2 mL $CH_4$ per g of Volatile Solid (VS) and 9.2 and 13.5 mL $CO_2$ per g of Volatile Solid (VS) for carbon dioxide. In other tests, injection of nutrient media or sludge supernatant produced 73.1 and 73.8 mL $CH_4$ per g of Volatile Solid (VS) and 11.2 and 13.6 mL $CO_2$ per g of Volatile Solid (VS) respectively. When BMP test finished, 62 % of initial volatile solids decreased to 33.8~45.4 %. Simultaneous pretreatment increased soluble COD, reduction rate of volatile solids and digestion efficiency than those for alkaline and ultrasonic pretreatment.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.37 no.10
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• pp.583-589
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• 2015

This study was performed to evaluate the feasibility of anaerobic pretreatment for the leachate solubilized from thermal hydrolysis of sewage sludge cake. Overall process for the treatment of sludge cake consists of thermal hydrolysis, crystallization of magnesium, ammonium, and phosphate (MAP) for the leachate and anaerobic digestion of supernatant from MAP crystallization. The experimental evidence showed that the optimum ratio of Mg : P for the struvite crystallization of leachate solubilized from thermal hydrolysis of sludge cake was 1.5 to 1.0 as weight basis at the pH of 9.5. With this operational condition, the removal efficiencies of ammonia nitrogen and phosphorous achieved 50% and 97%, respectively. The mesophilic batch test showed that the ultimate biodegradability of the supernatant from MAP crystallization reached 63% at S/I ratio of 0.5. The readily biodegradable fraction of 90% ($S_1$) of the MAP supernatant BVS (Biodegradable Volatile Solids, $S_0$) degraded with $k_1$ of $0.207day^{-1}$ for the initial 17 days where as the rest slowly biodegradable fraction ($S_2$) of 10% of BVS degraded with $k_2$ of $0.02day^{-1}$ for the rest of the operational period. Semi-Continuously Fed and Mixed Reactor (SCFMR) was chosen as one of the best candidates to treat the MAP supernatant because of its total solids content over 6%. Maximum average biogas production rates reached 0.45 v/v-d and TVS removal efficiency of 37~41% was achieved at an hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 20 days and its corresponding organic loading rate (OLR) of 1.43 g VS/L-d.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.669-678
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• 2009

The reduction of excess activated sludge from petrochemical plant was investigated by the electro fenton (E-Fenton) process using electrogenerated hydroxyl radicals which lead to mineralization of activated sludge to $CO_2$, water and inorganic ions. Factors affecting the disintegration efficiency of excess activated sludge in E-Fenton process were examined in terms of five criteria: pH, $H_2O_2/Fe^{2+}$ molar ratio, current density, initial MLSS (mixed liquid suspended solids) concentration, $H_2O_2$ feeding mode. TSS total suspended solid and $TCOD_{cr}$ reduction rate increased with the increasing $H_2O_2/Fe^{2+}$ molar ratio and current density until 42 and $6.7 mA/cm^2$, respectively but further increase of $H_2O_2/Fe^{2+}$ molar ratio and current density would reduce the reduction rate. On the other hand, as expected, increasing pH and initial MLSS concentration of activated sludge decreas TSS and $TCOD_{cr}$ reduction rate. The E-Fenton process was gradually increased during first 30 minutes and then linearly proceed till 120 minutes. The optimal E-Fenton condition showed TSS reduction rate of 62~63% and $TCOD_{cr}$ (total chemical oxygen demand) reduction rate of 55~56%. Molar ratio $H_2O_2/Fe^{2+} = 42$ was determined as optimal E-Fenton condition with initial $Fe^{2+}$ dose of 5.4 mM and current density of $6.7{\sim}13.3 mA/cm^2$, initial MLSS of 7,600 mg/L and pH 2 were chosen as the most efficient E-Fenton condition.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.498-503
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• 2007

The performance of elutriated acid fermentation to evaluate the effects of microwave irradiation and pH control as pretreatment was investigated. The MW pH 7 reactor which was used the pretreated primary sludge as microwave irradiation was operated at pH 7 and $35^{\circ}C$. The EAF pH 9 reactor was operated at pH 9 and $35^{\circ}C$ without pretreatment. The SCOD and VFAs production rate were 0.17 gSeOD/gVSrem. and 0.27 gVFAs as COD/gVSrem. in MW pH 7 reactor, 0.16 gSCOD/gVSrem. and 0.24 gVFAs as COD/gVSrem. in EAF pH 9 reactor, respectively. VS and Volume reduction were 54% and 48% in MW pH 7 reactor, 54.6% and 36% in EAF pH 9 reactor, respectively. A comparison of the microwave irradiation and controlled pH in elutriated acid fermentation showed that the former is more efficient in SCOD and VFAs production and it rises to slightly higher reduction in the volume of the sludge. In addition, E. coli. was not detected in the wasting sludge of MW pH 7 reactor. Based on the results, microwave irradiation appeared to be one of the viable options for generating class A sludge. According to the batch tests, sequencing batch test which was used the pretreated primary sludge as microwave was performed at pH 7 and $35^{\circ}C$, SCOD production was 0.16 gSCOD/gVSrem., VS reduction and volume reduction were 64% and 63%, respectively.

• Journal of Industrial Technology
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• v.20 no.A
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• pp.73-82
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• 2000

This study was implemented to find an optimal model for wastewater treatment processes using PHOENICS(Parabolic, hyperbolic or Elliptic Numerical Integration Code Series) and ASM(Activated Sludge Model). PHOENICS is a general software based upon the laws of physics and chemistry which govern the motion of fluids, the stresses and strains in solids, heat flow, diffusion, and chemical reaction. The wastewater flow and removal efficiency of particle in two phase system of a grit chamber in wastewater treatment plant were analyzed to inquire the predictive aspect of the operational model. ASM was developed for a biokinetic model based upon material balance in complex activated sludge systems, which can demonstrate dynamic and spatial behavior of biological treatment system. This model was applied to aeration tank and settling chamber in Choonchun city, and the modeling result shows dynamic transport in aeration tank. PHOENCS and ASM could be contributed for the optimal operation of wastewater treatment plant.