The investigation of effects on fouling propensity with various viscosity of feed solutions would be better understanding for forward osmosis (FO) performance since the fouling propensity was directly influenced with solution viscosity. Therefore, this study was focused on the FO fouling with model foultants (humic acid, alginate) by altering solution viscosity with change of ionic strength (I.S) and Ca2+ concentrations. In the comparison between humic acid and alginate, as expected, the alginate generally caused more severe fouling (almost 35.8 % of flux reduction) based on the solution characteristics (high viscosity) and fouling patterns (coil and gel layer). However, interesting point to note is that the fouling propensity of alginate was more severe even though it was applied with low viscosity of feed conditions (I.S = 20 mM, Ca2+ = 1 mM). This might be due to that crossed linked gel layer of alginate on the FO membrane surface could be best formed in the condition of Ca2+ presence and higher I.S, and that is more dominant to fouling propensity than the low viscosity of feed solutions.

In this study, a flat-type photocatalytic reactor is applied under solar irradiation for simultaneous treatment of target pollutants: reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) and oxidation of EDCs (BPA, EE2, E2). An immobilized type of photocatalyst was fabricated to have self-grown nanotubes on its surface in order to overcome limitations of powdery photocatalyst. Moreover, Ti mesh form was chosen as substrate and modified to have both larger surface area and photocatalyst content. Ti mesh was anodized at 50V and 25°C for 30min in the mixed electrolytes (NH4F-H2O-C2H6O2) and annealed at 450°C for 2 hours in ambient oxygen to have anatase structure. Surface characterization was done with SEM and XRD methodologies. Fabricated NTT was applied to water treatment, and coexisting Cr(VI) and organics (EDCs) enhanced each other's reactions by scavenging holes and electrons and thus impeding recombination. Also, several experiments were conducted outdoor under direct sunlight and it was observed that both solar-tracking and applying modified photocatalyst were proven to enhance reaction efficiency.

Recent Engineered nanoparticles were increasingly exposed to environmental system with the wide application and production of nanomaterials, concerns are increasing about their environmental risk to soil and groundwater system. In order to assess the transport behavior of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), a saturated packed column experiments were examined. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and a DLS detector was used for concentration and size measurement of AgNPs. The column experiment results showed that solution chemistry had a considerable temporal deposition of AgNPs on the porous media of solid glass beads. In column experiment, comparable mobility improvement of AgNPs were observed by changing solution chemistry conditions from salts (in both NaCl and CaCl2 solutions) to DI conditions, but in much lower ionic strength (IS) with CaCl2. Additionally, the fitted parameters with two-site kinetic attachment model form the experimental breakthrough curves (BTCs) were associated that the retention rates of the AgNPs aggregates were enhanced with increasing IS under both NaCl and CaCl2 solutions.

Recent studies have been reported the presence of Endocrine Disrupting Compounds, Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (EDC/PPCPs) in surface and wastewater, which could potentially affect to the complicate behavior in coupled presence of nano-colloid particles and surfactants (adsorption, dispersion, and partitioning). In this study, the adsorption of EDC/PPCPs by Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWNTs) as a representative of nano-particles in cationic surfactant solutions were investigated. Hydrophobic interactions (π-π Electron Donor-Acceptor) have been reported as a potential adsorption mechanisms for EDC/PPCPs onto SWNTs. Generally, the adsorptive capacity of the relatively hydrophobic EDC/PPCPs onto SWNTs decreased in the presence of cationic surfactant (Cetyltrimethyl Ammonium Bromide, CTAB). This study revealed that the competitive adsorption occurred between CTAB cations and EDC/PPCPs by occupying the available SWNT surface (CTAB adsorption onto SWNTs shows five-regime and maximum adsorption capacity of 370.4 mg/g by applying the BET isotherm). The adsorption capacity of 17α-ethinyl estradiol (EE2) on SWNT showed the decrease of 48% in the presence of CTAB. However, the adsorbed naproxen (NAP) surely increased by forming hemimicelles and resulted in a favorable media formation for NAP partition to increase SWNTs adsorption capacity. The adsorbed NAP increased from 24 to 82.9 mg/g after the interaction of CTAB with NAP. The competitive adsorption for EDC/PPCPs onto SWNTs is likely to be a key factor in the presence of cationic surfactant, however, NAP adsorption showed a slight competition through CH3-CH3 interaction by forming hemimicelles on SWNT surface.

로켓 추진기관의 해체 시 발생하는 고농도 암모늄 퍼클로레이트(AP)를 액상소각 처리 후 추가로 발생하는 저농도의 AP처리를 위해 NF/RO 멤브레인 공정을 적용하였고, 이때 AP제거 특성에 영향을 미치는 인자를 도출하기 위해 다양한 수리화학적 조건에서 전량여과방식으로 실험을 진행하였다. 고체 추진제에서 추출된 용액을 GC/MS와 FTIR분석을 통해 규산염 계열의 실록산 등을 검출하였으나, 이는 극미량이 포함되어 NF/RO 멤브레인 공정에 큰 영향을 미치지 않는 것으로 판단되었다. 상대적으로 낮은 압력의 운용조건에서는 높은 압력조건과 비교하여, 회수율 증가에 따라 농축된 AP의 삼투압 기작이 투과플럭스에 영향을 미치게 되어 13~17% 가량 플럭스가 감소됨을 확인하였다. 또한 AP의 제거율은 수리화학적 운영조건의 변화(압력 및 교반 속도 등)에 따라 크게 좌우됨을 알 수 있었고, 이 경우 NF와 RO 멤브레인 제거율은 각각 10~70%와 26~87% 가량 크게 달라짐을 확인하였다. 본 논문을 통해 NF/RO 멤브레인 공정을 적용한 AP 제거 기작에서 수리화학적 운영조건의 변화에 따른 농도분극, 멤브레인 선택성 및 삼투압 영향이 중요 지배 기작이었으며, 이는 'NF/RO 멤브레인의 물질이동과 선택성'의 기존 이론적 모델과 부합하였다.