음식폐기물 산발효액 내 존재하는 유기산은 산업 원료로 가치가 있으나 분리 비용이 높은 문제점이 있다. 본 연구에서는 저에너지 유기산분리를 위해 전기투석공정에서 산발효액 내 유기산의 이동현상과 운전조건 (전압, 희석율, pH) 간의 상관관계를 연구하였다. 아세트산과 부틸산으로 주로 구성된 음식물 산발효액 원액 (COD 기준 유기산 67.3 %) 을 실험실 규모 전기투석기를 사용하여 분리전압을 5 V ~ 12 V로 변화시켰을 때, 분리전압 8 V에서 최대 유기산 회수율 (COD 기준 89.4 %, 순도 86.8 %) 을 보였으며, 이 때 분리에 사용된 에너지는 0.286 kWh/kg-COD of VFAs로 나타났다. 전기투석과정에서 분자량 차이에 따른 유기산 간의 이동현상 차이는 발견되지 않았다.

방사성폐기물 처분 연구 사업이 법률적인 인허가 뿐만이 아니라 일반 국민의 동의를 얻기 위해서는 처분 사업의 안전성에 대한 신뢰성 획득이 중요하며 이를 위해 투명하게 공개될 수 있는 종합 성능 평가 (TSPA, Total System Performance Assessment)의 수행 이 필요하다. 본 연구에서는 처분 성능 평가의 투명성 증진을 위한 방안의 하나로 처분 종합 성능 평가 전 과정에 대해 품질 보증 원칙을 도입하여 평가 관련 전체 업무에 관한 신뢰성 향상을 꾀하고자 하였다. 이를 위해 처분 종합 성능 평가 수행의 다섯 단계인 (1) 기획, (2) 연구 수행 , (3) 문서화, (4) 내부 검토, (5) 독자적인 외부 검토 과정에 T2R3의 품질 보증 원칙을 적용한 인터넷 기반의 Cyber R&D Platform이 개발되었다. 인터넷을 기반으로 하는 본 시스템의 개발을 통해 안전성 평가 관련 모든 참여자들은 평가 전 과정에서 투명성이 유지된 데이터들에 쉽게 접근하여 이를 이용할 수 있다 Cyber R&D Platform은 안전성 평가를 위한 시나리오 개발 관련 데이터인 FEP 목록과 관련 시나리오 정보, 관련 시나리오 도출 과정 및 평가 체계 등을 체계적으로 구축한 FEAS (FEp to Assessment through Scenario development)프로그램과 안전성 평가에 필요한 입력 데이터들을 분류, 저장해 놓은 PAID (Performance Assessment Input Data) 프로그램, 그리고 이러한 자료들을 품질 보증 원칙과 절차에 의한 승인 과정을 통해 입력, 저장할 수 있는 품질 보증 시스템으로 구성되어 있으며 이를 통합 운영함으로써 도출된 데이터들의 신뢰성을 높이고자 하였다. 향후 연구에서는 Cyber R&D Platform과 평가 software와의 통합 운영으로 웹 기반 시스템에 대한 한 번의 접속만으로 안전성 평가 관련 모든 정보를 확인, 이용할 수 있도록 할 것이다.

In this study, we analyzed all of the waste streams associated with household waste to provide a basis for incorporating the individual characteristics of municipalities in setting targets for waste-to-resource circulation. Toward this end, we examined how household waste is treated based on the disposal method (mixed waste disposed of in standard volumerate garbage bags, separation recyclable waste, and food waste) and the amount of residuals generated at their respective treatment facilities. The actual recycling rate or actual waste-to-energy conversion rate was calculated as the ratio of the actual amount of waste that is recycled or converted to energy against the amount of waste intake at waste treatment facilities. The conversion factor of actual recycling rates at 17 municipalities showed an average of 63.9% for public material recovery facilities (MRFs) with those for individual municipalities ranging from 50.4% to 93.2%, and an average of 93.8% for private and public food waste treatment facilities with slightly higher rates found for public facilities (70.4 ~ 100%) than private facilities (63.3 ~ 100%). The actual waste-to-energy conversion factor was 59.3% on average for combustible waste-to-energy facilities (17.2 ~ 72.3%) and 92.0% on average for biological waste-to-energy facilities (77.1 ~ 99.5%). To achieve the national target for the actual recycling rate, additional strategies for recycling or converting the residuals generated at recycling or combustible waste-to-energy facilities into resources are needed. The actual recycling and waste-to-energy conversion rates provided in this study based on a full examination of household waste streams hold valuable insights for incorporating the individual situations of municipalities in setting their targets for wasteto- resource circulation indicators and creating new strategies for improving the actual recycling rate.

This study was initiated to examine the potential impacts on the environment during the management of food waste by anaerobic digestion in Daejeon Metropolitan City (DMC) that is built in 2017. The evaluation was based on both material flow analysis (MFA) and life cycle assessment (LCA). The MFA study was performed using STAN 2.5, while the LCA was conducted according to ISO standards by utilizing Total 4 LCA software with the incorporation of CML 2002 methodology. According to the LCA results, global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential (AP), eutrophication potential (EP), and photochemical ozone creation potential (POCP) were found to be approximately 166 kg CO2-eq/ton of food waste, 0.43 kg SO2-eq/ton of food waste, 0.66 kg PO4 3−eq/ton of food waste, and 0.08 kg C2H4-eq/ ton of food waste, respectively. The disposal stage showed higher impact of GWP on the environment due to the landfilling of solid sludge and screening waste. In case of eutrophication potential, the treatment phase showed the highest impact on the environment, mainly because of the consumption of electricity. Based on the results of normalization, the highest environmental impacts was found in the treatment stage related to eutrophication potential. The results of LCA would provide policy-makers to identify and reduce potential environmental impacts associated with food waste to biogas conversion in DMC by life cycle.

In this study, life cycle assesment (LCA) was conducted based on a functional unit of 1 ton of food waste recycling from collection and transportation to treatment processes such as feed production, composting, other recycling and incineration for 45 public food waste recycling plants. The Korean life cycle inventory (LCI) data were used for the main input material and energy. For the other input data, which could not be provided by the Korean LCI database, data of other countries were used from the database by Ecoinvent, and the strength of food wastewater for LCI DB was divided low and high concentration. In case of low strength of food wastewater, environmental impacts were suggested incineration, composting and feed production in the order, where collection and transportation were identified as the major influencing factors by contribution analysis and sensitive analysis. Contrary, in case of high strength of food wastewater, environmental impacts were suggested composting, feed production and incineration in the order, where treatment of food wastewater was identified as the major influencing factor. Therefore, discharge volume as well as concentration of food wastewater was found to be important parameter of the LCA.