Conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) do not fully remove micropollutants. Enhanced treatment of sewage effluents is being considered or implemented in some countries to minimize the discharge of problematic micropollutants from WWTPs. Representative enhanced sewage treatment technologies for micropollutant removal were reviewed, including their current status of research and development. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) such as ozonation and UV/H2O2 and adsorption processes using powdered (PAC) and granular activated carbon (GAC) were mainly discussed with focusing on process principles for the micropollutant removal, effect of process operation and water matrix factors, and technical and economic feasibility. Pilot- and full-scale studies have shown that ozonation, PAC, and GAC can achieve significant elimination of various micropollutants at economically feasible costs(0.16-0.29 €/m3). Considering the current status of domestic WWTPs, ozonation and PAC were found to be the most feasible options for the enhanced sewage effluent treatment. Although ozonation and PAC are all mature technologies, a range of technical aspects should be considered for their successful application, such as energy consumption, CO2 emission, byproduct or waste generation, and ease of system construction/operation/maintenance. More feasibility studies considering domestic wastewater characteristics and WWTP conditions are required to apply ozonation or PAC/GAC adsorption process to enhance sewage effluent treatment in Korea.

Total organic carbon(TOC) was introduced as the water quality index of the rivers and lakes in 2013. This paper evaluated factors affecting effluent TOC concentrations and treated and discharged loads of existing publicly owned treatment works(POTWs). For selected POTWs with greater treatment capacity than 500㎥/day, factorial analysis was used to consider effects of kinds of biological treatment processes, inflow of other types of wastewater(industrial, livestock, landfill leachate wastewater, etc.) with domestic wastewater, sewer separation rate, and effluent discharging zones in which different effluent criteria applied. As a result, those factors did not show significant effect on effluent TOC concentration of POTWs in effluent discharging zone Ⅰ and Ⅱ. However, In effluent discharging zone Ⅲ and Ⅳ, kinds of biological treatment processes, the inclusion of other waste in influent of domestic wastewater, and the sewer separation rate were significant factors. The treated TOC load in POTWs was also not affected significantly by the variables set in this study. On the other hand, those three factors influenced significantly on the TOC load discharged to water bodies. The sum of factorial effects and the contribution rate of three factors to the discharged TOC load was 60.23 and 41%, 59.57 and 41%, and 42.04 and 18%, respectively.

This study investigated phosphorus removal from secondary treated effluent using coagulation-membrane separation hybrid treatment to satisfy strict regulation in wastewater treatment. The membrane separation process was used to remove suspended phosphorus particles after coagulation/settlement. Membrane separation with 0.2 μm pore size of micro filtration membrane could reduce phosphorus concentration to 0.02 mg P/L after coagulation with 1 mg Al/L dose of polyaluminum chloride (PACl). Regardless of coagulant, the residual concentration of phosphorus decreased as the dose increased from 1.5 to 3.5 mg Al/L, while the target concentration of 0.05 mg P/L or less was achieved at 2.5 mg Al/L for the aluminum sulfate (Alum) and 3.5 mg Al/L for PACl. Moreover, alum showed better membrane flux as make bigger particles than PACl. Alum showed a 40% of flux decrease at 2.5 mg Al/L dose, while PACl indicated a 50% decrease of membrane flux even with a higher dose of 3.5 mg Al/L. Thus, alum was more effective coagulant than PACl considering phosphorus removal and membrane flux as well as its dose. Consequently, the coagulation-membrane separation hybrid treatment could be mitigate regulation on phosphorus removal as unsettleable phosphorus particles were effectively removed by membrane after coagulation.

As the Enforcement Ordinance of Environmental Policy Act was revised in 2013, total organic carbon(TOC) was added as an indicative parameter for organic matter in Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Environmental Criteria. Under these imminent circumstances, a regulatory standard is needed to achieve the proposed TOC limitation control water quality from the public sewage treatment plants(PSTWs). This study purposes to present the determination method for TOC effluent limitation at the PSTWs. Therefore we investigate the TOC effluent limitation of foreign countries such as EU, Germany and USA, and analyse the effluent water qualities of PSTWs. In using these TOC data, we review apprehensively the statistics-based, the technology-based, and the region(water quality)-based determination method of TOC effluent limitation for PSTWs.

The development of alternative water resources has emerged as an effective method for solving drought of water resources due to extreme weather and increase in water consumption. Recently, in Korea, there has been active research on reverse osmosis desalination technology, wastewater reuse using forward osmosis membranes, and the forward osmosis(FO)-reverse osmosis(RO) hybrid process combining these two technologies. In this study, the basic performance of FO membranes manufactured by three domestic and international manufactures such as Microfilter Co., Ltd., Toray Chemical Korea Inc., and Hydration Technologies Inc., were investigated for wastewater reuse. In addition, as an experiment to select feed solution, the selected membranes were operated 48 consecutive hours using three secondary effluents pretreated by the UF membrane with a pore size of 0.1 μm and auto strainer with pore sizes of 1 μm and 100 μm as feed solution. Although there was not much difference in the operating performance. Thus, the treated water using the 100 μm auto strainer was selected as feed solution applied to the assessment.

In accordance with the Watershed Sewer System Maintenance Plan enforced on February 2, 2013, the different compliance concentration of effluent limit be applied to effluent discharged from public sewage treatment works(PSTWs) in each watershed on the basis of water quality thereof. With the introduction of watershed sewer system, it is necessary to set the compliance concentration of effluent limit for PSTWs situated in the watershed, by region and PSTW size, to achieve water quality criteria for regional watersheds or target water quality under TMDL program. Watershed Environmental Agencies establish the Watershed Sewer System Maintenance Plan and set the compliance concentrations of effluent limit for PSTWs under the plan. The agencies plan to apply tougher effluent BOD concentration limits in Class Ⅰ to Ⅳ areas. Effluent BOD concentration limits will be toughened from 5~10 mg/L to 3 mg/L in class Ⅱ~Ⅲ areas, from 10mg/L to 5mg/L in class Ⅳ areas. Uniform application of effluent BOD concentration limits to PSTWs in the watershed sewer system need to be complemented considering type of sewage treatment technology employed and watershed characteristics. Therefore, this study presents method to determine the compliance concentration of effluent limit from PSTWs in the watershed.

하수방류수 재이용을 위한 RO 전처리로 부유물질 및 콜로이드 물질의 제거를 위해 가압식 MF를 사용하였다. 남양주 J 하수처리장의 생물학적 처리와 모래여과를 거쳐 방류되는 방류수를 원수로 사용하였으며 100 톤/일 규모의 pilot plant를 1년 이상 운전하여 성능을 검토하였다. 가압식 MF에 의해 원수 수질 및 온도의 변화에 상관없이 flux 40 LMH 운전이 가능하였으며 전처리로 응집제를 넣어 용존 유기물을 응집할 경우 60 LMH 운전이 가능하였다. RO 공정에서 장기간 정지 이후 운전을 재개하였을 때 1단 pressure drop이 급격히 증가하는 현상이 나타났고 이러한 결과는 배관 내 형성된 유기물과 이온물질의 복합오염물질이 1단 RO막에 침적된 결과로 사료된다.

Study on effluent organic matter (EfOM) characteristic and removal efficiency is required, because EfOM is important in regard to the stability of effluents reuse, quality issues of artificial recharge and water conservation of aqueous system. UV technology is widely used in wastewater treatment. Many reports have been conducted on microbial disinfection and micro pollutant reduction with UV treatment. However, the study on EfOM with UV has limited because low/medium pressure UV lamp is not sufficient to affect refractory organics. The high intensity of pulsed UV would mineralize EfOM itself as well as change the characteristics of EfOM. Chlorine demand and DBPs formation is affected on the changed amounts and properties of EfOM. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect on EfOM, chlorine residual, and chlorinated DBPs formation with low pressure and pulsed UV treatment. The removal of organic matter through low pressure UV treatment is insignificant effect. Pulsed UV treatment effectively removes/transforms EfOM. As a result, the chlorine consumption is changed and chlorine DBPs formation is decreased. However, excessive UV treatment caused problems of increasing chlorine consumption and generating unknown by-products.

본 연구는 하수처리장 방류수가 하천 유기물 오염에 미치는 영향을 파악하기 위하여 구미시 관내에 위치한 구미 4단지, 구미, 구미 원평하수처리장 방류수와 처리장 상∙하류 하천을 조사하였다. TOC 중 DOC가 70% 이상 으로 대부분 용존성으로 존재하였고, TOC에 대한 BOD, CODMn의 산화율은 각각 13~43%, 37~73%로 나타났다. 하지만 현재 사용되고 있는 BOD, CODMn이 총 유기탄소 에서 차지하는 비율이 약 50% 이하로 나타나, 유기물을 대표하는 데 어려움이 있을 것으로 보이며, 향후 TOC로 지표를 전환하는 방향도 모색해 보아야 할 것으로 판단 된다. DOC 분해실험 결과 DOC 중 R-DOC가 70% 이상 으로 난분해성 유기물이 대부분을 차지하는 것으로 나타 났다. 하수처리장 방류수의 유기물이 하천에 미치는 영향 을 보면, 낙동강 하류에서 구미 4단지, 구미, 구미 원평하 수처리장 방류수의 총 TOC 부하량이 차지하는 비율은 15%로 나타났다. 총 비율은 15%로 비교적 많은 부분을 차지하지는 않았지만 이 중 생분해성 유기물보다 난분해 성 유기물이 더 많은 부분을 차지하는 것으로 나타나, 상 수 처리 시 소독부산물의 전구물질이 증가하는 원인으로 작용할 수 있을 것으로 판단된다.

In this study, the organic matter of effluents from sewage treatment plants, located in the Nakdong watershed was investigated. Regression equations were computed using treated sewage data to convert the chemical oxygen demand(COD) concentrations, which are mostly available from an open database, into total organic carbon(TOC) concentrations. The average concentration of organic matter in the sewage treatment plant effluents were 2.2 16.8 mg/L for COD and 3.4 14.3 mg/L for TOC. The concentrations of COD were positively correlated with the TOC concentrations. The correlation between COD and TOC was relatively high, at 0.865(p<0.01). Based on these results, regression analysis was conducted. The regression equation for TOC was 1.651×CODMn-0.084 (R2=0.84). Furthermore, organic matter-related databases for more sewage treatment plants need to be built in order to establish TOC standards and manage the water quality.

In response to the water shortage problem, continued attempts are being made to secure consistent and reliable water sources. Among various solutions to this problem, wastewater effluent is an easy way to secure the necessary supply, since its annual output is consistent. Furthermore, wastewater effluent has the advantage of being able to serve various purposes, such as cleaning, sprinkling, landscaping, river management, irrigation, and industrial applications. Therefore, this study presents the possible use of reclaimed industrial wastewater treated with Birm filters and a UF membrane, along with an analysis on membrane fouling. The preprocessing stage, part of the reclamation process, used Birm filters to minimize membrane fouling. Since this study did not consider heavy metal levels in the treated water, the analyses did not include the criterion for irrigation water quality. However, the wastewater reclaimed by using Birm filters and a UF membrane met every other requirement for reclaimed water quality standards. This indicated that the treated water could be used for cleaning, channel flow for maintenance, recreational purposes, and industrial applications. The analysis on the fouling of the Birm filter and UF membrane required the study of the composition and recovery rate of the membrane. According to SEM and EDX analyses of the UF membrane, carbon and oxygen ion composition amounted to approximately 57%, whereas inorganic matter was not detected. Furthermore, the difference in the recovery rates of the distressed membrane between acidic and alkaline cleaning was more than ~78%, which indicated that organic rather than inorganic matter contributed to membrane fouling.

This study investigated water quality of effluents and stream from the sewage treatment plants located at Gumi Complex 4, Gumi, and Wonpyeong in Gumi. Downstream region was found to increase the concentration of nutrients for sewage treatment plant effluent. Both phosphorus and nitrogen were accounted most as soluble form. In particular, the high ratio of dissolved effluent of sewage treatment plants were investigated. In the streams, Phosphorus concentration was high during rainy season and nitrogen concentration was high in the dry season. Sewage treatment plant effluent was relatively less microbial activity and nutrient concentrations were higher in the winter. TN/TP ratio was the highest in the upstream region and the lowest in the sewage treatment plant effluent. The effect of the nutrient matter from a discharge of a sewage treatment plant on rivers varied depending on the size of the river and the treatment plant. However, the influence of the concentration was greater than that of flowrate. Sewage treatment plant effluent loads phosphorus, nitrogen accounted for 8% and 6% respectively at the point N3 of the Nakdong river.

To acquire preliminary data for the control of total nitrogen (TN) in S sewage treatment plant, which processes merging food waste and sewage, the effect of reject water on the total nitrogen in the effluent was examined in this study. Water quality data for the plant during the winter period were applied to calculate the mass balance. It was calculated that at least more than 231 kg/d TN should be removed to control the TN concentration in the effluent. Assuming 18 ppm as the goal TN concentration in the effluent, about 941 kg/d TN should be removed from this plant. Approximately 10% more TN should be removed than at present to achieve this result. It was observed that dewatering the filtrate had a considerably greater effect on the total nitrogen in the effluent than the reject waters. The dewatered filtrate contained 1,399kg/d TN. The contribution of the dewatered filtrate to the TN concentration in the effluent was 0.183, which was 7 to 23 times greater than the other reject waters. In addition, the amount of total nitrogen from the reject water, with the exception of the dewatering filtrate, was lower than the amount of TN that should be removed from S sewage treatment plant. Therefore, it was concluded that one of the most effective methods for controlling the TN concentration in effluent was the removal of the TN contained in the dewatering filtrate.

Using high voltage electric fields induced by high voltage AC (10-12 kV/cm, 20 kHz) and pulsed (20-30 kV/cm, 40 Hz) electric field generator as a semipermanent and environment-friendly disinfecting apparatus, the disinfection effect of coliform group in the effluent of sewage plant was investigated. The effects of electric field strength, treatment time, discharge area of a discharge tube, water quality factors (electric conductivity, pH and SS) on its death rate were examined. The death rate of coliform group was increased with increasing electric field strength and treatment time. For AC and pulsed electric field generator, the critical electric field strength was 6 kV/cm and 2 kV/cm, respectively, and the critical treatment time was 5 min and 2 min, respectively, regardless of electric field strength. Comparing the death rate of coliform group by AC and pulsed electric fields used in this study, its death rate was higher for the latter than the former, but did not increase linearly with increasing electric field strength. The results obtained for the effects of discharge area, electric conductivity, pH and SS on the death rate of coliform group using AC electric field (12 kV/cm, 20 kHz) were as follows: its death rate showed the trend to increase linearly with increasing discharge area; for the effect of electric conductivity, its death rate was increased with increasing electric conductivity, regardless of ionic species, increased with increasing cationic valency, but was similar between the same cationic valency; the pH 5～9 used in this study did not affect its death rate; its death rate was decreased with increasing SS concentration.

The experiment was carried out to determine the distribution of total coliform the translocation of heavy metals and the salt accumulation in soils following the supply of ground water, the domestic wastewater and the ultraviolet treatment of domestic wastewater during the spinach and the chinese cabbage cultivation. There were not much changes in the Total-N, Total-P and cations in soils following the ultraviolet treatment of the domestic wastewater. However, the density of total coliform was dramatically reduced from 894MPN/100mL to 5MPN/100mL. The diagnosis of composition of soil after the harvest of chinese cabbages and spinach has shown that the concentration of Na+ was 3-4 times higher in plot using domestic wastewater than in plot using ground water. When domestic wastewater and ground water were used in growing spinach md chinese cabbage at 50% each, the application of chemical fertilizers reduced about 25% to 50% compared to the criteria set down by the Rural Development Administration and there was not significant difference in terms of harvest. Using non-ultraviolet treatment of domestic wastewater directly on spinach and chinese cabbage has resulted in excessive density of total coliform at 25,000MPN/100mL. Even when ultraviolet treatment, the density was still high at 2,000MPN/100mL. The high density of total coliform even following ultraviolet treatment of domestic wastewater is considered to be caused by photo-reactivation of micro-organism. When reusing domestic wastewater, the application of sterilization such as ultraviolet, ultrasonic and electron-beam for public health and hygiene reasons may provide safe supply of agricultural water.

The application of domestic wastewater on rice paddies results in the accumulation of sodium(Na+) to the soil. Excessive concentration of sodium may cause the deterioration of the physical characteristics of the soil, change in the osmosis of the soil, destruction of soil aggregates as well as ion toxicity due to sodium accumulation. Using domestic wastewater as irrigation water should be preceded by measures to prevent or control the soil salinization caused by sodium. Agricultural reuse of domestic wastewater were found not to cause serious problems with food safety due to heavy metals. However, pre-treatment using ultraviolet or ozone is recommended to reduce the number of bacteria and gem and for public health reasons. Using domestic wastewater has shown that reducing the standard application of chemical fertilizers by as much as 50% reduced the harvesting index by only 10%. This study has shown that it is feasible to reuse domestic wastewater on rice paddies. In order to facilitate the application, it is deemed necessary to establish wastewater treatment technologies in the future, to review criteria for recycling domestic wastewater for agricultural purposes such as conditions of soil and cropping system and to resolve conflicts with farmers and public health issues.