The anaerobic digestion process produces methane while stabilizing sludge. As of 2020, 62 anaerobic digesters in public wastewater treatment plants are operational in Korea. Many researchers have studied to improve digester performance. Thermal hydrolysis technology is one of the pre-treatment methods for treating sludge. Reduced retention time and enhanced biogas production are the main advantages of sludge disintegration at relatively high temperatures and pressures. But nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus are released from the pre-treated sludge. Phosphorus is a non-renewable resource that is essential to food production. Wastewater receives 20% of the total phosphate discharge, while 90% of the influent phosphorus load is in sludge. For efficient phosphorus recovery, it is essential to comprehend the phosphorus release characteristics during wastewater treatment, including anaerobic digestion. Biological or chemical processes can achieve phosphorus removal to comply with the effluent discharge limits regulations. The three primary sources of phosphorus in sludge are aluminum-bound phosphorus (Al-P), polyphosphate in phosphorus-accumulating organisms (PAOs), and iron-bound phosphorus (Fe-P). Anaerobic digestion is the typical method for recovering carbon and phosphorus. However, previous research has demonstrated that most phosphorus in anaerobic digestion occurs as a solid phase coupled with heavy metals. Therefore, the poor mass transfer rate results in a slow phosphorus release. Due to the recent growth in interest and significance of phosphorus recovery, many researchers have studied to improve the quantity of phosphorus released into the liquid phase through chelation addition, process operation optimization, and disintegration using sludge pre-treatment. The study aims to investigate characteristics of the phosphorus release associated with the thermal hydrolysis breakdown of sludge and propose a method for recovering phosphorus in a wastewater treatment plant. When solubilizing sludge using thermal hydrolysis pre-treatment, organic phosphates, inorganic phosphates, and polyphosphates are converted into ortho-phosphate. Therefore, applying thermal hydrolysis, anaerobic digestion, and phosphorus recovery processes (struvite formation or microbial electrolysis cells) can recover carbon and phosphorus.

본 연구는 남해 연안에서 채취한 퇴적물을 대상으로 수질의 환경변화에 의해 퇴적물이 용출 특성에 미치는 영향을 파악하기 위해 실험실에서 20일 동안 용출 배양실험을 진행하였으며, 퇴적물 인의 존재형태와 수질의 환경 인자, 총 인의 용출률을 측정하였다. 관찰 결과, 수층에서 미생물의 성장에 의해 용존 산소가 감소하여, 퇴적물의 산화환원전 위가 낮아지는 혐기성환경이 진행되었다. 그에 따라 배양 초기일과 20일 후를 비교하면, 퇴적물 인의 존재 형태 중 철 산화물과 결합한 인산염의 감소하는 변동성이 높게 나타났다. 이는 철 산화물이 환원될 경우 금속 이온과 분리된 무기인이 수중으로 이동하는 것을 의미하는데, 분리된 무기인은 플랑크톤에 의해 잘 흡수되는 특성을 가진다. 수층의 총 인을 분석한 결과 20일 차 0.304mg/L까지 지속적으로 증가하였으며, 산정된 용출률의 경우 배양 5일 이후 용존 산소의 감소와 높은 관계성을 보였다. 따라서 본 연구의 결과로부터, 수층의 부영양화를 관리하기 위한 요소로서 수질의 용존 산소와 퇴적물 인의 존재형태 중 철 산화물의 중요성을 확인할 수 있었다.

In this study, we performed a sediment elution experiment to evaluate water quality in terms of phosphorus, as influenced by the dissolved oxygen consumed by sediments. Three separate model column treatments, namely, raw, calcined, and sonicated oyster shell powders, were used in this experiment. Essential phosphorus fractions were examined to verify their roles in nutrient release from sediment based on correlation analyses. When treated with calcined or sonicated oyster shell powder, the sediment-water interface became “less anaerobic,” thereby producing conditions conducive to partial oxidation and activities of aerobic bacteria. Sediment Oxygen Demand (SOD) was found to be closely correlated with the growth of algae, which confirmed an intermittent input of organic biomass at the sediment surface. SOD was positively correlated with exchangeable and loosely adsorbed phosphorus and organic phosphorus, owing to the accumulation of unbound algal biomass-derived phosphates in sediment, whereas it was negatively correlated with ferric iron-bound phosphorus or calcium fluorapatite-bound phosphorus, which were present in the form of "insoluble" complexes, thereby facilitating the free migration of sulfate-reducing bacteria or limiting the release from complexes, depending on applied local conditions. PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis revealed that iron-reducing bacteria were the dominant species in control and non-calcined oyster shell columns, whereas certain sulfur-oxidizing bacteria were identified in the column treated with calcined oyster powder.

This study examined pollution level of sediment in Sookchun lake, and studied dredging validity by examining phosphorous release characteristics on surface polluted soil. Total phosphorous, the principal cause of algal blooms, exceeded dredging assessment standards regarding Daechung lake (1.5 mg/g) at all points. Also at all points, total nitrogen exceeded the dredging assessment standard regarding Paldang Lake (1.1 mg/g), but fell short of the standard regarding Daechung lake (3.0 mg/g). Dredging zone was suggested in this study is Chuso water body (WS-6∼WS-12) in Sookchun lake. In relation to sediment pollution levels measured at different depths, LOI tended to decrease as it became deeper. The concentrations of T-N varied depending upon the depth as well as points, but no regular pattern was observed. The depth and site did not significantly influence T-P. From the results of phosphorous release tests, it was shown that total phosphorous release flux was calculated to be 7.2∼15.4 mg/m2/d for anaerobic condition, 0.5∼2.0 mg/m2/d for aerobic condition and 2.0∼4.1 mg/m2/d for facultative condition. Release flux and T-P concentration of surface sediments had positive correlation (R2 0.7871). And The corelation between release flux and DO condition in reactor had strong negative correlation (R2 0.8824).

오염 원인 물질의 해양 내 거동에 대한 파악은 환경 변화에 따른 부영양화 등 해양 수질 오염에 대한 예측 및 대응 방안 선정을 위한 전제 조건이다. 본 연구에서는 부영양화 원인 물질인 인의 해양퇴적물에서 해수로의 용출 특성을 조사하였다. 검토된 환경 조건은 pH 7-9, 온도 10-20℃, 용존 산소 농도(dissolved oxygen, DO) 0.7-7.0 mg/L 였다. 생물학적 요인을 배제한 조건에서 회분식 실험을 통해 구해진인 용출 자료는 1차 반응식으로 해석되었으며, 환경 조건의 영향은 통계학적 방법을 통해 정량화 되었다. 해양 퇴적물로부터 해수로의 인 용출은 pH와 온도가 높고 DO가 낮을수록 증가하였다. 1차 반응 평형 농도 기준으로 검토된 범위의 pH 증가, 온도 증가, DO 감소는 각각 인용출을 2-3배 증가시켰다.