This paper aims to review the odor removal performance and operating parameters of pilot and full-scale chemical scrubbers, bioscrubbers, biofilters, and biotrickling filters for odor control in wastewater treatment plants. Based on the performance of full-scale facilities installed in wastewater treatment plants, empty-bed residence times were the shortest for bioscrubbers (7.5±2.5s), followed by chemical scrubbers (20±8.1s), biotrickling filters (22.2±26.2s), and biofilters (48±30s). The removal efficiencies of complex odors by biofilters, biotrickling filters, bioscrubbers, and chemical scrubbers were 97.7±1.9%, 87.7±15.6%, 89.0±9.0%, and 70.0%, respectively. The investment cost was the lowest for biofilters, followed by biotrickling filters, bioscrubbers, and chemical scrubbers. In addition, the operating costs of these deodorization technologies were in the following order: biofilters < bioscrubbers and biotrickling filters < chemical scrubbers. However, most studies on odor control for wastewater treatment processes have been conducted on a laboratory scale with model odors (single odorous compound or mixtures of 2-3 odorous compounds). Therefore, field research to develop deodorization technologies for wastewater treatment plants should be more actively conducted to accumulate data for the design and operation of full-scale deodorizing systems.

The odors emitted from wastewater treatment plants are not only a health and hygiene problem, but can also lead to complaints from residents and have wider social ramifications such as bringing about falling property values in the surrounding area. In this paper, based on the data measured at domestic and overseas wastewater treatment facilities, the concentrations of complex odors and odorous compounds were compared for each treatment/process: primary treatment, secondary treatment, and sludge treatment processes. Odor compounds that contribute greatly to complex odors were summarized for each process. In addition, the characteristics of odor wheels for each wastewater treatment process, which provide both chemical and olfactory information regarding odors, were reviewed. For domestic wastewater treatment facilities, the complex odor concentrations (unit, dilution factor) of the primary and secondary treatment processes were 4.5-100,000 (median, 32.1) and 2.5-30,000 (median, 10.7), respectively. However, the complex odor concentrations in the sludge treatment process were 3.0-100,000 (median, 118.7), which was more than three times higher than that in the wastewater treatment process. In the wastewater treatment process, those odor compounds making the greatest contributions to complex odors were sulfur-containing compounds such as hydrogen sulfide, dimethyl sulfide, and dimethyl disulfide DMS. In order to properly manage odors from wastewater treatment plants and minimize their impact, it is important to understand the status of odor emissions. Therefore, the compositions and concentrations of odors from wastewater treatment processes and odor wheel information, which are reviewed in this paper, are used to evaluate the potential risk of odor from wastewater treatment facilities in order to derive strategies to minimize odor emissions. Moreover, the information can be usefully used to introduce the best available technology to reduce odors emitted from wastewater treatment facilities.

The proper operation and safety management of water and wastewater treatment systems are essential for providing stable water service to the public. However, various natural disasters including floods, large storms, volcano eruptions and earthquakes threaten public water services by causing serious damage to water and wastewater treatment plants and pipeline systems. Korea is known as a country that is relatively safe from earthquakes, but the recent increase in the frequency of earthquakes has increased the need for a proper earthquake management system. Interest in research and the establishment of legal regulations has increased, especially since the large earthquake in Gyeongju in 2016. Currently, earthquakes in Korea are managed by legal regulations and guidelines integrated with other disasters such as floods and large storms. The legal system has long been controlled and relatively well managed, but technical research has made limited progress since it was considered in the past that Korea is safe from earthquake damage. Various technologies, including seismic design and earthquake forecasting, are required to minimize possible damages from earthquakes, so proper research is essential. This paper reviews the current state of technology development and legal management systems to prevent damages and restore water and wastewater treatment systems after earthquakes in Korea and other countries. High technologies such as unmanned aerial vehicles, wireless networks and real-time monitoring systems are already being applied to water and wastewater treatment processes, and to further establish the optimal system for earthquake response in water and wastewater treatment facilities, continuous research in connection with the Fourth Industrial Revolution, including information and communications technologies, is essential.

Traditional wastewater research mainly focuses on 1) estimating the amount of waste entering sewage treatment facilities, 2) evaluating the treatment efficiency of sewage facilities, 3) investigating the role of sewage treatment effluent as a point source, and 4) designing and managing sewage treatment facilities. However, since wastewater contains a variety of chemical and biological substances due to the discharge of human excreta and material used for daily living into it, the collective constituents of wastewater are likely a reflection of a community’s status. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE), an emerging and promising field of study that involves the analysis of substances in wastewater, can be applied to monitor the state of a defined community. WBE provides opportunities for exploiting indicators in wastewater to fulfill various objectives. The data analyzed under WBE are those pertaining to selected natural and anthropogenic substances in wastewater that are a result of the discharge of metabolic excreta, illicit or legal drugs, and infectious pathogens into the wastewater. This paper reviews recent progress in WBE and addresses current challenges in the field. It primarily discusses several representative applications including the investigation of drug consumption across different communities and the management of community disease and health. Finally, it summarizes established indicators for WBE.

This study estimated response of water quality and pollutant behavior according to the discharge and reuse of treated wastewater by three-dimensional eco-hydrodynamic model, and suggest plan that water quality management and environmental restoration in the coastal area including urban stream of Yeosu, Korea. Dispersions of low-saline water and COD by treated wastewater loads (design facility capacity, about 110,000 m3/d) were very limited in near of effluent site. Nutrients, however, increase compared to the other water quality factors, especially total nitrogen was very sensitive to input loads. When reuse some of treated wastewater to Yeondeung stream, nitrogen was big influence on estuarine water quality. Although current characteristics of treated wastewater such as discharge and water quality were negligible to the change of marine environment, effluent concentration of COD, TN and TP, especially 40% of TN, are reduced within the allowable pollutant loads for satisfy environmental capacity and recommended water quality criteria. Also, controls of input point/non-point sources to Yeondeung stream and base concentration of pollutants in coastal sea itself are very necessary.