Owing to the increasing ACW generation, asbestos detoxification and recycling technologies are required for environmental and economic reasons. Recently, microwave heat treatment is being considered an efficient method for ACW detoxification. In the present study, ACW is detoxified through a microwave heat treatment involving SiC plates. These plates absorb the microwaves and radiate the heat, thereby enhancing the heat treatment efficiency relative to those of existing methods, in which the microwave heat treatment method requires a temperature higher than 1100 °C. In the present study, thermochemical experiments were conducted by applying chemical additives during the microwave heat treatment. To determine the optimal heat treatment temperature based on the chemical added, the detoxification response of the ACW as a function of heat treatment was investigated for different chemical additives, and the crystal structure and microstructure changes were analyzed using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. ACW was then detoxified by applying the optimal temperature derived for each chemical additive in microwave heat treatment involving SiC plates. According to the results, asbestos is eliminated in the ACW at 800 and 900 °C with magnesium chloride and sodium hydroxide, respectively, as the additives.

Asbestos-containing waste has been continuously generated due to the disposal of asbestos-containing products, and the development of asbestos detoxification and recycling technologies are required due to a lack of landfills. In this study, asbestos-containing waste was detoxified by a microwave heat treatment that used silicon carbide balls, which are inorganic heating elements that absorb microwaves and release heat at room temperature. For efficient heat treatment, the asbestos-containing waste was powdered by crushing and grinding processes and then a detoxification heat treatment was performed. The asbestos-containing waste powder particle size, heat treatment temperature, and heat treatment duration were adjusted to investigate the effect of the heat treatment conditions on the detoxification characteristics. After the heat treatment, the detoxification characteristics of asbestos-containing waste were analyzed using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Asbestos was completely removed from the crystal structure and microstructure when the microwave heat treatment was performed at 1200 °C for over 60 min and at 1300 °C for over 30 min. Using silicon carbide balls in the heat treatment enabled fast heat treatments because heating to the target temperature was possible within a short period of time.

Colloid mobilization is a significant process governing colloid-associated transport of heavy metals in subsurface environments. It has been studied for the last three decades to understand this process. However, colloid mobilization and heavy metal transport in soil solutions have rarely been studied using soils in South Korea. We investigated the colloid mobilization in a variety of flow rates during sampling soil solutions in sand columns. The colloid concentrations were increased at low flow rates and in saturated regimes. Colloid concentrations increased 1000-fold higher at pH 9.2 than at pH 7.3 in the absence of 10mM NaCl solution. In addition, those were fourfold higher in the absence than in the presence of the NaCl solution at pH 9.2. It was suggested that the mobility of colloids should be enhanced in porous media under the basic conditions and the low ionic strength. In real field soils, the concentrations of As, Cr, and Pb in soil solutions increased with the increase in colloid concentrations at initial momentarily changed soil water pressure, whereas the concentrations of Cd, Cu, Fe, Ni, Al, and Co lagged behind the colloid release. Therefore, physicochemical changes and heavy metal characteristics have important implications for colloid-facilitated transport during sampling soil solutions.

본 연구는 내분비계 장애물질로써 페놀 및 비스페놀A이 포함된 용액에 대해 전기분해 실험을 수행하였다. 불용성 DSA 양극을 사용하여 오염물질의 전기산화 변화를 확인하였으며 이때 운전인자는 전류밀도, 전도도, 극간거리 등을 변수로 하여 행하였다. 페놀 및 비스페놀A 제거율인 경우 전류밀도가 증가에 비례하여 오염물 제거가 향상되었으며 전도도가 높을수록 비스페놀A 처리율이 증가하였다. 반면 극간거리 변화에 따른 오염물질 제거에는 큰 영향을 보이지 않았다. An electrochemical reactor was designed and operated to treat the solution containing endocrine disruptive compounds such as phenol and bisphenol A. An experiment involving the electrochemical oxidation of bisphenol A was performed with the use of a dimensionally stable anode (DSA). The apparent current, conductivity, and the gap between cathode and anode were selected as design parameters. The phenol removal rate increased with an increase in apparent current. The bisphenol A removal rate increased with an increase in apparent current efficiency. An increase in the conductivity also led to an increase in the rate of removal of bisphenol A. The gap between cathode and anode did not affect the bisphenol A removal rate or the cathodic current efficiency.

Ecological risk assessment(ERA) to 5 abandoned mine drainage was investigated by using chemical measurement and bioassay experiment. From the results of chemical analysis, the high concentration of heavy metals are detected in most area. The Arsenite were mostly detected in Songcheon, Nakdong, and Dukum abandoned mine area, and various heavy metals were highly dispersed in Nakdong area. The study area have also high biological toxicity, resulted from the bioassay based on WET(Whole Effluent Toxicity) test by using Vibrio fisheri, Selenastrum copricornutum, and Daphnia magna. The maximum toxicity was shown in the point where the mine waters start to flow. The sensitivity of toxicity by S. capricornutum was relatively high considering the values of toxicity in all samples, from 1.3 to 32.0 TU. The different sensitivities of toxicity recommends the use of battery system, resulted from at least two test species for bioassay or ecological risk assessment of mine drainage. Besides, the results showed high hazard quotient(i.e., greater than 1 HQ value indicating potentially significant toxic risks) with regard to abandoned mine drainage area in this study. On the other hand, the biological toxicity results were sharply decreased by attenuation along further distance from discharging of mine waters. Therefore, environmental parameters including the dilution factor, dissolved organic matter, and hardness should be considered when the remediation and ERA of abandoned mine drainage is planned.

The last two decades have witnessed growing scientific and public concerns over endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) that have the potential to alter the normal structure or functions of the endocrine system in wildlife and humans. In this study, the phenolic EDCs such as alkylphenol, chlorinated phenol and bisphenol A were considered. They are commonly found in wastewater discharges and in sewage treatment plant. In order to monitor the levels and seasonal variations of phenolic EDCs in various aquatic environments, a total of 15 water samples from the discharged effluent from sewage and wastewater treatment plants and river water were collected for 3 years. Ten environmental phenolic EDCs were determined by GC-MS and laser-induced fluorescence (LIF). GC-MS analysis revealed that most abundant phenolic EDCs were 4-n-heptylphenol, followed by nonlyphenol and bisphenol A during 2002-2003, while 4-t-butylphenol and 4-t-octylphenol were newly detected in aquatic environments in 2004. The category of phenolic EDCs showed similar fluorescence spectra and nearly equal fluorescence decay time. This makes it hard to distinguish each phenolic EDC from the EDCs mixture by LIF. Therefore, the results obtained from LIF analysis were expressed in terms of the fluorescence intensity of the total phenolic EDCs rather than that of the individual EDC. However, LIF monitoring and GC-MS analysis showed consistent result in that the river water samples had lower phenolic EDCs concentration compared to the effluent sample. This revealed a lower fluorescence intensity and the phenolic EDCs concentration in summer was lower than that in winter. For the validation of LIF monitoring for the phenolic EDCs, the correlation between EDCs concentration acquired from GC-MS and fluorescence intensity from LIF was obtained (R=0.7379). This study supports the feasibility of the application of LIF into EDCs monitoring in aquatic systems.

Biosorption properties of arsenate [As(V)] onto activated sludge were investigated in batch systems. The adsorption of As(V) onto sludge increased from 23 to 266 μg/g dry weight through the methylation of the activated sludge. This increase resulted from neutralization of carboxylic groups via the methylation process. The pH effect of As(V) uptake was also investigated and As(V) adsorption by methylated sludge decreased significantly at high pH (pH > 11) due to competition between As(V) and OH− ions for binding sites distributed on sludge surfaces. In contrast, low pH favored As(V) adsorption by methylated sludge because of the elevated quantities of positively charged functional groups. The results suggest that methylated activated sludge may provide promising applications for the simultaneous removal and separation of As(V) from aqueous effluents.

Cheap and environmental sound biosorbent was made for the adsorption of arsenate using an waste activated sludge. The biosorbents were methylated in 9hours and 24 hours respectively for the better adsorption of arsenate. The amount adsorbed of arsenate(V) increased with increasing methylation time. The specific arsenate adsorption was 0.06 mmol As(V)/g biomass when the biosorbent was methylated in 24 hours. The methylated biosorbents were also studied with pH 5, 7, and 9. The pH of the solution affect the amount of adsorption of arsenate of the biosorbent even though it was methylated. The specific arsenate adsorption of the biosorbent at pH 5 was best and it was three times greater than the amount of arsenate adsorbed at pH 9.

Permeable reactive barrier using iron oxide coated sand is one of effective technologies for As(V) contaminated groundwater. However, this method is restricted to As(III), because As(III) species tends to be more weakly bound to adsorbent. In order to overcome the limitation of iron oxide coated sand application to As(III) contaminated groundwater, manganese oxide materials as promoter of As(III) removal were combined to the conventional technology in this study. For combined use of iron oxide coated sand and manganese oxide coated sand, two kinds of removal methods, sequential removal method and simultaneous removal method, were introduced. Both methods showed similar removal efficiency over for 6 hrs. However, the sequential method converted the As contaminated water to acid state (pH 4.5), on the contrary, the simultaneous method maintained neutral state (pH 6.0). Therefore, simultaneous As removal method was ascertained as a suitable treatment technology of As contaminated water. Moreover, for more effective As(III) remediation technique, polypropylene textile which has the characteristics of high surface area, low specific gravity and flexibility was applied as alternative material of sand. The combined use of coated polypropylenes by simultaneous method showed much more prominent and rapid remediation efficiency over after 6 hrs; besides, it has practical advantages in replacement or disposal of adsorbent for simple conventional removal device.

철산화물 피복 모래를 이용한 투수성 반응 벽체는 As(V)로 오염된 지하수의 처리에 매우 효과적인 것으로 알려져 있다. 그러나 이 방법은 As(III)에 있어서는 그 제거효과가 제한적인 실정이다. 본 연구에서는 위 방법에 의한 3가 비소제거의 한계를 극복하기 위해서 As(III)를 As(V)로 산화 시킬 수 있는 능력을 가진 망간산화물 피복 물질을 비소저감...