Combined bio-regeneration and ion-exchange system for perchlorate removal

In order to prove that perchlorate-laden resins could be bio-regenerated through direct contact with perchlorate-reducing bacteria (PRB), a combined bio-regeneration and ion-exchange (IX) system was operated. Two kinds of perchlorate-laden resins, nitrate-selective A520E and perchlorate-selective A530E, were successfully regenerated by PRB cultivated under anaerobic conditions. The bio-regeneration efficiency of perchlorate-laden resins increased with the amount of flow passed through the IX column. When the fully exhausted resin was bio-regenerated for 10 days at the flow rate of 2 BV (bed volume)/min and mixed liquor suspended solids concentration of 80 mg/L, almost 100% of IX capacity was recovered. A520E resin had higher bio-regeneration efficiency than A530E under all conditions, probably due to the fact that the perchlorate ion is more strongly bonded to the functional group of perchlorate-selective A530E resin. Measurement of perchlorate concentrations in the column effluents also revealed that the amount of perchlorate eluted from A520E resin was higher than that from A530E resin. Since only 10-20% of perchlorate was eluted from the resin during 10 days of bio-regeneration, the main mechanism of bio-regeneration appears to be the direct reduction of perchlorate by PRB on the resin.

Taste and odour issues in South Korea's drinking water industry

This paper reviews taste and odour (T&O) issues of South Korea's water industry. For this purpose, an overview of the water supply systems and drinking water standards is presented and some results from citizen surveys for customer satisfaction are included. A case study is presented in which the water intake was shifted from inside a main reservoir to a downstream location due to T&O problems. It is true that the South Korean water industry has long relied on the tolerance of consumers for periodic T&O events. Recently the South Korean water industry has become aware that the T&O problems are at the centre of consumers' concerns and has taken several positive approaches. These include monitoring T&O events using sensory and instrumental methods, installation of a baffled-channel PAC contactor and application of advanced water treatment processes.

Treatment of spent brine from a nitrate exchange process using combined biological denitrification and sulfate precipitation

A combined biological denitrification and sulfate precipitation process was developed to treat and reuse the spent brine produced by a nitrate exchange system. Although the spent brine contained a relatively high salt concentration, more than 80% of NO3(-)-N fed into the denitrification reactors was removed at a nitrate-N loading rate of 2.2 g NO3(-)-N/l x day, regardless of the presence or absence of sulfate up to 8,000 mg/l. Sulfate present in the spent brine was successfully removed by the addition of BaCl2 and the settling velocity of BaSO4 suspension was remarkably enhanced by FeCl3 coagulation. Since most of the chloride consumed in regenerating the exhausted resins was replaced during chemical treatment with BaCl2 and FeCl3, it was possible to reuse the treated spent brine as a regenerant after compensating for the small amount of unreplaced NaCl.