This study was conducted to address the recurring eutrophication problems in the Gyeseongcheon watershed, where residential areas, farmland, and livestock facilities lie in close proximity and continually contribute to non-point source pollution. Beca...
This study was conducted to address the recurring eutrophication problems in the Gyeseongcheon watershed, where residential areas, farmland, and livestock facilities lie in close proximity and continually contribute to non-point source pollution. Because these pollutant inputs occur irregularly and often unpredictably, a pilot-scale hybrid treatment system integrating coagulation sedimentation with a constructed wetland was evaluated to determine whether more stable total phosphorus (T-P) reduction could be achieved under realistic field conditions. A further aim of the study, directed toward the practical use of a statistical model, was to establish feasible operating conditions and develop a model that can reasonably represent the behavior of the treatment system without relying on excessive simplification.
Among the four operating modes tested, the serial configurations generally showed the most consistent performance. In serial mode 1, Alum dosing at an average of 16.3mg/L resulted in 82.4% T-P removal, while PAC, applied at 10.3mg/L in serial mode 2, achieved 86.4%. Although both coagulants produced comparable efficiencies, Alum offered an estimated 20% economic advantage an important consideration for long-term operation. Under influent
concentrations ranging from 0.082 to 0.605mg/L for T-P and 0.003 to 0.331 mg/L for PO4-P, serial mode 1 again yielded the highest removal efficiency (82.0%). However, its performance dropped sharply to 42.25% during rainfall events, whereas the other modes maintained efficiencies above 70%, indicating that single or parallel operation may respond more effectively to sudden hydraulic surges.concentrations ranging from 0.082 to 0.605mg/L for T-P and 0.003 to 0.331 mg/L for PO4-P, serial mode 1 again yielded the highest removal efficiency (82.0%). However, its performance dropped sharply to 42.25% during rainfall events, whereas the other modes maintained efficiencies above 70%, indicating that single or parallel operation may respond more effectively to sudden hydraulic surges.
To support the practical application of the statistical model, seven water quality variables including BOD, TOC, SS, and T-P were incorporated into a multiple regression framework. The resulting model demonstrated strong explanatory power, with R2 values ranging from 0.626 to 0.950. Coagulant dose, TOC, and T-P emerged as statistically significant predictors (p<0.05). Analysis of the Al/P molar ratio further revealed that the influent ratios observed in this study (T-P:1.0-18.7, PO4-P:1.3-44.0) were higher than those commonly reported in earlier physicochemical studies, suggesting that particulate phosphorus in natural stream environments may increase coagulant demand.
SEM-EDS observations corroborated the quantitative results Alum facilitated the transformation of fine suspended particles into larger, more porous flocs and increased aluminum content on particle surfaces. These findings provide visual evidence of the mechanisms responsible for phosphorus removal in the hybrid system. Overall, the combined process exhibited greater stability and cost effectiveness than the single process configurations evaluated. The operational insights and the practically applicable statistical model developed in this study may contribute to improved phosphorus load management in similar stream environments. Further investigation is recommended to assess full-scale performance under broader hydrological and seasonal conditions.