“건강한 환경 행복한 미래＂

Recent efforts in industrial wastewater
regulation in Korea
Tae-Jin Park
National Institute of Environmental Research
The 15th WEPA International Workshop
6 February 2020
Bangkok+PrideContents

01 Introduction
Recent efforts in industrial
02 wastewater regulation

03 Future plan+Pride01 Introduction

Framework of water environment law
Environment Policy Framework Act- The primary law governing environment in Korea- Purpose: to prevent environmental pollution, to protect environment appropriately and to keep
the environment sustainable, resulting in letting people enjoy the healthy and amiable environment.
- The basis for regulations

Water Environment Conservation Act- Purpose: to protect people from water pollution, and to manange the quality of streams, rivers and lakes
appropriately, resulting in the benefit from the water environment managed well.
- Regulation of wastewater from the effluent+PrideTerminology□ A water pollutant is a substance that degrades water quality (58 items).
□ A hazardous pollutant is a substance that is harmful directly andindirectly health and property as well as the growth of animals

and plants among water pollutants (32 items).
Water pollutants(58)
Hazardous pollutants(32)

Effluent Standards(7 parameters)
Permissible Discharge Limit(32 parameters)+PrideTypes of standards in effluent• The purpose of setting standards in effluent is to abide by WQS• Depending on types of facilities, the kind of standards is different.
Indirectdischarger

Wastewater treatment plants
Directdischarger

Public Sewage treatment plants

Permissible discharge limits
58 items

Effluent Standards⑴ Public sewage treatment plants: 7 items⑵ Public wastewater treatment plants: 7 items

River, Lake
Water Quality Standards⑴ Rivers: Human health protection (20 items) & living environment (9 items)⑵ Lakes: Human health protection (20 items) & living environment (10 items)+Pride⑶ Groundwater: Normal pollutants (4 items) & specific toxic substances (15 items)

Kinds of parameters□ Effluent Standards (7 parameters)- BOD, COD(TOC), SS, TN, TP, Total Coliform, Ecotoxicity□ Permissible Discharge Limit (32 parameters)
NoPollutantsNo

Pollutants

1

Cu andcompounds

7Cr6+andcompounds

2

Pb andcompounds

83

As andcompounds

4NoPollutants

NoPollutants

NoPollutants

NoPollutants

13Benzene

19

1,4-Dioxane

25

Pentachlorophenol

31

Bis(2ethylhexyl)adipate

Cd andcompounds

14

Carbontetrachloride

20

DEHP

26

Acrylamide

32

Antimony

9PCE

15

Dichloromethane

21

Vinylchloride

27

Naphthalene

Hg andcompounds

10

TCE

16

1,1-dichloro
ethylene22

Acrylonitrile

28

Formaldehyde

5CNcompounds

11PCB

17

1,2-dichloro
ethane23

Bromoform

29

Epiclorohydrin

6

Organicpesticide

12

Se andcompounds

18

Chloroform

24

Phenol30

Styrene+PrideComparison of each standard of Korea
70
61

Number of pollutants

60

58504032283020100
Drinking water

Water pollutant

Hazardous pollutant

Water quality standard+PrideChange of the number of standards in the effluent
80

Water pollutant

Hazardous pollutant

Number of pollutants

70

60

53
40

39

40
30

48

47

50

29

29

20

58

55

17

1719

1999

2000

2006

2425

2008

2010

28292013

2016

32

12
100
1991

year

2019
+PrideTrend of target pollutants+PrideCurrent status of industrial wastewaterindustries

10

amounteffluent

60000

amount (milion ton/d)

8400006300004200002

Number of industires

50000

10000

002007

2008

2009

2010

Reference:Treatment of Industrial Wastewater(2016)

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017
+PrideProcess for designating water pollutants & Hazardous pollutants
Selection of candidate pollutants
Feasibility of risk assessment
Prioritizing substances for monitoring
Nationwide monitoring in streams & effluents
Detected in streams

Yes
Detected concentration > WQS

and effluents

Detected in effluents?

Yes
Detected concentration > WQS x 10
Yes

No

Yes
Risk based approach

No detection in streams

Hazard based
approach
Toxicity and Risk

NoHighToxicity andCarcinogenicity

LevelLowNo

Yes
Candidate for ahazardous pollutant

Candidate for awater pollutant

Surveillance pollutant

Pollutants

Pollutantsfor monitoringof interest+PrideFlow chart to set up Permissible Discharge Limit
Candidates for water pollutants

Monitoring for effluents

Noof industries
Reassessment

Yes■ Toxicity data

WQS is available?

No ■ WQS in other countries■ Method Detection Limit
Yes◈Technology Based EL◈

Comparison

Water Quality Based EL

Water Quality Criteria• Considering the current capabilityof treatment• Treatment technologies in other countries

Cost-Benefit analysis
Opinions from Industries

Setting PDL+PrideHow to determine Permissible Discharge Limit in accordance with area
Classification

Clean Area

“GA” Area“NA” Area

CleanSpecial Area
Dirty

Drinking waterreservoir

CityFactory

Factory
complex

Determining Permissible Discharge Limit

GA, NA, Special Area
Higher values between WQBEL and TBEL

Clean Areal
B, C, D x 0.1+Pride

02

Recent efforts in industrial
wastewater regulation

1. Introduction of TOC to Permissible Discharge Limit□ Limitation of COD- Challenging to measure all organic matters including non-degradableorganic substances* COD: 30-60% vs TOC: 90%The Youngsan River

The Geum River

The Han River

The Nakdong River+Pride1. Introduction of TOC to Permissible Discharge Limit□ Limitation of COD- TOC has already been a parameter as Water Quality Standards since 2013.

Meanwhile, COD was applied to effluent standards and permissible

discharge limits.

We need to take action to dissolve this discrepancy.
+Pride1. Introduction of TOC to Permissible Discharge Limit□ Application of TOC to facilities.
- Depending on the facilities, ratio is different.
- For wastewater treatment plants, the ratio between TOC and CODMn is 1.8.
- For publicly owned treatment works, the ration between TOC and CODMn is1.3.

+Pride1. Introduction of TOC to Permissible Discharge Limit□ Application of TOC to facilities.
○ Wastewater treatment plants (Permissible discharge limits)
Facilities emitting more than 2,000ton/day

Facilities emitting less than 2,000ton/day

CleanGaNaSpecial

CleanGaNaSpecial

CODMn

4070

90

405090

1630

40TOC

25405025305075

25○ Wastewater treatment plants (Effluent standards)
A areaB areaC areaD areaCODMn20204040TOC

15152525+Pride2. Ecotoxicity□ Limitation of current parameters in permissible discharge limits.
- There is a limit to conserve aquatic life with current parameters since many
synthetic chemicals are manufactured and flew into river and stream.
- The ecotoxicity management system is aimed to identify the safety of industrial
wastewater effluent using an indicator organism (water flea : Daphnia magna).

+Pride2. Ecotoxicity
History of legislation
Dec.
2007

Amendment of ‘Water Quality and Ecosystem Conservation Act’ Enforcement
Regulations• Added ‘ecotoxicity’ as a new water pollutant of Permissible Discharge LimitFeb.
2009

Amendment of ‘Sewerage Act’ Enforcement Ordinance

Apr.
2010

Amendment of ‘Water Quality and Ecosystem Conservation Act’ EnforcementRegulations• Added ‘ecotoxicity’ as a water pollutant of public sewage treatment facility(scale :500 m3/day or more)• New regulations were added concerning effluent whose toxicity caused by salt only.

Jan.
2011

Enforcement of The Ecotoxicity Management SystemOct.
2019

Enforcement of The Ecotoxicity Management System••

Applied to the 35 types of industrial facilities and publicly owned treatment works

Applied to the all of industrial facilities (82 types)+Pride2. Ecotoxicity□ Toxicity test of wastewater(effluent)- Acute toxicity testing procedure is based on the Korean Standard Method forWater pollutants, as follows.

Sampling

Sampledilution(6 steps)
Insert 5organisms
in eachbeaker
After 24 hourCount
impairedorganisms

Calculate
toxicityvalues+Pride2. Ecotoxicity
Sampling…

Toxicity test rack+Pride

Toxicity testing…

D. magna Culturing…

3. Monitoring the amount of emission of hazardous pollutants□ Purpose- By making data about the amount of emission of hazardous pollutants in industrial
facilities accessible to the public, it is expected that the facilities will decrease theamount of emission voluntarily, water quality will be improved and eventually aquatic
life will be protected.

+Pride3. Monitoring the amount of emission of hazardous pollutants□ Target facilities for monitoring- Industrial facilities are divided into 5 levels depending on the amount of emission.
* Level I ~ III facilities are applied to this monitoring.

Kind offacilities

The amount of emissionLevel I facility The one that emits the amount of wastewater more than 2,000 ton/day
Level II facility The one that emits the amount of wastewater 700~2,000 ton/day
Level III facility The one that emits the amount of wastewater 200~700 ton/day
Level IV facility The one that emits the amount of wastewater 50~200 ton/day
Level V facility The facilities that is not included in Level I~IV+Pride3. Monitoring the amount of emission of hazardous pollutants□ Parameters monitored- 29 hazardous pollutants up to 2018
- 32 hazardous pollutants since 2019
NoPollutantsNoPollutants1Cu andcompounds

7Cr6+andcompounds

2Pb andcompounds

83

As andcompounds

4No

Pollutants

NoPollutants

NoPollutants

NoPollutants

13

Benzene19

1,4-Dioxane

25

Pentachlorophenol

31

Bis(2ethylhexyl) adipate

Cd andcompounds

14

Carbontetrachloride

20

DEHP

26

Acrylamide

32

Antimony

9

PCE

15

Dichloromethane

21

Vinylchloride

27

Naphthalene

Hg andcompounds

10

TCE

16

1,1-dichloro
ethylene22

Acrylonitrile

28

Formaldehyde

5CNcompounds

11

PCB

17

1,2-dichloro
ethane23

Bromoform

29

Epiclorohydrin

6

Organicpesticide

12

Se andcompounds

18

Chloroform

24Phenol30

Styrene+Pride3. Monitoring the amount of emission of hazardous pollutants□ How to monitor the amount of emission
1) Comparison of data
- Calculate the flow rate and take samples at the end of pipe of facilities andanalyze 32 parameters according to Korean Water Quality Standard Methods- Comparing hazardous pollutants included in the document of the facility with theresults of analysis+Pride3. Monitoring the amount of emission of hazardous pollutants
2) Checking out documents□ Documents that facilities should fill out through online+Pride3. Monitoring the amount of emission of hazardous pollutants□ Framework of the monitoring system

Facilities

Regional
EnvironmentalAgency

NationalInstitute ofEnvironmental
Research

Ministry ofEnvironment+Pride03 Future plan

2nd Framework of Water Environment Management□ The Highest plan regarding the water
environment management and policy in Korea- This plan covers from streams, rivers to estuary.
- The duration of this plan is targeted between
2016-2025.
- Industrial wastewater regulation is also included inthis plan.
+Pride1. Improvement of regulation for compounds
NoPollutants□ Improving the more reasonable regulation

1

Cu and its compounds

about compounds

2

Pb and its compounds

3

As and its compounds

4

Hg and its compounds

5

Cr6+and its compounds

6

Cd and its compounds

7

Se and its compounds- Challenging to assess each pollutant’s toxicity

exactly.
- Not reasonable to regulate compounds in whichsome chemical is not toxic.

+Pride2. Management of facilities considering facility characteristics□ Improving shortcomings of uniform permit system- According to facility type, different pollutants are emitted.
- Wastewater-emitting facilities are classified into 82 types depending on
Korean Standard Industry Classification.

- This classification is not able to reflect facilities’ characteristics well.
- It is necessary to reclassify the current classification.
+Pride3. Taking into account BAT for Permissible Discharge Limit
BAT

Permissible Discharge Limit
Uniform values for Permissible Discharge Limit
Permissible
Discharge Limit

Determining Permissible Discharge Limit
based on each facility
Maximum Permissible Discharge Limit
Limitation permit of release(70%)ofmaximum PDL
Stringent limitation permitof release

Permissible
DischargeLimit(49%)ofmaximum PDLt

WQS orLevel for Goal

WQS orLevel for Goal+Pride4. Increasing the various species for ecotoxicity□ Different species has different sensitivity.
- It is necessary to take into account the sensitivity of aquatic life.

Daphnia magna

Aliivibrio fischeri

Lemna minor+PrideThank you for you attention.
경청해 주셔서 감사합니다+Pride