• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.53 no.2
• /
• pp.244-250
• /
• 2020

Microplastic pollution in the marine ecosystem has been emerged as a global issue. In this study, we investigated the abundance of microplastics from clam Meretrix lusoria, blood arkshell Scapharca broughtonii, and warty sea squirt Styela clava obtained from a local market in Busan, Korea. The marine organisms were digested in 10% KOH, and were incubated at 40℃ and 150 rpm, for 7 days. The digest was filtered through standard sieve (5 mm, 1 mm, 300 ㎛, and 100 ㎛), and mciroplastics were identified using a light microscope and microFT-IR. The abundance of microplastics of clam, blood arkshell, warty sea squirt was 0.08 items/g, 0.05 items/g, and 0.12 items/g, respectively. The predominant microplastic size was in the range of 100-300 ㎛, occupying 48%, and the predominant type was fiber. The composition of microplastics was mostly rayon, semi-synthetic cellulosic material and polyester, which are main component of fabric and textile. We strongly believe that this preliminary work may provide useful information for the establishment of the standardized analysis method of microplastics ingested by marine organisms.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
• /
• v.28 no.5
• /
• pp.294-298
• /
• 2019

Pulsed laser-based optical sensor monitoring systems for real time microplastic particle counting are proposed and developed in this study. To develop our real time monitoring system, we used a 450 nm pulsed laser and a photomultiplier with very high quantum efficiency. First, we demonstrated that the microplastic particle counting system could detect standard micro bead samples of 100, 250, and $500{\mu}m$ in river water. We then performed research concerning pulsed laser-based optical spectral sensor systems for real time microplastic monitoring. Additionally, we demonstrated that the real time microplastic remote monitoring system using LoRa communications could detect microplastic in the tap water resource protection area.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
• /
• 2021.10a
• /
• pp.290-291
• /
• 2021

Defects in the coating process of plastic automotive components are caused by various causes and phenomena. The correlation between defect occurrence rate and meteorological and environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, and fine dust was analyzed. The defect rate data categorized by type and cause was collected for a year from a automotive parts coating company. This data and its correlation with environmental condition was acquired and experimented by machine learning techniques to predict the defect rate at a certain environmental condition. Correspondingly, the model predicted 98% from fine dust and 90% from curtaining (runs, sags) and hence proved its reliability.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.276-281
• /
• 2022

BACKGROUND: Plastics that are used in our daily lives largely end up in the environment. In agricultural environments, plastic wastes and microplastics can be found due to the uses and improper management of plastic products (e.g., vinyl greenhouses and mulching vinyl). Microplastics can also interact with contaminants in the agricultural environment. Therefore, this study was set to investigate the sorption characteristics of tetracycline, one of widely used antibiotics, on microplastics. METHODS AND RESULTS: The sorption tests were carried out with the tetracycline solutions (0-30 mg L^-1) and microplastic films prepared from low density polyethylene (LDPE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The residual tetracycline concentrations were analyzed and fitted to the Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models. The tetracycline sorption patterns on LDPE and PVC films were described better with the Freundlich isotherm model than the Langmuir isotherm model. The isotherm model parameters suggested that the maximum sorption amount of tetracyline was greater for PVC, while the sorption affinity was greater for LDPE. CONCLUSION(S): Different types of microplastics can have different sorption characteristics of tetracycline. Therefore, there is a need for continuous research on the interaction of various types and shapes of microplastics and contaminants in the environment.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.149-154
• /
• 2022

In this paper, laser-induced fluorescence properties of four plastics were characterized through spectrometer analysis for real-time microplastic counting. Recently, environmental problems related to microplastics have emerged. In order to detect microplastics, analysis methods such as FT-IR and Raman are used. However, they have the disadvantages of being time-consuming and requiring a pretreatment process. In most plastic products on the market, 10% to 30% of plasticizers and reinforcing agents are added. Therefore, most microplastics present in seawater and freshwater emit fluorescence signals by 270 nm UV light source regardless of their type due to their molecular structure due to additives. Real-time microplastics counting is possible more easily by using the proposed laser-induced fluorescence detection method because of the fluorescence expression characteristic of 340 nm that appears due to the plasticizer of plastics.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Computer Information Conference
• /
• 2022.07a
• /
• pp.377-378
• /
• 2022

본 연구는 폐그물, 폐현수막, 비닐, 캔 등을 활용한 친환경 패션 소품을 제작하기 위한 선행연구로, 패션산업에서의 환경문제와 친환경 패션 브랜드에 대해 분석해보고자 하였다. 이를 통해 친환경 패션 소품 제작에 필요한 기초자료를 얻고자 하였다. 연구는 국내 포털사이트에서 '친환경 패션 브랜드', '패션산업의 환경오염' 등의 단어를 입력하여 검색되는 기사를 중심으로 진행되었다. 패션산업은 생산과 소비 과정에서 수질, 대기오염을 유발하며, 쓰레기 문제 등을 유발하였다. 제조과정 중 엄청난 양의 탄소를 발생시키며, 세탁과정에서는 미세플라스틱을 방출하여 수질을 오염시키는 것으로 나타났다. 친환경 패션 브랜드에 글로베 호프, 프라이탁, 스텔라 맥카트니, 파타고니아, 비건 타이거, 낫 아워스 등이 있다. 광고 현수막, 군복, 안전벨트, 공장작업복, 병원 이불, 보트의 돛, 자동차 방수포 등을 활용하여 다양한 가방, 파우치, 핸드백 등의 패션 아이템을 제작 판매하고 있다. 이 외에도 비건 소재를 사용하고 동물성 소재와 PVC 소재를 사용하지 않는 등 패션업계에서도 환경오염을 줄이기 위한 다양한 노력을 기울이고 있는 것으로 나타났다.

• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
• /
• v.11 no.3
• /
• pp.210-217
• /
• 2023

Various performances of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) applied with microplastics and expanded polystyrene (EPS) beads were evaluated. CompressIve and flexural strength, performance after ignition, flow-down in fresh state, and effective bond strength were evaluated. Designed weight of the cement panel with these mixtures was calculated based on the flexural strength. As a result of the experiments, it was confirmed that the EPS could reduce the density of UHPC with largest range. By maximum addition of EPS beeds, the density of UHPC decreased to 1300 kg/m³, and the compressive and flexural strengths for this mixtures were in ranges of 20-30 MPa and 15-20 MPa, respectively. On the other hand, lightest cement panel could be designed with UHPC having a density ranges about 2.0 g/cm³.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.203-208
• /
• 2024

Every year, approximately 350 million tons of plastic waste are generated worldwide. This waste, can degrade into microplastics, owing to factors such as temperature changes and UV exposure. These smaller plastic particles are increasingly entering the food chain through marine life, thereby raising concerns about their impact on human health. Consequently, there is an increasing need to measure microplastics. Common methods involve direct collection by using a manta trawl equipped with a 330 ㎛ mesh net or performing spectroscopic and thermal analyses on collected samples. However, these methods require complex pre-processing, which risk sample destruction. In this study, we developed a system to directly sample microplastics in aquatic environments by using laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy. Through an analysis of the fluorescence spectra as well as, the with gradient and integration at specific points, we successfully distinguished microplastics of 100, 200, 300, and 500 ㎛ in size, and we also differentiated between polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS) types.

• Elastomers and Composites
• /
• v.49 no.1
• /
• pp.24-30
• /
• 2014

3-Amino-1,2,4-triazole (ATA) (2.5 and 5.0 phr) was incorporated into a immiscible maleated ethylene propylene diene rubber(mEPDM)/maleated high density polyethylene(mHDPE) (50 wt%/50 wt%) blend by melt mixing. Effects of the ATA on structure, mechanical and rheological properties of the blend was investigated. FT-IR and DMA results revealed that supramolecular hydrogen bonding interactions between the polymer chains occur by reaction of ATA with maleic anhydride grafted onto the component polymers in the blend, which induces the physical crosslinks in the blend. FE-SEM analysis showed that mEPDM forms a dispersed phase in continuous mHDPE matrix, and the blend with the ATA has finer phase morphology as compared to the blend without the ATA. By the addition of ATA in the blend, there were significant increases in tensile strength, modulus and elongation-at-break as well as elastic recoverability. Melt rheology studies revealed that ATA induced substantial increase in storage modulus and complex viscosity of the blend at the melt state.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.289-296
• /
• 2007

Di-(ethyhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), commonly used as a plasticizer for manufacturing flexible vinyl products, has been the topic of extensive research, especially concerning endocrine disrupting properties. Metallothionein (MT) is a low molecular weight (6,000$\sim$7,000 Da), cysteine-rich (22$\sim$23%), metal-binding protein and is known to be induced by extrinsic factors such as chemical agents and stresses. Some of the known function of MT include detoxification of heavy metals and alkylating agents and neutralization of free radicals. Nonetheless, the definitive physiological function of MT are still unknown. This study was carried out to investigate the effects of DEHP on the ultrastructural changes and the expression of MT of the rat liver. The rats were orally intubated with either corn oil (experimental control) or 0.5 mg, 1.5 mg and 4.5 mg DEHP kg$^{-1}$ day$^{-1}$ in 0.5 mL of corn oil for 15 days before sacrificing and sampling. DEHP induced mild ultrastrctural changes of some cell organelles such as rough endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, lysosomes and peroxisomes in the rat liver treated with DEHP. In the respect of immunogold labelling and Western blotting, MT expression of the liver tissue was up-regulated by DEHP. In conclusion, DEHP has effects on the ultrastructures and hepatic function for MT expression in rat.