• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.121-133
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• 2014

Block copolymers including ABA triblock architectures are useful as thermoplastic elastomers and toughened plastics depending on the relative glassy and rubbery content. These materials can be blended with other polymers and utilized as additives, toughening agents, and compatibilizers. Most of commercially available block copolymers are derived from petroleum. Renewable alternatives are attractive considering the finite supply of fossil resources on earth and the overall economic and environmental expenses involved in the recovery and use of oil. Furthermore, tomorrow's sustainable materials are demanding the design and implementation with programmed end-of-life. The present review focuses on the preparation and evaluation of new classes of renewable ABA triblock copolymers and also emphasizes on the use of carbohydrate-derived poly(lactide) or plant-based poly(olefins) having a high glass transition temperature and/or high melting temperature for the hard phase in addition to the use of bio-based amorphous hydrocarbon polymers with a low glass transition temperature for the soft components. The combination of multiple controlled polymerizations has proven to be a powerful approach. Precision-controlled synthesis of these hybrid macromolecules has led to the development of new elastomers and tough plastics offering renewability, biodegradability, and high performance.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.18-27
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• 2006

Air Sparging (IAS, AS) is a ground-water remediation technique, in which organic contaminants are volatilized into air as they rise from saturated to vadose soil zone. This study was conducted to investigate the variation characteristics of TPH, VOCs and $CO_2$ for air sparging of diesel contaminated saturated soil. Initial TPH concentration was 10,000 mg/kg for saturated soil phase and 1,001 mg/L for soil aquifer phase. After 36 days of air sparging, the equilibrium temperature of 2-Dimension experiment system was $24.9{\pm}1.5^{\circ}C$. The saturated soil TPH concentration (in the C10 port close to air diffuser) was reduced to 66.0% of the initial value. The mass amount of $CO_2$ was 3,800 mg and 3,200 mg in air space (C70 port) and in unsaturated soil zone (C50 port), respectively. The VOCs production kinetic parameter was 0.164/day in the air space (C70 port) and 0.182/day in the unsaturated soils (C50 port).

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.119-125
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• 2014

This study evaluated the environmental impacts of a soil washing (SW) process, especially, we compared the on-site and off-site remediation of TPH-contaminated soil using green and sustainable remediation (GSR) tool. To assess relative contribution of each stage on environmental footprints in the entire soil washing process, we classified the process into four major stages: site foundation (stage I), excavation (stage II), separation & washing (stage III), and wastewater treatment (stage IV). In on-site SW process, the relative contribution of $CO_2$ emissions and energy consumption were 87.1% and 80.4%, respectively in stage I, and in off-site SW process, the relative contribution of $CO_2$ emissions and energy consumption were 82.7% and 80.5%, respectively in stage II. In conclusion, the major factor contributing environmental impact in the SW process were consumable materials including steel and stainless steel for washing equipment in on-site treatment and fuel consumption for transportation of soil in off-site treatment.

• Clean Technology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.200-208
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• 2012

This study was performed to prevent the health damage of environmental contaminants in Industrial Complex Area. And, this study aimed to identify the concentration levels and distribution characteristics of environmental contaminants and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) at soil in Industrial Complex Area and control area. The concentration of the soil pollution standard such as the heavy metals in the soil, VOCs, PAHs, and PCB were measured and analyzed using the soil specimens in the Industrial Complex Area and control area. Soil specimens from the Industrial Complex Area (the direct exposure area) and the control area were surveyed. Songdo-dong, Haedo-dong and Jechul-dong, which are in the direct exposure area and near the emission source, showed relatively high concentrations of contaminant materials when compared with Jangki-myeon, which is far off and in the control area. The concentration of zinc was 20.8-58.9% of the level of concern (300 mg/kg) in the 1st region, which is a relatively high concentration. The concentration of fluoride was under the standard in every region, but it was about 74% of the level of concern (400 mg/kg) in the 1st region. It is recommended that controlling fluoride emissions is necessary. Levels of organic phosphate, phenol, and VOCs like benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene were under the detection limit of the analysis instruments. The concentration of TPH was high in Songdo-dong. The concentration of contaminants in Jechul-dong was high. In addition, it was observed that the level of soil contamination changed depending on the distance from the emission source. The concentration of PAH compounds in the soil was 18.71-1744.59 ng/g, and the concentration of six potential cancer-causing PAH materials was 6.54-695.94 ng/g. The highest concentration was in Songdo-dong. The PAH concentration in the direct exposure area near the complex was relatively high compared to the indirect exposure area.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.83-94
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• 2011

Extra heavy oil reservoirs are distributed over the world but most of them is deposited in the northern part of the Orinoco River in Venezuela, in the area of 5,500 $km^2$, This region, which has been commonly called "the Orinoco Oil Belt", contains estimated 1.3 trillion barrels of original oil-in-place and 250 billion barrels of established reserves. The Venezuela extra heavy oil has an API gravity of less than 10 degree and in situ viscosity of 5,000 cP at reservoir condition. Although the presence of extra heavy oil in the Orinoco Oil Belt has been initially reported in the 1930's, the commercial development using in situ cold production started in the 1990's. The Orinoco heavy oil deposits are clustered into 4 development areas, Boyaco, Junin, Ayachoco, and Carabobo respectively, and they are subdivided into totally 31 production blocks. Nowadays, PDVSA (Petr$\'{o}$leos de Venzuela, S.A.) makes a development of each production block with the international oil companies from more than 20 countries forming a international joint-venture company. The Eastern Venezuela Basin, the Orinoco Oil Belt is included in, is one of the major oil-bearing sedimentary basins in Venezuela and is first formed as a passive margin basin by the Jurassic tectonic plate motion. The major source rock of heavy oil is the late Cretaceous calcareous shale in the central Eastern Venezuela Basin. Hydrocarbon materials migrated an average of 150 km up dip to the southern margin of the basin. During the migration, lighter fractions in the hydrocarbon were removed by biodegradation and the oil changed into heavy and/or extra heavy oil. Miocene Oficina Formation, the main extra heavy oil reservoir, is the unconsolidated sand and shale alternation formed in fluvial-estuarine environment and also has irregularly a large number of the Cenozoic faults induced by basin subsidence and tectonics. Because Oficina Formation has not only complex lithology distribution but also irregular geology structure, geological evolution and characteristics of the reservoirs have to be determined for economical production well design and effective oil recovery. This study introduces geological formation and evolution of the Venezuela extra heavy oil reservoirs and suggest their significant geological characteristics which are (1) thickness and geometry of reservoir pay sands, (2) continuity and thickness of mud beds, (3) geometry of faults, (4) depth and geothermal character of reservoir, (5) in-situ stress field of reservoir, and (6) chemical composition of extra heavy oil. Newly developed exploration techniques, such as 3-D seismic survey and LWD (logging while drilling), can be expected as powerful methods to recognize the geological reservoir characteristics in the Orinoco Oil Belt.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.26-36
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• 2018

Total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) is a mixture of various oil substances composed of alkane, alkene, cycloalkane, and aromatic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, etc.). In this study, we investigated 92 groundwater wells around 36 gas stations to evaluate distribution characteristics of petroleum hydrocarbons. Groundwater in the wells was sampled and monitored twice a year. The fraction analysis method of TPH was developed based on TNRCC 1006. The test results indicated aliphatic and aromatic fractions accounted for 28.6 and 73.8%, respectively. The detection frequencies of TPH in the monitoring wells ranged in 21.6 - 24.2%. The average concentration of TPH was 0.11 mg/L with the concentration range of 0.25~0.99 mg/L. In the result of TPH fraction analysis, in aliphatic fractions were 19% (C6-C8 : 0.2%, C8-C10 : 0.4%, C10-C12 : 0.4%, C12-C16 : 0.5%, C16-C22 : 1.0%, C22-C36 : 16.6%), and aromatic fractions were 81% (C6-C8 : 1.1%, C8-C10 : 0%, C10-C12 : 2.9%, C12-C16 : 0.3%, C16-C22 : 4%, C22-C36 : 66.8%). Fractions of C22-C36 were detected in about 83% of the monitoring wells, suggesting non-degradable characteristics of hydrocarbons with high carbon content.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.253-262
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• 2012

With the aim of remediating soils contaminated by heavy metals and oil, experimental research was conducted to evaluate the optimal design factors for remediation in terms of efficient soil washing methods and processes. The experiments employed absorptiometric analysis and gas chromatography methods to reduce the concentration of heavy metals such as cooper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn), and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in contaminated soils. The experimental processes consisted of deciding on the washing solution, washing time, and dilution ratio for contaminated soils. A dissolution analysis of heavy metals was then performed by the addition of surfactant, based on the results of the decision experiments, and the injection processes of microbes and hydrogen peroxide were selected. The experimental results revealed that reduction effects in contaminated soils under the experimental conditions were most efficient with hydrochloric acid 0.1 mole, washing time 1 hour, and dilution ratio 1:3, individually. Additional reduction effects for heavy metals and TPH were found with the addition of a washing solution of 1% of surfactant. The addition of microbes and hydrogen peroxide caused a reduction in TPH concentration.

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.35-42
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• 1996

Seawater samples were collected from P'ohang coastal area during April 1995 - January 1996. The distribution of total heterotrophic bacteria and crude oil-degrading bacteria (CDB) were studied. In addition, biodegradation of crude oil was investigated through mono and mixed culture. The heterotrophic bacterial distribution was in the range of 4.1 $\times$ $10^4$- 1.2 $\times$ $10^5$ CFU/$m\ell$, respectively. The percent of crude oil-degrading bacteria against total heterotrophic bacteria was 0.05-0.54% which was lower than other marine samples reported. Therefore it could be suggested that the distribution of crude oil-degrading bacteria in the seawater of P'ohang coastal area was highly affected by presence of petroleum hydrocarbon. Taxonomical characteristics of 26 isolates were investigated. The results of identification were showed 7 genera which were Acinetobacter spp., Bacillus spp., Citrobacter spp., Micrococcus spp., Moraxella spp., Rhodococcus spp., and Serratia spp. Appearance of Enterobacteriaceae indicated that the seawater was polluted with wastewater. Also genus of Bacillus had predominant in CDB on P'ohang coastal area. In flask culture, biodegradation of crude oil was enhanced by addition of mixed culture of CDB.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.551-561
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• 2007

This case study is about the sampling and interpretation of soil pore water in order to understand and to predict the diffusion and behavior of soil pollution. For the measurement of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs) in two representative hydrocarbon-contaminated sites, the extraction system of the soil pore water was set up with respect to soil depths and the behavior of contaminants was interpreted. The soil solution extraction system consisted of peristaltic pump, and extraction and sampling compartment, and can measure simultaneously the soil water pressure. The concentration of PAHs with respect to extraction pressure and time decreased due to dilution through soil pore water. Particularly, the concentration of PAHs was more reduced under the unsaturated oxic condition than saturated anoxic condition. Therefore, the soil solution extraction with respect to soil water pressure can interpret the extent of equilibrium between porewater and soil surface.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.335-339
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• 2010

A diesel-degrading bacterium, Gordonia sp. SD8, was isolated from soil contaminated with petroleum, and its diesel degradation was characterized in a soil as well as a liquid culture system. SD8 could grow in the mineral salt medium supplemented with diesel as a sole carbon and energy source. The maximum specific growth rate ($0.67{\pm}0.05\;d^{-1}$) and diesel degradation rate ($1,727{\pm}145$ mg-TPH $L^{-1}\;d^{-1}$) of SD8 showed at 20,000 mg-TPH $L^{-1}$ and $30^{\circ}C$, and then this bacterium could degrade high strength of diesel of 40,000 mg-TPH $L^{-1}$. The residual diesel concentration in the inoculated soil with SD8 was 3,724 mg-TPH kg-dry $soil^{-1}$ after 17 days, whereas the diesel concentration in the non-inoculated soil was $8,150{\pm}755$ mg-TPH kg-dry $soil^{-1}$. These results indicate that Gordonia sp. SD8 can serve as a promising microbial resource for the bioremediaion of contaminated soil with petroleum hydrocarbons including diesel.