• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.281-302
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• 2023

Carbon is not only an essential element for life but also a key player in climate change. The radiocarbon (¹⁴C) analysis using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) is a powerful tool not only to understand the carbon cycle but also to track pollutants derived from fossil carbon, which have a distinct radiocarbon isotope ratio (Δ¹⁴C). Many studies have reported Δ¹⁴C of carbon compounds in streams, rivers, rain, snow, throughfall, fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), and wastewater treatment plant effluents in South Korea, which are reviewed in this manuscript. In summary, (1) stream and river carbon in South Korea are largely derived from the chemical weathering of soils and rocks, and organic compounds in plants and soils, strongly influenced by precipitation, wastewater treatment effluents, agricultural land use, soil water, and groundwater. (2) Unprecedentedly high Δ¹⁴C of precipitation during winter has been reported, which can directly and indirectly influence stream and river carbon. Although we cannot exclude the possibility of local contamination sources of high Δ¹⁴C, the results suggest that stream dissolved organic carbon could be older than previously thought, warranting future studies. (3) The ¹⁴C analysis has also been applied to quantify the sources of forest throughfall and PM_2.5, providing new insights. The ¹⁴C data on a variety of ecosystems will be valuable not only to track the pollutants derived from fossil carbon but also to improve our understanding of climate change and provide solutions.

• 한국해양학회지
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.277-289
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• 1992

Kyeonggi Bay, a macrotidal coastal embayment in the Yellow Sea coast of central korea, is fringed by vastly developed tidal flats. About 400 surface sediment samples were collected from the intertidal and subtidal zones of Kyeonggi Bay for a study of the sediment distribution pattern and the surface sediment characteristics of this environment. The kyeonggi Bay surface sediment becomes progressively finer in the shoreward direction, from offshore sand to shoreward silty sand and sandy silt. This shoreward-fining trend is repeated again on the tidal flat and, as a consequence, a grain-size break occurs near the low-water line which separates the intertidal area from the subtidal one. The intertidal and subtidal sediments differ from each other in textural characteristics such as mean grain size and skewness and this can be interpreted to result from differences in hydraulic energy and morphology between the two environments. The mineral and chemical compositions of the Kyeonggi Bay sediments are largely controlled by the sediment grain size. Smectite was nearly absent in the clay mineral assemblage of Kyeonggi Bay sediment. The contents of Co, Cu and Ni were high in the Banweol tidal flat, which suggests a continuous process of accumulation of these metals. the intertidal environment appears to respond rapidly to artificial coastal modifications, the effects of which should be taken into consideration when planning a dam construction or coastal reclamation.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.329-338
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• 2013

The objective of this study is to investigate the contents and seasonal variation of arsenic in soils and crop plant(rice) in paddy fields around the abandoned metal mines in Korea. The soils were extracted by various methods including aqua regia, 1 M $MgCl_2$, 0.01 M $CaCl_2$ and 0.05 M EDTA to evaluate the relationships between soils and crop plants(rice). According to correlation analysis, statistically significant correlation with the four methods(p<0.01) were found in soils extracted by various chemical solutions and arsenic contents in soils were decreased in the order of 1M $MgCl_2$ > 0.01M $CaCl_2$ > 0.05 M EDTA. Biological accumulation coefficients(BACs) of rice stalks were higher than those of rice grain, and the coefficients under reducing(August) environment were higher than those under oxidizing conditions(October). Assuming the rice consumption of 315 g/day by farm households in Korea, the amount of daily intake of arsenic were estimated to be 77.8 ${\mu}g/day$. The daily intake of arsenic from the rice estimates up to 65% of ADI(acceptable daily intake) that the FAO/WHO Joint Food Additive and Contaminants Committee has set to evaluate their safeties.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.58 no.3
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• pp.267-276
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• 2014

The collection of $PM_{10}$ and $PM_{2.5}$ fine particulate matter samples was made at the 1100 m site of Mt. Halla of Jeju Island, located at the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) of background area, during the fall of 2012. Their ionic and elemental species were analyzed, in order to investigate the chemical compositions and size distribution characteristics. In $PM_{2.5}$ fine particles ($d_p$ < $2.5{\mu}m$), the concentrations of the secondary formed nss-$SO{_4}^{2-}$, $NH_4{^+}$ and $NO_3{^-}$ species were 4.84, 1.98, and $1.27{\mu}g/m^3$, respectively, showing 58.2% of the total $PM_{2.5}$ mass. On the other hand, their concentrations in $PM_{10-2.5}$ coarse particles (2.5 < $d_p$ < $10{\mu}m$) were 0.63, 0.21 and $1.10{\mu}g/m^3$, respectively, occupying 22.8% of the total $PM_{10-2.5}$ mass. The comparative study of size distribution has resulted that $NH_4{^+}$, nss-$SO{_4}^{2-}$, $K^+$ and $CH_3COO^-$ are mostly existed in fine particles, and $NO_3{^-}$ is distributed in both fine and coarse particles, but $Na^+$, $Cl^-$, $Mg^{2+}$ and nss-$Ca^{2+}$ are rich in coarse particle mode.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.493-502
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• 2013

This study investigates the design parameters for riverbed filtration (RBF) based on the geochemistry of river water and groundwater. The study area consists of alluvium, and the area is readily affected by non-point sources of chemical contaminants in the surface environment; this is expected to affect the design parameters for RBF. River and groundwater samples were collected at three points along the river flow and at nine points along a transect normal to the river, respectively. The geochemical data indicate that the sources of individual chemical contaminants are industrial facilities and agricultural activity near the study area. In addition, The samples are mainly Ca-Na-$HCO_3$, Ca-Cl, and Ca-$HCO_3$-Cl type waters. The design parameters of RBF in the study area should consider K, $HCO_3$, $NO_3$, and Cl. We divided the study area into three regions based on the concentrations of stable nitrogen isotopes: Region A, the origin of the river and denitrification; Region B, denitrification in the flow direction of tributaries; and Region C, the origin of natural soil, sewage, and anthropogenic pollution.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.105-115
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• 1982

Environmental samples contaminated with elemental sulfur(waters 22, sediments 20, crucian carps 19) collected from Soho Lake during the period of Sep. 1981 to Apr. 1982 were analyzed for polychlorinated biphenyls(PCBs) and organochlorine insecticides by GLC-ECD. Elemental sulfur was found to interfere in the residue analysis of environmental samples and the sulfur was eliminated, prior to analysis, with copper powder. PCBs residues in Soho lake were temporarily characterized as Aroclor 1254 and were analyzed at minimum detectable quantity of 0.04 ng by derivatizing PCBs to decachlorobiphenyl(DCB). PCBs were positively detected in all samples and its residue levels in waters, sediments, and crucian carps were $0.015{\sim}0.15$ ppb, $0.038{\sim}0.088$ ppm and 0.091 ppm, respectively. The residue levels of PCBs in all samples but sediments at central and outlet site of the lake were higher than those of total p,p'-DDT. The residue levels of PCBs in waters varied with inlets, i.e. those at right inlet site were three times of those at left inlet site. The main source of PCBs residues in the environmental samples of Soho Lake was not evident by present work.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.81-96
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• 2008

This study was performed to know about the characteristics of geochemicals of sampling sites in Suncheon bay. Salinity and parameters of water pollution as COD, DIN and DIP showed typical character of an estuary with its values higher at the end of estuary and gradually lowering at the up stream. The value of Excess DIN showed positive so the phosphorus appeared in a role as limiting nutrient. As quoted results of correlation analysis of SPSS and PCA, salinity was revealed as a main factor of control for water qualities at sampling sites in Suncheon bay. The Mz of wet lands and intertidal zone in Sun-cheon bay showed a variation of 6.74 to $8.52{\phi}$ and the sorting also to appeared poorly sorted to very poorly sorted. The fractional composition of phosphorus in phosphorus of sediments were high and appeared orderly as redisual-P> NAI-P> apatite-P> absorbed-P. The labile-Phosphorus showed high concentration then the other station. It means that phosphorus of these stations can easily move from the deposit to the water column than another station.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.231-240
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• 2002

Microbial metal reduction influences the biogeochemical cycles of carbon and metals as well as plays an important role in the bioremediation of metals, radionuclides, and organic contaminants. The use of bacteria to facilitate the production of magnetite nanoparticles and the formation of carbonate minerals may provide new biotechnological processes for material synthesis and carbon sequestration. Metal-reducing bacteria were isolated from a variety of extreme environments, such as deep terrestrial subsurface, deep marine sediments, water near Hydrothemal vents, and alkaline ponds. Metal-reducing bacteria isolated from diverse extreme environments were able to reduce Fe(III), Mn(IV), Cr(VI), Co(III), and U(VI) using short chain fatty acids and/or hydrogen as the electron donors. These bacteria exhibited diverse mineral precipitation capabilities including the formation of magnetite ($Fe_3$$O_4$), siderite ($FeCO_3$), calcite ($CaCO_3$), rhodochrosite ($MnCO_3$), vivianite [$Fe_3$($PO_4$)$_2$ .$8H_2$O], and uraninite ($UO_2$). Geochemical and environmental factors such as atmospheres, chemical milieu, and species of bacteria affected the extent of Fe(III)-reduction as well as the mineralogy and morphology of the crystalline iron mineral phases. Thermophilic bacteria use amorphous Fe(III)-oxyhydroxide plus metals (Co, Cr, Ni) as an electron acceptor and organic carbon as an electron donor to synthesize metal-substituted magnetite. Metal reducing bacteria were capable of $CO_2$conversion Into sparingly soluble carbonate minerals, such as siderite and calcite using amorphous Fe(III)-oxyhydroxide or metal-rich fly ash. These results indicate that microbial Fe(III)-reduction may not only play important roles in iron and carbon biogeochemistry in natural environments, but also be potentially useful f3r the synthesis of submicron-sized ferromagnetic materials.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.371-380
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• 2013

Though MBR process has many advantages, the greatest risk factors in operating MBR process are occurrence of membrane fouling and decrease of flux. It is very difficult to find exact mechanism due to complex influence by many effects, although there have been recently many studies of membrane fouling. The purposes of this study are firstly evaluating bioreactor of lab-scale and micro-filtration hollow fiber membrane, secondly investigating correlation between foulants affecting membrane performance and membrane fouling, and lastly evaluating various parameters affecting fouling and applicability of membrane fouling reducer. This study found that TMP was increasing rapidly and showed 0.32 bar and the average of flux was 88 LMH. EPS concentration tends not to change much above MLSS concentration (6,000 mg/L). However, EPS concentration variation is wide below MLSS concentration (6,000 mg/L). Also, from results of membrane surface condition and element analysis using SEM/EDX, carbon and fluorine were founded to be the highest percentage in membrane because of characteristics of membrane material. In operating continuously, inorganic fouling was generated by increase of these inorganic substances such as $Al^{3+}$ and $Mg^{2+}$. Lastly, the best filtration performance was obtained for 0.03 mg MFR/mg MLSS by results of particle size, zeta potential, $SCOD_{cr}$, EPS and MLSS concentration.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.88-93
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• 2001

To measure the levels of dioxins in food selling at local markets, meat was analyzed by high resolution gas chromatography/high resolution ass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS). The food samples were obtained from 5 large cities of Seoul, Chunchon, Daejon, Kwangju and Busan in Korea. All the samples were minced and extracted with Soxhlet extractor for 18 hours. After extraction, extracts were cleaned up by sulfuric acid impregnated silica gel, purified on a series of silica gel, alumina, carbon column chromatography and then analyzed by HRGC/HRMS. The contaminated levels were calculated as the TEQs by multiplying with the corresponding WHO-TEFs for each congeners. The overall recoveries were ranged from 80% to 153% and the limit of detection was about 0.01 ppt at S/N>3. The levels of PCDD/Fs for beef, pork and chicken were 0.018, 0.008 and <0.001 pgTEQ/g, respectively. In addition, the levels of non-ortho-co-planar PCBs for beef, pork and chicken were 0.008, 0.002 and 0.001 pgTEQ/g, respectively. Among food samples analyzed, chicken showed the lowest level of dioxin-like compounds. Regarding congener pattern, OCDD and PCB #77 were the highest contributing congeners.