• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.122-130
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• 2004

Crude oil is complex mixture of thousands of different organic compound formed from a variety of organic materials that are chemically converted under differing geological conditions over long periods of time. Also oil composition varies according to crude source, refining, processing, handling and storage. The oil fingerprint method is application of specific knowledge of petrochemicals and use of sophisticated analytical equipment and techniques to identify the source(s) of oil pollution. KNMPA currently utilizes three primary analytical techniques: Gas Chromatography (GC), Fluorescence Spectroscopy(FL) and Infrared Spectroscopy(IR). Of all these techniques, GC technique are most widely used. Gas Chromatography is used as a primary analytical method because high reliableness, high separating efficiency and repeatability, but it is timeconsumable. The study results of identification of waterborne spilled oil by Fast Gas Chromatograph method showed that analytical time is cut down to 30minutes in comparison with packed column method and chromatograms represent high resolution and high repeatability.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.2 s.183
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• pp.141-151
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• 2007

This study was focused on iron removal from illite by L-ascorbic and oxalic acids. Iron has been shown as a secondary mineral such as iron oxides and hydroxides in illite ores. It is also known as a primary agent to degrade brightness index of the ores. Methods such as physical separation and chemical leaching with strong inorganic acids have been widely used to remove the iron from the ores. However, these methods are expensive and give rise to environmental problems. In this study, we examined an alternative method using solutions with different set of combination of sulfuric, hydrochloric, L-ascorbic, and oxalic acids. Compared to chemical treatments with only inorganic acids, our results demonstrate that an addition of L-ascorbic acid in inorganic acids results in decreasing both total concentrations of the inorganic acids and time for the treatments. The treatment with 0.15 M L-ascorbic acid and 0.25 M sulfuric acid in solution for 60 min significantly improved the brightness index from 42.4% to 74.4%. This improvement is similar to that of treatment with only 2.5 M sulfuric acid alone for 150 min. Mineralogical and chemical analyses were performed to compare the effect of acid leaching on illite powders. No obvious differences are observed in the mineralogical characteristics and particle size distributions of the samples. These results suggest that the treatment with the addition of L-ascorbic acid in sulfuric acid could effectively remove iron without modifying the physicochemical properties of illite under conditions used in this study.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.61-69
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• 2014

As we are trying to in-situ treat (purify or immobilize) heavy metals or radionuclides in groundwater, one of the geochemical factors to be necessarily considered is the value of oxidation/reduction potential (ORP) of the groundwater. A biogeochemical impact on the characteristic ORP change of groundwater taken from the KAERI underground was observed as a function of time by adding electron-donor (lactate), electron-acceptor (sulfate), and indigenous bacteria in a laboratory condition. There was a slight increase of Eh (slow oxidation) of the pure groundwater with time under a $N_2$-filled glove-box. However, most of groundwaters that contained lactate, sulfate or bacteria showed Eh decrease (reduction) characteristics. In particular, when 'Baculatum', a local indigenous sulfate-reducing bacterium, was injected into the KAERI groundwater, it turned to become a highly-reduced one having a decreased Eh to around -500 mV. Although the sulfate-reducing bacterium thus has much greater ability to reduce groundwater than other metal-reducing bacteria, it surely necessitated some dissolved ferrous-sulfate and finally generated sulfide minerals (e.g., mackinawite), which made a prediction for subsequent reactions difficult. As a result, the ORP of groundwater was largely affected even by a slight injection of nutrient without bacteria, indicating that oxidation state, solubility and sorption characteristics of dissolved contaminants, which are affected by the ORP, could be changed and controlled through in-situ biostimulation method.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.295-303
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• 2012

Based on the data observed and analyzed on a groundwater flow system in the KURT (KAERI Underground Research Tunnel) site, the transport of radionuclides, which were assumed to be released at the supposed position, was calculated on the time-domain. A groundwater pathway from the release position to the surface was identified by simulating the groundwater flow model with the hydrogeological characteristics measured from the field tests in the KURT site. The elapsed time when the radionuclides moved through the pathway is evaluated using TDRW (Time Domain Random Walk) method for simulating the transport on the time-domain. Some retention mechanisms, such as radioactive decay, equilibrium sorption, and matrix diffusion, as well as the advection-dispersion were selected as the factors to influence on the elapsed time. From the simulation results, the effects of the sorption and matrix diffusion, determined by the properties of the radionuclides and underground media, on the transport of the radionuclides were analyzed and a decay chain of the radionuclides was also examined. The radionuclide ratio of the mass discharge into the surface environment to the mass released from the supposed repository did not exceed $10^{-3}$, and it decreased when the matrix diffusion were considered. The method used in this study could be used in preparing the data on radionuclide transport for a safety assessment of a geological disposal facility because the method could evaluate the travel time of the radionuclides considering the transport retention mechanism.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.239-247
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• 2014

The (U-Th)/He dating utilizes the production of alpha particles ($^4He$ atoms) during natural radioactive decays of $^{238}U$, $^{235}U$ and $^{232}Th$. (U-Th)/He age can be determined from the abundances of the parent nuclides $^{238}U$, $^{235}U$ and $^{232}Th$ and the radiogenic $^4He$. Because helium is one of the noble gases (non-reactive) with a relatively small radius, it diffuses rapidly in many geological materials, even at low temperatures. Therefore, ingrowth of $^4He$ during radioactive decay competes with diffusive loss at elevated temperatures during the geologic time scale, determining the amount of $^4He$ existing today in natural samples. For example, He diffusion in apatite is known to be very rapid compared to that in most other minerals, causing a significant diffusive loss at ${\sim}80^{\circ}C$ or higher. At ${\sim}40^{\circ}C$, He diffusion in apatite becomes slow enough to preserve most $^4He$ in the sample. Thus, an apatite's (U-Th)/He age represents the timing when the sample passed through the temperature range of $80-40^{\circ}C$. The crustal depth corresponding to this temperature range is called a "partial retention zone." Normal closure temperatures for a typical grain size and cooling rate are ${\sim}60-70^{\circ}C$ for apatite and ${\sim}200^{\circ}C$ for zircon and titanite. Because the apatite He closure temperature is lower than that of most other thermochronometers, it can provide critical constraints on relatively recent or shallow-crustal exhumation histories.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.81-87
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• 2009

Purpose : We sought to evaluate enhancement of plaque with gadolinium-based contrast agent by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in comparison with histopathology, namely lipid-rich and macrophage-rich components that were two representative characteristics of plaque vulnerability using atherosclerotic rabbit aorta in order to determine which histopathologic component is relevant to the enhancement. Materials and Methods : New Zealand white rabbit (n=4, weight 3.0 to 3.5 kg, all male) was used for animal model of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerotic aortic lesions were induced by high-cholesterol diet and double balloon injury. T1-weight axial images were acquired before and after gadolinium-based contrast agent using a 3-T MRI. MR images and the matched histopathological sections (n=35) were divided into 4 quadrants or 3 (n=130). Enhancement ratio (ER, ER=SIpost/SIpre) on MRI was calculated for each quadrant and compared with histopathology in regard to lipid-rich and macrophage-rich areas. Results : Lipid-rich quadrants were 72 and fibrous quadrants were 58. The number of quadrants which had macrophage-rich areas was 105 and that of quadrants which did not have macrophage-rich areas was 25. ER was significantly higher in lipid-rich quadrants than in fibrous quadrants (mean ER 2.25c$\pm$0.41 vs. 2.72$\pm$0.65, p=0.013). ER poorly correlated with macrophage-rich areas when lipid-component was controlled (correlation coefficient -0.203, p=0.236). Conclusion : Lipid-rich plaques showed stronger enhancement than fibrous plaques using a standard gadolinium-based extracellular contrast agent. Macrophage infiltration did not correlate with degree of enhancement. Further study is warranted that account for optimal time of imaging after contrast injection using various plaque models from early to advanced stages and all possible parameters associated with contrast enhancement.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.343-349
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• 2002

background: In an attempt to investigate the role of oxidants in the activation of phospholipase $A_2$(PLA$_2$) and endogenous oxidative stress in the lung. acute inflammatory lung injury was induced by the instillation of hydrogen peroxide into the trachea of Sprague-Dawley rats. Material and Method: To prove the hypothesis thats released oxidants from neutrophils activate the PLA$_2$ retrogradely, activities of PLA$_2$ and lysoplatelet activating factor acetyltransferase(lysoPAF AT) were assayed i hours after instillation of hydrogen peroxide. In addition, to confirm the impairing effects of the activation of PLA$_2$ associated with endogenous oxidative stress, lung weight/body weight ratio(L$\times$10$^{-3}$ B), protein contents(mg/two lungs) in bronchoalveolar lavage(BAL) were measured. As neutrophilic respiratory burst has been known to play a pivotal role in the genesis of endogenous oxidative stress associated with acute inflammatory lung injury, BAL neutrophils counts and level of lung myelperoxidase(MPO) were measured after hydorgen peroxide insult. Morphological and histochemical studies were also performed to identify the effect of the endogenous oxidative stress. Result: Five hours after hydrogen peroxide instillation, lungs showed marked infiltration of neutrophils and increased weight. Protein contents in BAL increased significantly compared to those of normal rats. PLA$_2$ activity was enhanced in the hydrogen peroxide instilled group. Interestingly, the accelerated production of platelet activating factor(PAF) was confirmed by the increased activity of lysoPAF AT in the $H_2O$$_2$ employed lung. Morphologically, light microscopic findings of lungs after instillation of hydrogen peroxide showed atelectasis and infiltration of inflammatory cells, which was thought to be caused by lipid mediators produced by PLA$_2$ activation. In cerium chloride cytochemical electron microscopy, dense deposits of cerrous perhydroxide were identified. In contrast, no deposit of cerrous perhydroxide was found in the normal lung.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.77-88
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• 2016

Chrysotile is a 1:1 sheet silicate mineral belonging to serpentine group. It has been highlighted studies because of uses, shapes and structural characteristics of the fibrous chrysotile. However, it was designated as Class 1 carcinogen, so high attentions were being placed on detoxification studies of chrysotile. The objectives of this study were to investigate changes of mineralogical characteristics of chrysotile and to suggest detoxification mechanism of chrysotile by thermal decomposition. Samples for this study were obtained from LAB Chrysotile mine in Canada. The samples were heated in air in the range of 600 to $1,300^{\circ}C$. Changes of mineralogical characteristics such as crystal structure, shape, and chemical composition of the chrysotile fibers were examined by TG-DTA, XRD, FT-IR, TEM-EDS and SEM-EDS analyses. As a result of thermal decomposition, the fibrous chrysotile having hollow tube structure was dehydroxylated at $600-650^{\circ}C$ and transformed to disordered chrysotile by removal of OH at the octahedral sheet (MgOH) (Dehydroxylation 1). Upon increasing temperature, it was transformed to forsterite ($Mg_2SiO_4$) at $820^{\circ}C$ by rearrangement of Mg, Si and O (Dehydroxylation 2). In addition, crystal structure of forsterite had begun to transform at $800^{\circ}C$, and gradually grown 3-dimensionally to enstatite ($MgSiO_3$) by recrystallization after the heating above $1,100^{\circ}C$. And then finally transformed to spherical minerals. This study showed chrysotile structure was collapsed about $600-700^{\circ}C$ by dehydroxylation. And then the fibrous chrysotile was transformed to forsterite and enstatite, as non-hazardous minerals. Therefore, this study indicates heat treatment can be used to detoxification of chrysotile.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.709-716
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• 2021

In this study, an adsorbent prepared by natural drying of iron hydroxide-based sludge collected from settling basin at a mine drainage treatment facility located in Gangneung, Gangwon-do was used to remove fluoride in an artificial fluoride solution and mine drainage, and the adsorption characteristics of the adsorbent were investigated. As a result of analyzing the chemical composition, mineralogical properties, and specific surface area of the adsorbent used in the experiment, iron oxide (Fe₂O₃) occupies 79.2 wt.% as the main constituent, and a peak related to calcite (CaCO₃) in the crystal structure analysis was analyzed. It was also identified that an irregular surface and a specific surface area of 216.78 m²·g^-1. In the indoor batch-type experiment, the effect of changes in reaction time, pH, initial fluoride concentration and temperature on the change in adsorption amount was analyzed. The adsorption of fluoride showed an adsorption amount of 3.85 mg·g^-1 16 hours after the start of the reaction, and the increase rate of the adsorption amount gradually decreased. Also, as the pH increased, the amount of fluoride adsorption decreased, and in particular, the amount of fluoride adsorption decreased rapidly around pH 5.5, the point of zero charge at which the surface charge of the adsorbent changes. Meanwhile, the results of the isotherm adsorption experiment were applied to the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm adsorption models to infer the fluoride adsorption mechanism of the used adsorbent. To understand the thermodynamic properties of the adsorbent using the Van't Hoff equation, thermodynamic constants 𝚫H° and 𝚫G° were calculated using the adsorption amount information obtained by increasing the temperature from 25℃ to 65℃ to determine the adsorption characteristics of the adsorbent. Finally, the adsorbent was applied to the mine drainage having a fluoride concentration of about 12.8 mg·L^-1, and the fluoride removal rate was about 50%.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.777-785
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• 1997

This study was conducted to clarify the hydrological characteristics of subsurface flow through a soil matrix and macropores. The research facility was set up in a 20m-1ong trench excavated down to bedrock at the base of a hillslope in the Panola catchment under USGS Georgia district. 13 macropores were found on the trench face and 6 major macropores were monitored. Matrix and macropore flow were measured during 95.5mm rainfall on March, 6 to 7. 1996. Macropore flow had great influence on formation of peak flow because the delivery time to Peak flow of macropore flow were faster about 10hrs than those of matrix flow. Matrix flow continued to recess for 3 days. On the other hand, macropore flow stopped within 12hrs after the event ceased. This means that matrix flow controls the recession part. The spatial variations of matrix and macropore flow between each trough and collector were very large by a wide range of 8,655.3 $\ell$ to 17.8 $\ell$ . The bed rock surface topography relates closer with the spatial variations of the flow than the surface one.