• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.345-355
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• 2017

This study was conducted to evaluate rice seed disinfection efficacy of loess-sulfur for the suppression of Bakanae disease caused by Fusarium fujikuroi. Rice seeds were treated at different concentrations of loess-sulfur, soaking time and temperature, and combination of hot-water treatment. Rice cultivar, Shindongjin harvested from Bakanae disease-infested area in 2015, was used. Loess-sulfur was treated as follows; concentration of undiluted solution, 2%, 1% and 0.5%; soaking time of 24 and 48 hours; treatment temperature of $20^{\circ}C$ and $30^{\circ}C$; hot water treatment or not. Optimal conditions of rice seed disinfection were selected soaking time of 48 hours and the suspension of 0.5% and 1% loess-sulfur by investigating seed germination and isolation frequency of Fusarium spp. on Komada agar medium in vitro, and were established 3 disinfection conditions as hot water ($60^{\circ}C$, 10 min.) + 1% loess-sulfur ($20^{\circ}C$, 48 hours), 1% loess-sulfur only ($30^{\circ}C$, 48 hours) and 1% loess-sulfur only ($20^{\circ}C$, 48 hours) through additional test in greenhouse. Above 3 conditions were verified by rice seedling box and paddy field test in the way of investigating Bakanae diseased plants (%) and healthy plants (%). Consequently, most effective rice seed disinfection conditions on Bakanae disease were combination of hot water and 1% loess-sulfur and loess-sulfur only at $30^{\circ}C$. Furthermore, treatments with these conditions showed control value of 100% were maintained from seedling to the heading stage in the field. However, treatment of 1% loess-sulfur only at $20^{\circ}C$ showed low control value of 78.2% in paddy field. Hot water only treatment turned out to be an effective disinfection method when conducted thoroughly with $60^{\circ}C$, 10 min. However, it was thought additional soaking process with loess-sulfur after hot water treatment served more high control effect against Bakanae disease when rice seeds were disinfected on a large scale. This results expected rice seed disinfection with loess-sulfur were effectively and easily usable method if farmers had only one of either hot water-disinfector or seed-disinfector. In addition, loess-sulfur is well-known to farmers, simple to manufacture method and cheap.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.303-311
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• 2017

The laboratory scale experiment was performed to evaluate the sealing capacity of the capping rock such as tuff and mudstone, measuring the intial supercritical $CO_2$ ($scCO_2$) injection pressure and the $scCO_2$-water-rock reaction for 90 days. The drilling cores sampled from 800 m in depth around the Janggi basin, Korea were used for the experiment. The mineralogical changes of mudstone and tuff were measured to evaluate the geochemical stability during the $scCO_2$-water-rock reaction at $CO_2$ storage condition (100 bar and $50^{\circ}C$). The rock core was fixed in the high pressurized stainless steel cell and was saturated with distilled water at 100 bar of pore water pressure. The effluent of the cell was connected to the large tank filled with 3 L of water and 2 L of $scCO_2$ at 100 bar, simulating the subsurface injection condition. The $scCO_2$ injection pressure, which was higher than 100 bar, was controlled at the influent port of the cell until the $scCO_2$ begin to penetrate into the rock and the initial injection pressure (> 100 bar) of $scCO_2$ into the rock was measured for each rock. The mineralogical compositions of mudstones after 90 days reaction were similar to those before the reaction, suggesting that the mudstone in the Janggi basin has remained relatively stable for the $scCO_2$ involved geochemical reaction. The initial $scCO_2$ injection pressure (${\Delta}P$) of a tuff in the Janggi basin was 15 bar and the continuous $scCO_2$ injection into the tuff core occurred at higher than 20 bar of injection pressure. For the mudstone in the Janggi basin, the initial $scCO_2$ injection pressure was higher than 150 bar (10 times higher than that of the tuff). From the results, the mudstone in Janggi basin was more suitable than the tuff to shield the $scCO_2$ leakage from the reservoir rock at subsurface.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.257-266
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• 2017

Batch experiments were performed to develop the method for the pH reduction of recycled aggregate by using $scCO_2$ (supercritical $CO_2$), maintaining the pH of extraction water below 9.8. Three different aggregate types from a domestic company were used for the $scCO_2$-water-recycled aggregate reaction to investigate the low pH maintenance of aggregate during the reaction. Thirty five gram of recycled aggregate sample was mixed with 70 mL of distilled water in a Teflon beaker, which was fixed in a high pressurized stainless steel cell (150 mL of capacity). The inside of the cell was pressurized to 100 bar and each cell was located in an oven at $50^{\circ}C$ for 50 days and the pH and ion concentrations of water in the cell were measured at a different reaction time interval. The XRD and SEM-EDS analyses for the aggregate before and after the reaction were performed to identify the mineralogical change during the reaction. The extraction experiment for the aggregate was also conducted to investigate the pH change of extracted water by the $scCO_2$ treatment. The pH of the recycled aggregate without the $scCO_2$ treatment maintained over 12, but its pH dramatically decreased to below 7 after 1 hour reaction and maintained below 8 for 50 day reaction. Concentration of $Ca^{2+}$, $Si^{4+}$, $Mg^{2+}$ and $Na^+$ increased in water due to the $scCO_2$-water-recycled aggregate reaction and lots of secondary precipitates such as calcite, amorphous silicate, and hydroxide minerals were found by XRD and SEM-EDS analyses. The pH of extracted water from the recycled aggregates without the $scCO_2$ treatment maintained over 12, but the pH of extracted water with the $scCO_2$ treatment kept below 9 of pH for both of 50 day and 1 day treatment, suggesting that the recycled aggregate with the $scCO_2$ treatment can be reused in real construction sites.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.218-231
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• 2012

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the physico-chemical water quality, trophic and tolerance guilds in the control ($C_o$) and impacted streams of the abandoned mine, along with the ecological health, using a multimetric health model and physical habitat conditions of Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI), during the period of three years, 2005~2007. Also, eco-toxicity ($EE_t$) enclosure tests were conducted to examine the toxic effects on the outflows from the mine wastewater, using the sentinel species of Rhynchocypris oxycephalus, and we compared the biological responses of the control ($C_o$) and treatment (T) to the effluents through a Necropybased Health Assessment Index ($N_b$-HAI). Tissue impact analysis of the spleen, kidney, gill, liver, eyes, and fins were conducted in the controlled enclosure experiments (10 individuals). According to the comparisons of the control ($C_o$) vs. the treatment (T) in physicochemical water quality, outflows from the abandoned mine resulted in low pH of 3.2, strong acid wastewater, high ionic concentrations, based on an electrical conductivity, and high total dissolved solid (TDS). Physical habitat assessments, based on Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) did not show any statistical differences (p>0.05) in the sampling sites, whereas, the $M_m$-EH model values in a multimetric ecological health ($M_m$-EH) model of the Index of Biological Integrity (IBI), using fish assemblages, were 16~20 (fair condition) in the control and all zero (0, poor condition) in the impacted sites of mine wastewater. In addition, in enclosure eco-toxicity ($EE_t$) tests, the model values of $N_b$-HAI ranged between 0 and 3 in the controls during the three years, indicating an excellent~good condition (Ex~G), and were >100 (range: 100~137) in the impacted sites, which indicates a poor condition (P). Under the circumstances, organ tissues, such as the liver, kidney, and gills were largely impaired, so that efficient water quality managements are required in the outflow area of the abandoned mine watershed.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.31-41
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• 2011

To optimize the natural chemical agents against nuisance phytoplankton, we examined algal removal activity (ABA) of Plant-Mineral Composite (PMC), which already developed by our teams (Kim et al., 2010), on various conditions. The PMC are consisted of extracted-mixtures with indigenous plants (Camellia sinensis, Quercusacutissima and Castanea crenata) and minerals (Loess, Quartz porphyry, and natural zeolite), and characterized by coagulation and floating of low-density suspended solids. A simple extraction process was adopted, such as drying and grinding of raw material, water-extraction by high temperature-sonication and filtering. All tests were performed in 3 L plastic chambers varying conditions; six different concentrations ($0{\sim}1.0\;mL\;L^{-1}$), six light intensities ($8{\sim}1,400\;{\mu}mol\;m^{-2}s^{-1}$), three temperatures ($10{\sim}30^{\circ}C$), four pHs (7~10), five water depths (10~50 cm), and three different waters dominated by cyanobacteria, diatom, and green algae, respectively. Results indicate that the highest ABA of PMC was seen at $0.05\;mL\;L^{-1}$ in treatment concentrations, where showed a reduction of more than 80% of control phytoplankton biomass, while $1,400\;{\mu}mol\;m^{-2}s^{-1}$ in light intensity (>90%), $20{\sim}30^{\circ}C$ temperature (>60%), 7~9 in pH (>90%), below 50 cm in water depth (>90%), and cyanobacterial dominating waters (>80%), respectively. Over the test, ABA of PMC were more obvious on the algal biomass (chlorophyll-${\alpha}$) than suspended solids, suggesting a selectivity of PMC to particle size or natures. These results suggest that PMC agents can play an important role as natural agents to remove the nuisant algal aggregates or seston of eutrophic lake, where occur cyanobacterial bloom in a shallow shore of lake during warm season.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.41 no.spc
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• pp.86-92
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• 2008

This study was conducted to determine removal effect on phytoplankton (chlorophyll-${\alpha}$ as whole algae) and cyanobacteria by a fish Pseudorasbora parva and macroinvertebrate Palaemon paucidens in September 2006. Three treatments with 25 (T1), 50 (T2) and 100 (T3) individuals along with control (C1, no input fish), and two treatments with 25 (T4) and 50 (T5) individuals along with control (C1) were made for fish and macroinvertebrate, respectively. The initial concentrations of chlorophyll-${\alpha}$ $(Chl_i)$ in each 10L test tank were set up for the levels of $95{\sim}100{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$ and the daily values were monitored in the test tank during 7 days. In the lab tests, P. parva did not show Chl-${alpha}$ removal effect; the removal rate of Chl-${alpha}$ for P. parva was -58% in T1, -56% in T2, and 61% in T3 during the test period. In contrast, P. paucidens. in the treatments of T4 and T5 removed the phytoplankton effectively and the removal effect were appeared to be 33% and 22%, respectively. Also, P. paucidens showed high feeding efficiency in the removal of cyanobacteria. The levels of cyanobacteria were greatly lowed from 6,048 to 927 cells $mL^{-1}$ in T4 and from 6,539 to 1,053 cells $mL^{-1}$ in T5, resulting in 85% and 84% in the removal effect, respectively. Our results for biomanipulation tests suggest that P. paucidens may be used as a potential candidate organism for algae control in spite of the preliminary results by laboratory tests.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.79-95
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• 2017

Euiam and Paldang Reservoirs have often been facing water quality problems, such as eutrophication, algal blooms and off-flavors by treated wastewater effluent (TWE) in the North-Han and the Han River basins, but little is examined on the direct biological effect of TWE. This study tested algal growth potential (AGP) of four TWEs discharged into Euiam and Paldang Reservoirs to evaluate water fertility in September 2014 and March and September 2015. Test alga was used Anabaena circinalis isolated from Paldang Reservoir. Mean concentration of T-N and T-P in TWEs was $3,956.7{\mu}g\;N\;L^{-1}$ and $50.8{\mu}g\;P\;L^{-1}$, and the proportion of $NO_3-N$ and $PO_4-P$ to the total fraction was 72.1% and 40.8%, respectively. Both N and P were high in TWEs, but much higher N than P concentration indicates strong P-limitation. As a consequence, the maximum AGP was determined by $PO_4-P$ concentration (r=0.998, p<0.01). Mean AGP value was $15.4mg\;dw\;L^{-1}$ among four effluents indicating its eutrophic condition. Due to the establishment of tertiary (advanced T-P) treatment method in the studied plants recently, P concentration was significantly decreased in TWEs compared to the years prior to 2012. However, P concentration seems to be still high enough to cause eutrophication and algal blooms. Therefore, wastewater treatment to P-free level needs to be considered if effluents are directly discharged into the drinking water resources.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2017

Daecheong Reservoir was made by the construction of a large dam (>15 m in height) on the middle to downstream of the Geum River and the discharge systems have the watergate-spillway (WS), a hydropower penstock (HPP), and two intake towers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the limnological anomalies of turbid water reduction, green algae phenomenon, and oligotrophic state in the lower part of reservoir dam site, and compared with hydro-meteorological factors. Field surveys were conducted in two stations of near dam and the outlet of HPP with one week intervals from January to December 2000. Rainfall was closely related to the fluctuations of inflow, outflow and water level. The rainfall pattern was depended on the storm of monsoon and typhoon, and the increase of discharge and turbidity responded more strongly to the intensity than the frequency. Water temperature and DO fluctuations within the reservoir water layer were influenced by meteorological and hydrological events, and these were mainly caused by water level fluctuation based on temperature stratification, density current and discharge types. The discharges of WS and HPP induced to the flow of water bodies and the outflows of turbid water and nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, respectively. Especially, when hypoxic or low-oxygen condition was present in the bottom water, the discharge through HPP has contributed significantly to the outflow of phosphorus released from the sediment into the downstream of dam. In addition, HPP effluent which be continuously operated throughout the year, was the main factor that could change to a low trophic level in the downreservoir (lacustrine zone). And water-bloom (green-tide) occurring in the lower part of reservoir was the result that the water body of upreservoir being transported and diffused toward the downreseroir, when discharging through the WS. Finally, the hydropower effluent was included the importance and dynamics that could have a temporal and spatial impacts on the physical, chemical and biological factors of the reservoir ecosystem.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.51-57
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• 2018

Purpose: End-of-life (EoL) decisions are challenging and multifaceted for patients and physicians. This study was aimed to explore how EoL care is practiced for patients with a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed medical records of patients who died after agreeing to a DNR order in 2016 at a university hospital. Characteristics including cause of death, intensity of EoL care, and other factors were reviewed and statistically analyzed. Results: Of total 375 patients, 170 patients (45.3%) died with malignancies, and 205 patients (54.6%) with other causes involving the central nervous system (19.2%), pulmonary (14.7%), cardiologic (6.7%) and infectious (6.4%) conditions. Both the cancer and non-cancer patient groups showed a short duration from DNR to death (median 3 days vs 2 days, P=0.629). An intensive care group comprising patients who received one or more intensive treatments such as ventilator (n=205) showed a higher number of non-cancer patients and a shorter duration from DNR to death than a group that withheld treatment before DNR (P<0.05). Conclusion: EoL decisions were made very late by both cancer and non-cancer patients. About half of the patients did not have cancer, and two-thirds of them decided DNR during intensive treatment. To make a good EoL decision, a shared decision making with patients should be done at an earlier stage.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.341-352
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• 2017

Along with Cs-137 (half-life: 30.17 years), Sr-90 (half-life: 28.8 years) is one of the most important environmental monitoring radioactive elements. Rapid and easy monitoring method for Sr-90 using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) has been studied. Strontium belongs to a bivalent alkaline earth metal such as calcium and has similar electron arrangement and size. Due to these similar chemical properties, it can easily enter into the human body through the food chain via water, soil, and crops when leaked into the environment. In addition, it is immersed into the bone at the case of human influx and causes the toxicity for a long time (biological half-life: about 50 years). It is a very reductive and related with the specific reaction that makes wet analysis difficult. In particular, radioactive strontium should be monitored by nuclear power plants but it is very difficult to be analysed from high-cost problems as well as low accuracy of analysis due to complicated analysis procedures, expensive analysis equipment, and a pretreatment process of using massive chemicals. Therefore, we introduce the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) analysis method that analyzes the elements in the sample using the inherent spectrum by generating plasma on the sample using pulse energy, and it can be analyzed in a few seconds without preprocessing. A variety of analytical plates for samples were developed to improve the analytical sensitivity by optimizing the laser, wavelength, and time resolution. This can be effectively applied to real-time monitoring of radioactive wastewater discharged from a nuclear power plant, and furthermore, it can be applied as an emergency monitoring means such as possible future accidents at a nuclear power plants.