• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.285-293
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• 2017

The effects of sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) on the corrosion and scaling of the Q235 carbon steel has been investigated in the simulated sewage water and oil field gathering pipelines production water, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry (EDS), and three-dimensional stereoscopic microscope. Results indicated that the concentration of SRB reached the maximum value on the ninth day in simulated sewage water with a large amount of scaling on the surface of specimen. In oil field gathering pipelines, a large amount of scaling and mineralization of mineral salts and thick deposition of extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) layers were also observed on the surface of specimen. The thickness of biofilm was about $245{\mu}m$ within 30 days. After adding microbicides, the thickness of corrosion products film was only up to $48-106{\mu}m$ within 30 days, suggesting that SRB could induce biomineralization. Under-deposit corrosion morphology was uniform in the absence of microbicides while local corrosion was observed in the presence of microbicides.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.75-81
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• 2018

At present research on mining backfill materials is being carried out to prevent ground subsidence and breaking by underground cavern of exhausted mines. However, backfill materials can cause secondary environmental issues such as ground pollution. To solve these issues, liner and cover materials are constructed before backfill materials constructed, to inhibit toxic substances form moving to the surroundings. Liner and cover materials, however, should have an accelerating performance after construction and when the accelerating performance is degraded, the work efficiency can be lowered, and the construction cost can be increased, by many rebound content. Therefore, this study develops mining liner and cover materials, and evaluates their accelerating performance and physical properties of liner and cover materials by types and content of accelerating agent. In case of aluminate accelerating agent, it is mixed with more than 5% of liner and cover materials(binder/ratio); thus an accelerating performance satisfying Korean Industrial Standards(KS) occurs, and in case of alkali-free accelerating agent, when it is mixed with more than 7%(binder/ratio), accelerating performance satisfying KS occurs. The more the accelerating agent capacity increases, the more compressive strength decreases. In addition, it is confirmed that compressive strength of aluminate accelerating agent is more degraded than compressive strength of the alkali-free accelerating agent. It is also confirmed that drying shrinkage stability of the alkali-free accelerating agent is better than the drying shrinkage stability of the aluminate accelerating agent.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 2010

Methylene blue (MB) was degraded by $TiO_2$ and ZnO deposited on an activated carbon fiber (ACF) surface under UV light. The ACF/$TiO_2$ and ACF/ZnO composites were characterized by BET, SEM, XRD, and EDX. The BET surface area was related to the adsorption capacity for composites. The SEM results showed that titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are distributed on the ACF surface. The XRD results showed that the ACF/$TiO_2$ and ACF/ZnO composites contained a unique anatase structure for $TiO_2$ and a typical hexagonal phase for ZnO respectively. These EDX spectra showed the presence of peaks of Ti element on ACF/$TiO_2$ composite and peaks of Zn element on the ACF/ZnO composite. The blank experiments for either illuminating the MB solution or the suspension containing ACF/$TiO_2$ or ACF/ZnO in the dark showed that both illumination and the catalyst were necessary for the mineralization of organic dye. Additionally, the ACF/$TiO_2$ composites proved to be efficient photocatalysts due to degradation of MB at higher reaction rates. The addition of an oxidant $([NH_4]_2S_2O_8)$ led to an increase of the degradation rate of MB for ACF/$TiO_2$ and ACF/ZnO composites.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.335-340
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• 2018

Hemoglobin (Hb) is a member of heme-protein that can perform catalytic non-specific chain reaction in the presence of hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$). Catalytic ability of Hb to degrade pyrene was demonstrated using soil contaminated with $^{14}C$ pyrene and 10 mg pyrene /kg soil. The composition of soil was similar to previously used soil except that it had lower organic carbon content. Bench scale laboratory tests were conducted in the presence of buffer only, $H_2O_2$ only, or Hb with $H_2O_2$ for 24 h. After 24 h reaction, 0.1 and 1.3% of $^{14}C$ pyrene in contaminated soil were mineralized with $H_2O_2$ only or Hb plus $H_2O_2$. No mineralization to $^{14}CO_2$ was detected with buffer only. Approximately 12.2% of pyrene was degraded in the presence of $H_2O_2$ only while 44.0% of pyrene was degraded in the presence of Hb plus $H_2O_2$ during 24 h of catalytic reaction. When degradation intermediate products were examined, two chemicals were observed in the presence of $H_2O_2$ only while 25 chemicals were found in the presence of Hb plus $H_2O_2$. While most degradation products were simple hydrocarbons, four of the 27 chemicals had aromatic rings. However, none of these four chemicals was structurally related to pyrene. These results suggest that Hb catalytic system could be used to treat pyrene-contaminated soil as an efficient and speedy remediation technology. In addition, intermediate products generated by this system are not greatly affected by composition change in soil organic matter content.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.460-469
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• 2019

Bacterial ${\alpha}-type$ carbonic anhydrase (${\alpha}-CA$) is a zinc metalloenzyme that catalyzes the reversible and extremely rapid interconversion of carbon dioxide to bicarbonate. In this study, we report the first crystal structure of a hyperthermostable ${\alpha}-CA$ from Persephonella marina EX-H1 (pmCA) in the absence and presence of competitive inhibitor, acetazolamide. The structure reveals a compactly folded pmCA homodimer in which each monomer consists of a 10-stranded ${\beta}-sheet$ in the center. The catalytic zinc ion is coordinated by three highly conserved histidine residues with an exchangeable fourth ligand (a water molecule, a bicarbonate anion, or the sulfonamide group of acetazolamide). Together with an intramolecular disulfide bond, extensive interfacial networks of hydrogen bonds, ionic and hydrophobic interactions stabilize the dimeric structure and are likely responsible for the high thermal stability. We also identified novel binding sites for calcium ions at the crystallographic interface, which serve as molecular glue linking negatively charged and otherwise repulsive surfaces. Furthermore, this large negatively charged patch appears to further increase the thermostability at alkaline pH range via favorable charge-charge interactions between pmCA and solvent molecules. These findings may assist development of novel ${\alpha}-CAs$ with improved thermal and/or alkaline stability for applications such as $CO_2$ capture and sequestration.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.311-330
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• 2023

Development of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technique is becoming increasingly important as a method to mitigate the strengthening effects of global warming, generated from the unprecedented increase in released anthropogenic CO₂. In the recent years, the characteristics of basaltic rocks (i.e., large volume, high reactivity and surplus of cation components) have been recognized to be potentially favorable in facilitation of CCS; based on this, research on utilization of basaltic formations for underground CO₂ storage is currently ongoing in various fields. This study investigated the feasibility of underground storage of CO₂ in basalt, based on the examination of the CO₂ storage mechanisms in subsurface, assessment of basalt characteristics, and review of the global research on basaltic CO₂ storage. The global research examined were classified into experimental/modeling/field demonstration, based on the methods utilized. Experimental conditions used in research demonstrated temperatures ranging from 20 to 250 ℃, pressure ranging from 0.1 to 30 MPa, and the rock-fluid reaction time ranging from several hours to four years. Modeling research on basalt involved construction of models similar to the potential storage sites, with examination of changes in fluid dynamics and geochemical factors before and after CO₂-fluid injection. The investigation demonstrated that basalt has large potential for CO₂ storage, along with capacity for rapid mineralization reactions; these factors lessens the environmental constraints (i.e., temperature, pressure, and geological structures) generally required for CO₂ storage. The success of major field demonstration projects, the CarbFix project and the Wallula project, indicate that basalt is promising geological formation to facilitate CCS. However, usage of basalt as storage formation requires additional conditions which must be carefully considered - mineralization mechanism can vary significantly depending on factors such as the basalt composition and injection zone properties: for instance, precipitation of carbonate and silicate minerals can reduce the injectivity into the formation. In addition, there is a risk of polluting the subsurface environment due to the combination of pressure increase and induced rock-CO₂-fluid reactions upon injection. As dissolution of CO₂ into fluids is required prior to injection, monitoring techniques different from conventional methods are needed. Hence, in order to facilitate efficient and stable underground storage of CO₂ in basalt, it is necessary to select a suitable storage formation, accumulate various database of the field, and conduct systematic research utilizing experiments/modeling/field studies to develop comprehensive understanding of the potential storage site.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.285-290
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• 2008

Various methods (OECD 301B, ISO 9439 and ASTM 5864) for biodegradability test of lubricants were reviewed, and a standard procedure was developed. Most lubrication products are released in rivers or sea then is degraded by microbial action in aerobic condition. Most international method are based on $CO_2$ evolution test. Inoculum obtained from a sewage disposal plant and test compound are cultivated in a mineral medium. Organic carbon of the test compound is degraded and oxidized through the enzymatic actions of inoculum, and ultimately mineralized to carbon dioxide. Biodegradability test conditions of lubricant oils were optimized. The highest biodegradability was achieved when the same medium as in ASTM 5864 and inoculum concentration of $10^4{\sim}10^5$ cell/L were used. The optimum standard materials were selected as aniline and sodium acetate. Additionally the effects of inoculum type on microbial growth and biodegradability were examined. Finally the standard operating procedure (SOP) for biodegradability test method was proposed.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.174-179
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• 2006

Bacterium capable of using biphenyl as a sole source of carbon and energy were isolated from soil, and based on the results of 16S rDNA sequence, strain BK10 identified as a Sphingobium yanoiktiyae. The optimum cultural conditions were as follows; $NH_4NO_3$ 1g, $K_2HPO_4$ 1g, $MgSO_4{\cdot}7H_2O$ 0.5g, $CaCO_3$ 0.2 g per 1 liter of distilled water. The Sphingobium yanoikuyae BK10 strain was completely utilized biphenyl in mineral salt media containing biphenyl at concentration 500 $\mu$g/ml of biphenyl as a sole carbon and energy source within 48 hours. Optimumal pH and temperature for biphenyl degradation and cell growth of strains were 6.0$\sim$8.0 and 20$\sim$50$^{\circ}C$, respectively. Especially, at 30$^{\circ}C$, cell-growth were higher than other temperature. Cell grown on biphenyl has been shown to have a higher removal rate for biphenyl than grown on sucrose. This study shows that Sphingobium yanoikuyae BK10 strain had a high biodegradation capability of biphenyl and can be simulate a candidate compounds the bioremediation of PCBs (Polychlorinated biphenyl) contaminant soil and water.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.87-96
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• 2017

In this study, 4 gases containing typical chlorinated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were treated by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. The typical chlorinated VOCs are dichloromethane (DCM), trichloromethane (TCM), carbon tetrachloride (CTC) and trichloroethylene (TCE). The removal efficiency (RE) and the products of chlorinated VOCs by UV irradiation are investigated. At this time, 2 types of background gas (air and nitrogen) were used to figure out the RE by photooxidation and photolysis. The specification of UV-lamp used in this study was low-pressure mercury lamp emitting wavelength of 185~254 nm. The experimental conditions were set as initial VOC concentration of $180{\pm}10ppm$, empty bed retention time (EBRT) of 53 s, temperature of $23{\pm}2^{\circ}C$ and relative humidity of $65{\pm}5%$. In the photolysis condition with nitrogen ($N_2$) as background gas, the averaged RE of the 4 types of chlorinated VOCs was about 24% higher than that with photooxidation; and the REs of VOCs except CTC were confirmed as >99%. The composition of off-gases after UV photooxidation in air was investigated and several intermediates from DCM, TCM and TCE were detected by GC/MS. Among them, phosgene which is a toxics was detected as an intermediate of TCM. In addition, the concentration of carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) in the off-gases was measured to calculate the mineralization rate (MR). With the photooxidation, TCE showed the highest RE (>99%) while MR was the lowest (17%); and the MR of DCM was the highest (86%). In addition, particulate matters (PM) in the off-gases was also detected and high concentrated $PM_{10}$ ($21,580{\mu}g{\cdot}m^{-3}$) and $PM_{2.5}$ ($6,346{\mu}g{\cdot}m^{-3}$) were detected in TCE off-gas. More than 99% of the chlorinated VOCs could be removed using UV254-185 nm lamp, while it is necessary to conduct further studies on the production and treatment of secondary pollutants.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.27 no.10
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• pp.1052-1057
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• 2005

Recently, the ozone treatment of wasting activated sludge has become one of the effective and feasible process for the sludge reduction. The objective of this study is to investigate the availability of ozonized wasting sludge on external carbon sources 13r phosphorus release. Experiment results showed that the ozone treatment of activated sludge could produce a large amount of VFA such as acetic acid and isobutyric acid. For example, 50.24 mg/L acetic acid was produced with the ozone dose of 0.05 g $O_3/g$ SS, and 123.56 mg/L acetic acid with 0.5 g $O_3/g$ SS. The higher ozone dose was applied, the more VFA was produced from sludge reduction into a limited point. Finally, using ozonated sludge as only carbon source, the batch experiment, to measure phosphorus release rate in anaerobic condition were performed. The specific phosphorus release rates were investigated as 0.94, 1.37, 1.48, 1.68 mg P/g VSS/hr with ozone dose of 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5 g $O_3/g$ SS, respectively. Considering the degree of mineralization, VFA production, phosphorus release rate, and economical aspect, the optimal ozone dose for sludge reduction and using carbon sources ranged from 0.05 to 0.1 g $O_3/g$ SS.