• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.179-188
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• 2024

Objectives: The safety of distributed masks has been widely investigated following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Although the unpleasant odor from masks is concerning, research on the toxicity of volatile organic compounds emitted from them is limited. Here, we aimed to quantify the VOCs emitted from masks and explore strategies for safe mask usage. Methods: The VOCs emitted from 15 masks in five categories were measured. Proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PTR-TOF-MS, IONICON, Austria), which can rapidly and sensitively detect complex mixtures, was conducted. The test chamber connected to the equipment was comprised of uninterrupted acrylic and glass. PTR-TOF-MS data were analyzed using Tofware (PTR-MS Viewer 3.3, IONICON, Austria). Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS ver. 20 to determine the highest, lowest, and average concentrations of the VOCs (IBM SPSS Inc., USA). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to compare the VOCs emitted from different masks. Results: A total of 25 VOCs were detected among the 15 masks. The peak concentrations of formaldehyde, acrolein, isoprene, and benzene were higher than the exposure standards (Ceiling). The average concentrations of these compounds differed significantly among the mask samples (p < 0.05). The VOC concentration decreased gradually after approximately one hour. Conclusions: Higher concentrations of VOCs were emitted from healthy, printed, and surgical masks compared to industrial masks. Further research is required to determine the factors affecting VOCs, such as mask material, temperature, and humidity. For safety, masks must be ventilated for at least an hour before usage.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.108-115
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• 2012

Archaeological waterlogged woods found under the sea, in lakes, or in swamp environments are generally weak and fragile. If waterlogged wood materials were taken out of the water and left without modification, they would collapse and lose their original dimensions completely. Conservation is performed to replace the water with chemical agents and to give dimensional stabilization and durability. EDTA and PEG are the most commonly used in the preservation of wood. pH control-precipitation method is used for recovery of EDTA from waste fluid of archeological waterlogged wood conservation treatment. The black substance is eliminated from wood as Fe-EDTA complex are formed and EDTA is separated and precipitated from Fe-EDTA complexes at pH 2.68 or less. The result of analysis of the precipitated products and the commercial EDTA by FT-IR and FE-SEM showed that precipitated product by pH adjusted was not a type of Fe-EDTA complex, but pure EDTA. Waste fluid produced in PEG treatment shows the black color and has an offensive odor by organic matter extracted from wood. Color of waste fluid is decolored with oxidation reaction by peroxy hydrate. In FT-IR and SEM-EDX of PEG after freeze-drying process, no significant change of functional groups induced from oxidation is observed, and any metal ion does not exist in the solid PEG specimen. The molecular weight of PEG is measured using GPC and viscometry. Properties of PEG before and after preservation treatment, and after oxidation with $H_2O_2$ were not changed. Consequently, the peroxidation with $H_2O_2$ is a reasonable and simple method to decolor the used PEG solution.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.211-220
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• 2020

When domestic sewage and rainwater runoff are discharged into a single sewer pipe, it is called a "combined sewer system." The sewage design standards in Korea specify the flow velocity based only on the volume of rainfall; therefore, sedimentation occurs on non-rainy days owing to the reduced flow rate and velocity. This sedimentation reduces the discharge capacity, causes unpleasant odors, and exacerbates the problem of combined sewer overflow concentration. To address this problem, the amount of sewage on non-rainy days, not just the volume of rainfall, should also be considered. There are various theories on sedimentation in sewer movement. This study introduces a self-cleansing velocity based on tractive force theory. By applying a self-cleansing velocity equivalent to the critical shear stress of a sand particle, sedimentation can be reduced on non-rainy days. The amount of sewage changes according to the water use pattern of citizens. The design hourly maximum wastewater flow was considered as a representative value, and the velocity of this flow should be more than the self-cleansing velocity. This design method requires a steeper gradient than existing design criteria. Therefore, the existing sewer pipelines need to be improved and repaired accordingly. In this study, five types of improvement and repair methods that can maximize the use of existing pipelines and minimize the depth of excavation are proposed. The key technologies utilized are trenchless sewer rehabilitation and complex cross-section pipes. Trenchless sewer rehabilitation is a popular sewage repair method. However, it is complex because the cross-section pipes do not have a universal design and require continuous research and development. In an old metropolis with a combined sewer system, it is difficult to carry out excavation work; hence, the methods presented in this study may be useful in the future.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.135-144
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• 2013

Blue-green algae blooms occurred during early winter in the North-Han River, Korea. Among blue-green algae, Anabaena spiroides were observed for approximately 33 consecutive days, between 28 November and 30 December, 2011. A. spiroides emerged from Lake Uiam to Lake Paldang, depending on the flow of the river has spread downstream. Changes of physical water environment like rising water temperature and increasing hydraulic retention time influenced the A. spiroides bloom. The A. spiroides bloom showed a very rapid increase in cell density, and a slow decrease: the cell density increased to a maximum of $11,325cells\;mL^{-1}$ in Lake Paldang (st. 5), and was completely disappeared after the water temperature dropped below $4^{\circ}C$. A decrease in water temperature was the most influential factor among all environmental parameters, for the reduction of A. spiroides cell density. The A. spiroides bloom was accompanied with the occurrence of very high concentrations of the odor metabolite geosmin. Geosmin reached the peak value of $1,640ng\;L^{-1}$ in Lake Paldang (st. 4). The geosmin concentration was very strongly correlated with cell numbers of A. spiroides.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.1687-1698
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• 2021

This study is to produce multiple layers of liposomes in a supercritical state and encapsulates active ingredients in order to stably encapsulate thermodynamically unstable active ingredients. In order to form a liposome in a supercritical state, a mixed surfactant development including vegetable-derived hydrogenated phosphatidyl choline and their delivative, hydrogenated sucrose distearate was synthesized as high purity. It describes a manufacturing method of injecting liquid carbon dioxide into a reactor to create a supercritical state and stirring to produce a giant liposome, and adding and loading genistein and quercetin. The HLB of the mixed lipid complex (SC-Lipid Complex) was 12.50, and multiple layers of liposome vesicles were formed even at very low concentrations. This surfactant had a specific odor with a pale yellow flake, the specific gravity was 0.972, and the acid value was 0.12, indicating that it was synthesized with high purity. As a result of the emulsifying capacity experiment using 20 wt% capric/capric triglyceride and triethylhexanoin using SC-Lipid Complex, it was found to have 96.2% emulsifying power. SC LIPOSOME GENISTEIN was confirmed that a multi-layer liposome vesicle was formed through a transmission electron microscope (Cryo-TEM) for the supercritical liposome encapsulated with genistein. The primary liposome particle size in which genistein was encapsulated was 253.9 nm, and the secondary capsule size was 18.2 ㎛. Using genistein as the standard substance, the encapsulation efficiency of supercritical liposomes was 99.5%, and general liposomes were found to have an efficiency of 93.6%. In addition, the antioxidant activity experiment in which quercetin was sealed was confirmed by the DPPH method, and it was found that the supercritical liposome significantly maintained excellent antioxidant activity. In this study, thermodynamically unstable raw materials were sealed into liposomes without organic solvents in a supercritical state. Based on these results, it is expected that it can be applied to various forms such as highly functional skincare cosmetics, makeup cosmetics, and scalp protection cosmetics.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.159-168
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• 2006

Rodents and many other mammals have two chemosensory systems that mediate responses to pheromones, the main and accessory olfactory system, MOS and AOS, respectively. The chemosensory neurons associated with the MOS are located in the main olfactory epithelium, while those associated with the AOS are located in the vomeronasal organ(VNO). Pheromonal odorants access the lumen of the VNO via canals in the roof of the mouth, and are largely thought to be nonvolatile. The main pheromone receptor proteins consist of two superfamilies, V1Rs and V2Rs, that are structurally distinct and unrelated to the olfactory receptors expressed in the main olfactory epithelium. These two type of receptors are seven transmembrane domain G-protein coupled proteins(V1R with $G_{{\alpha}i2}$, V2R with $G_{0\;{\alpha}}$). V2Rs are co-expressed with nonclassical MHC Ib genes(M10 and other 8 M1 family proteins). Other important molecular component of VNO neuron is a TrpC2, a cation channel protein of transient receptor potential(TRP) family and thought to have a crucial role in signal transduction. There are four types of pheromones in mammalian chemical communication - primers, signalers, modulators and releasers. Responses to these chemosignals can vary substantially within and between individuals. This variability can stem from the modulating effects of steroid hormones and/or non-steroid factors such as neurotransmitters on olfactory processing. Such modulation frequently augments or facilitates the effects that prevailing social and environmental conditions have on the reproductive axis. The best example is the pregnancy block effect(Bruce effect), caused by testosterone-dependent major urinary proteins(MUPs) in male mouse urine. Intriguingly, mouse GnRH neurons receive pheromone signals from both odor and pheromone relays in the brain and may also receive common odor signals. Though it is quite controversial, recent studies reveal a complex interplay between reproduction and other functions in which GnRH neurons appear to integrate information from multiple sources and modulate a variety of brain functions.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.474-484
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• 2005

Biological treatment is a promising alternative to conventional air pollution control methods. Bioreactors for air pollution control have found most of their success in the treatment of dilute and high flow waste air streams containing volatile organic compounds and odor compounds. They offer several advantages over traditional technologies such as incineration or adsorption. These include lower treatment costs, absence of formation of secondary pollutants, no spent chemicals, low energy demand and low temperature treatment. The most widely used bioreactor for air pollution control is biofilter, but it has several limitations. In the past years major progress has been accomplished in the development of vapor phase bioreactor, in particular biotrickling filters. Biotrickling filters are more complex than biofilters, but are usually more effective, especially for the treatment of compounds which are difficult to degrade or compounds that generate acidic by-products. While the level of understanding of biotrickling filtration process for VOCs still remains limited, the evident success of biotreatment of VOC in air stimulated the pursue of acitve research. This paper presents fundamental and theoretical/practical aspect of air pollution control in biotrickling filter. Special emphasis is given to the operating parameters and the factors influencing performance for air pollution control in biotrickling filter.

• Clean Technology
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• v.13 no.1 s.36
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• pp.1-15
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• 2007

Biological treatment is a relatively recent air pollution control technology in which off-gases containing biodegradable odors and volatile organic compounds(VOCs) are vented through microbes. It is a promising alternative to conventional air pollution control methods. Bioreactors for air pollution control have found most of their success in the treatment of dilute and high flow waste air streams containing VOCs and odor compounds. They offer several advantages over traditional technologies such as incineration or adsorption. These include lower treatment costs, absence of formation of secondary pollutants, no spent chemicals, low energy demand and low temperature treatment. The three most widely used technologies are described, namely biofiltration, biotrickling filtration, bioscrubbing. The most widely used bioreactor for air pollution control is biofilter, but it has several limitations. In the past years major progress has been accomplished in the development of vapor phase bioreaction systems, for solving problems of biofilter. Biotrickling filters are more complex than biofilters, but are usually more effective, especially for the treatment of compounds which are difficult to degrade or compounds that generate acidic by-products. This, paper reviews fundamental and theoretical/practical aspect of air pollution control in biofilter, biotrickling filter and bioscrubber, focusing more extensively on biotrickling filtration. Special emphasis is given to the operating parameters and the factors influencing performance for air pollution control, and cost estimation in biotreatment technologies.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.61-73
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• 1996

This study conducted to determine the attitude on environment pollution by Pohang city citizens. 1,059 Pohang city citizens in the age group 20 and over were chosen and surveyed by officials's interview at Up, Myun and Dong during the period 6 September to 20 September 1995. The issue problems to be solved in Pohang city were traffic control 47.3%, environment pollution 22.7%, cultural institutions 11.6%, water service 9.9%, education system 5.1% and community security 2.1%. The 55.1% of subjects responded that responsibility for environment pollution is every citizens duty. The trash from houses were 'garbage'(48.1%), 'waste of life'(21.8%), 'reuse trash'(15.6%) and 'one use thing'(14.5%) in order. The 66.9% of subjects responded that the trash's standard envelopes can be easily tear and its texture is not good. The respondents sometimes or often had experienced foreign bodies, sediment in the water service supply. The 45.9% of the respondents use natural water as drinking water, and the water service supply(26.7%), underground water(17.0%) and buying water(9.3%) were followed. Pertaining to the air pollution(by percent) was pollution of the steel industry complex 78.0%, combustive gas 16.6% and construction dust 1.7%. The respondents at southern district complained of respiratory tract by air pollution and the respondents at northern district complained of the visual disturbance and the offensive odor(P<0.05). Water pollution problem is factory's wastewater 56.2%, home wastewater 36.4% and livestock's wastewater 5.6% in order. The respondents at southern district complained of the noise pollution by airplanes and factories at the afternoon and the respondents at northern district complained of the noise pollution by vehicles(P<0.05).

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.485-492
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• 2024

Sea cucumbers contain more than 50% protein in their solid content, and they also possess various bioactive substances such as saponins and mucopolysaccharides. This study analyzed the activities of various enzymes derived from Bacillus and lactic acid bacteria and determined to degrade the components of sea cucumbers. Among the analyzed strains, B. subtilis K26 showed the highest activities in protease and xylanase and relatively high activity in cellulase. Accordingly, samples of sea cucumber and water were mixed in equal proportions, sterilized, and then fermented by inoculating them with B. subtilis K26. Following this, a higher amino acid content was observed between 1.5 and 7.5 hr, a lower residual solid content in this time, and a lesser fermentation odor. The saponin content in fermented sea cucumber powder extracted with butanol was measured to be 1.12 mg/g. The chondroitin sulfate content was evaluated to be 5.11 mg/g in raw sea cucumber. The total polyphenol content, flavonoid content, and antioxidant activities were 6.95 mg gallic acid equivalent/g, 3.69 mg quercetin equivalent/g, and 3.69 mg quercetin equivalent/g in raw sea cucumber, respectively. Moreover, the DNA damage protective effect of fermented sea cucumber extract was found to be concentration-dependent, with a very strong effect at very low concentrations. Overall, we suggest that sea cucumber fermented with B. subtilis K26 has a high potential as a food for inhibiting oxidation, enhancing immunity, and improving muscle function in the human body thanks to its high free amino acid content.