• 한국토양비료학회지
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• 제43권3호
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• pp.296-303
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• 2010

Chromium as a constituent of rocks occurs naturally in the environment in varying concentrations. However, the human activity has changed the geochemical cycle of chromium in the environment and has caused the chromium accumulation in soils. Korean soils revealed a wide range of chromium contents depending on parent material and land use. The total chromium contents of volcanic ash soils in Jeju, which were determined using $HNO_3$ + $HClO_4$ + HF, ranged from 434 to 1,164 mg $kg^{-1}$. The 'ecological' total chromium contents extracted using conc. HCl + conc. $HNO_3$ (aqua regia) in the same soils varied in a lower range of 50-189 mg $kg^{-1}$ (averaged percentage of aqua regia contents in $HNO_3$ + $HClO_4$ + HF contents: 14.9%). Serpentine soils in Andong showed a 'ecological' total chromium content of 309 mg $kg^{-1}$ and against it granitic soils in Andong only 20 mg $kg^{-1}$. In uncontaminated forest soils of Korea, the 'ecological' total chromium contents varied from 4.89 to 106 mg $kg^{-1}$ and the soluble chromium contents determined using 0.1 M HCl ranged from 0.01 to 0.64 mg $kg^{-1}$ (averaged percentage of 0.1 M HCl contents in aqua regia contents: 0.4%). Arable lands contained more soluble chromium than reported in forest soils (averaged soluble chromium: 0.36 and 0.09 mg $kg^{-1}$, respectively). In particular, the soluble chromium contents in greenhouse, orchard and upland soils were higher than in contaminated soils near mine and industrial site (maximum contents: greenhouse 15.3 mg $kg^{-1}$; upland 12.1 mg $kg^{-1}$; orchard 8.29 mg $kg^{-1}$; mine site 4.76 mg $kg^{-1}$; industrial site 2.80 mg $kg^{-1}$). On the basis of these results a accumulation of chromium in some specific arable lands can be assumed, probably by long-continued applications of fertilizers or soil amendments containing chromium. In Korean Enforcement Decree of the Soil Environment Conservation Act soil standards for total chromium do not exist yet.

• 한국지하수토양환경학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국지하수토양환경학회 2006년도 총회 및 춘계학술발표회
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• pp.11-15
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• 2006

Attempts were made to increase an efficiency of soil contamination investigation systems (SCISs) including Soil Network and Special Soil Contamination Management Facility Sites in Korea. In order to increase low efficiencies resulting from inappropriate SCISs, possible policy suggestions are driven based on the results from problem findings of Korean policy and comparisons of policies on industrialized countries including United States, United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands and Japan. First, functions of Soil Environment Conservation Act (SECA) on liability should be updated and reinforced to initiate a soil contamination investigation process for stakeholders including an owner(s) or a responsible party(ies) of the potentially soil contamination sites positively. Second, appropriate SCISs should be emerged for implementing the Soil Network and Special Soil Contamination Management Facility Sites properly. Stakeholders for the potentially contaminated sites should easily access and raise the soil contamination issues, and soil contamination investigation implemented by liable and profit environment (consulting) companies should be encouraged. Third, the soil contamination reporting system of SECA needs to change legally responsible. Further more, public announcement system showing soil quality of a site which exceeds a certain scale would be considerable. Fourth, liable environment (consulting) companies should legally execute Soil Environment Assessment of SECA.

• 한국환경과학회지
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• 제22권7호
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• pp.787-799
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• 2013

The aim of this study was to investigate the accumulation of metallic elements and the control effect of marine pollution caused by ocean dumping in the sediments at a waste disposal area in the Yellow Sea. In July 2009, concentrations of organic matter and metallic elements (Al, Fe, As, Cd, Cr, Co, Hg, Ni, Mn, Pb, and Zn) were measured in surface sediments at the site. The ignition loss (IL) in the surface sediments showed a mean value of 15.4%, about 1.5 times higher than the mean value of the sediments in the coastal areas of Korea. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) at some disposal sites exceeded 20 mg $O_2/g{\cdot}dry$, which signifies the initial concentration of marine sediment pollutants in Japan. The disposal sites contain higher concentrations of Cr, Cu and Zn than the sediments of bays and estuaries that might be contaminated. The magnitude of both metal enrichment factors (EF) and adverse biological effects suggest that pollution with Cr and Ni occurred due to the dumping of waste in the study area. In addition, the geoaccumulation index (Igeo) showed that the surface sediments were moderately contaminated. By the mid-2000s, when the amount of waste dumped at this site was the highest, the concentration of metallic elements was higher than ever recorded. On the other hand, in 2008-09, the need for environmental management was relatively low compare with the peak. As a result, the quality of marine sediment has been enhanced, considering the effect of waste reduction and natural dilution in the disposal area.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.11-23
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• 2020

The effectiveness of in situ sediment capping as a technique for heavy metal risk mitigation in Hyeongsan River estuary, South Korea was studied. Sites in the estuary were found previously to show moderate to high levels of contamination of mercury, methylmercury and other heavy metals. A 400 m × 50 m section of the river was selected for a thin layer capping demonstration, where the total area was divided into 4 sections capped with different combinations of capping materials (zeolite, AC/zeolite, AC/sand, zeolite/sand). Pore water concentrations in the different sites were studied using diffusive gradient in thin film (DGT) probes. All capping amendments showed reduction in the pore water concentration of the different heavy metals with top 5 cm showing %reduction greater than 90% for some heavy metals. The relative maxima for the different metals were found to be translated to lower depths with addition of the caps. For two-layered cap with AC, order of placement should be considered since AC can easily be displaced due to its relatively low density. Investigation of methylmercury (MeHg) in the site showed that MeHg and %MeHg in pore water corresponds well with maxima for sulfide, Fe and Mn suggesting mercury methylation as probably coupled with sulfate, Fe and Mn reduction in sediments. Our results showed that thin-layer capping of active sorbents AC and zeolite, in combination with passive sand caps, are potential remediation strategy for sediments contaminated with heavy metals.

• Advances in nano research
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• 제15권1호
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• pp.35-48
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• 2023

Nanoparticles are known for their outstanding properties such as particle size, surface area, optical and electrical properties. These properties have significantly boasted their applications in various surface phenomena. In this work, calcium oxide nanoparticles were synthesized from periwinkle shells as an approach towards waste management through resource recovery. The sol gel method was used for the synthesis. The nanoparticles were characterized using X-Ray diffractometer (XRD), Fourier Transformed Infra-Red Spectrophotometer (FTIR), Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and ultra violet visible spectrophotometer (UV-visible). While DLS and SEM underestimate the particle diameter, the BET analysis reveals surface area of 138.998 m²/g, pore volume = 0.167 m³/g and pore diameter of 2.47 nm. The nanoparticles were also employed as an adsorbent for the purification of dye (methyl orange) contaminated water. The adsorbent showed excellent removal efficiency (up to 97 %) for the dye through the mechanism of physical adsorption. The adsorption of the dye fitted the Langmuir and Temkin models. Analysis of FTIR spectrum after adsorption complemented with computational chemistry modelling to reveal the imine nitrogen group as the site for the adsorption of the dye unto the nanomaterials. The synthesized nanomaterials have an average particle size of 24 nm, showed a unique XRD peak and is thermally and mechanically stable within the investigated temperature range (30 to 70 ℃).

• 한국지하수토양환경학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국지하수토양환경학회 2003년도 International Symposium
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• pp.70-86
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• 2003

Despite its usability, TCE has been managed as a hazardous material due to the toxicity and many contamination cases were surveyed in some developed countries. U.S.EPA(Kram et al., 2001) suggested DNAPL characterization methods and approaches based on survey experiences at several sites. However, Korea has not the least assessment of contamination and trial of remediation, although there are a lot of doubtable areas where ground water would be contaminated with TCE. In this study, we try to assess the volume and extent of ground water contamination with TCE and delineate the contamination source zones in an industrial area. Ground water in this area flows through fractures and the contaminant TCE has the properties of high volatility, high density and low partitioning to soil material. Thus, we applied a variety of technical approaches to identify the contamination status; documentary, hydrogeochemical, hydrogeological and geological surveys. In addition, additional survey was performed based on the interim findings, which showed that ground water contamination was limited to the relatively small area with high concentrations to the deep place. The contamination source zone is estimated to be the asphalt test institute where a great deal of TCE has been used to analyze the amount of asphalt soluble in TCE since 1984. Based on the contamination characterization and a myriad of documents about ground water remediation, appropriate site remediation management options will be recommended later. This study is now under way and this paper was focused on describing the technical approaches used to achieve the goals of this study.

• 한국환경보건학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국환경보건학회 2002년도 춘계 국제 학술대회
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• pp.91-99
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• 2002

A recent survey investigated that there were over one thousand un-controlled closed landfills(1,072 sites) in Republic of Korea. Most of these landfills were constructed before 1986. Waste management act were not promulgated at that time, so they usually do not have dranage system and leachate treatment facility. Also, considerable attention has been received to landfill leachate pollution, leachate has an adverse impact on the surrounding environment such as soil, groundwater, and water supply source. According to the result of survey for closed landfill management, it was reported that 875 sites out of 1,072sites(81.6％) have no leachate treatment facility and 630 sites out of 1,072sites(58.7％) have been used for farm lands and residence. Consequently it is hard to do postclosure care continuously in most of cases and these uncontrolled landfills have contaminated farm lands and residence. The average age of these landfills are ranged mostly between 2 to 15 years. Much time and advanced technology are needed to remediate these uncontrolled landfills, therefore the survey for present status of closed landfill sites is required and suitable treatment processes should be prepared. With this point of view, We has been investigated to find out the present status of closed landfill, problems of post management and discussed plans for remediation and reuse. Remedial actions of un-controlled landfill have been carried out the many cities since 1997 upto now. Most frequently applied technology were reuse after excavation and there were several cases to capping in the surface of landfill and to construct subsurface barriers. It is considered that landfills in use have a possibility not to be controlled because of inadequate construction and improper management. Therefore remediation of uncontrolled landfills and recovery technology should be develop continuously Especially, it has been expected that resource technology of landfill gas as a energy has some advantages in controlling odors in the site area and accelerating stabilization of landfills with the energy.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제50권4호
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• pp.274-277
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• 2017

Objectives: Legionnaires' disease (LD) is a severe type of pneumonia caused by inhalation of aerosols contaminated with Legionella. On September 22, 2016, a single case of LD was reported from a newly built apartment building in Gyeonggi province. This article describes an epidemiologic investigation of LD and identification of the possible source of infection. Methods: To identify the source of LD, we interviewed the patient's husband using a questionnaire based on the Legionella management guidelines from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Water samples from the site were collected and analyzed. An epidemiological investigation of the residents and visitors in the apartment building was conducted for 14 days before the index patient's symptoms first appeared to 14 days after the implementation of environmental control measures. Results: Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 was isolated from the heated-water samples from the patient's residence and the basement of the apartment complex. Thirty-two suspected cases were reported from the apartment building during the surveillance period, yet all were confirmed negative based on urinary antigen tests. Conclusions: The likely source of infection was the building's potable water, particularly heated water. Further study of effective monitoring systems in heated potable water should be considered.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제20권4호
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• pp.489-500
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• 2022

The decommissioning of nuclear facilities produces various types of radiologically contaminated waste. In addition, dismantlement activities, including cutting, packing, and clean-up at the facility site, result in secondary radioactive waste such as filters, resin, plastic, and clothing. Determining of the radionuclide content of this waste is an important step for the determination of a suitable management strategy including classification and disposal. In this work, we radiochemically characterized the radionuclide activities of filters used during the decommissioning of Korea Research Reactors (KRRs) 1 and 2. The results indicate that the filter samples contained mainly ³H (500-3,600 Bq·g^-1), ¹⁴C (7.5-29 Bq·g^-1), ⁵⁵Fe (1.1- 7.1 Bq·g^-1), ⁵⁹Ni (0.60-1.0 Bq·g^-1), ⁶⁰Co (0.74-70 Bq·g^-1), ⁶³Ni (0.60-94 Bq·g^-1), ⁹⁰Sr (0.25-5.0 Bq·g^-1), ¹³⁷Cs (0.64-8.7 Bq·g^-1), and ¹⁵²Eu (0.19-2.9) Bq·g^-1. In addition, the gross alpha radioactivity of the samples was measured to be between 0.32-1.1 Bq·g^-1. The radionuclide concentrations were below the concentration limit stated in the low- and intermediatelevel waste acceptance criteria of the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, and used for the disposal of the KRRs waste drums to a repository site.

• 한국습지학회지
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.43-53
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• 2018

라구나 호(Laguna Lake)는 필리핀(Philippines)에서 가장 큰 담수호이며 주로 양식, 수력발전, 운송 및 상수도 산업을 위한 목적으로 활용된다. 라구나 호의 다양한 이용목적은 물 이용자 간의 경쟁과 반목을 초래하고 있으며, 이 과정에 다양한 오염원으로 인하여 수질은 악화되고 있으며, 수생태계의 건전성도 영향을 받고 있다. 따라서 본 연구는 라구나 호(Laguna Lake)의 수질평가를 통해 현 수질관리 정책을 생태학적 환경관점에서 평가하고자 수행되었다. 라구나 호(Laguna Lake)의 $NH_3$, BOD, $Cl^-$, pH 및 TSS 등의 수질오염물질 농도는 필리핀 Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)에서 제시하는 수질기준을 모두 초과하는 것으로 나타났다. 또한 호의 수질은 유역에서 발생하는 농업 및 도시 강우유출수로 인한 오염물질 부하량의 영향을 받고 있는 것으로 조사되었으며, 파시그 강(Pasig River)의 염분과 오염된 수질도 라구나 호(Laguna Lake)의 수질에 영향을 주는 것으로 분석되었다. 장기적인 수질 분석 결과는 라구나 호수(Laguna Lake)의 수질이 강우량과 관련되는 계절의 영향을 받고 있는 것으로 나타났다. 이러한 라구나 호(Laguna Lake)의 수질영향인자 연구결과는 필리핀의 환경관리 기법을 향후 호내관리에서 유역관리로의 전환이 필요하다는 것을 의미하며, 선진국형 유역관리대책의 연구 및 도입이 필요한 것으로 평가되었다.