• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.58-66
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• 2011

Arsenic pollution is a serious global concern which affects all life forms. Being a toxic metalloid, the continued search for appropriate technologies for its remediation is needed. Phytoremediation, the use of green plants, is not only a low cost but also an environmentally friendly approach for metal uptake and stabilization. However, its application is limited by slow plant growth which is further aggravated by the phytotoxic effect of the pollutant. Attempts to address these constraints were done by exploiting plant-microbe interactions which offers more advantages for phytoremediation. Several bacterial mechanisms that can increase the efficiency of phytoremediation of As are nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, siderophore production, ACC deaminase activity and growth regulator production. Many have been reported for other metals, but few for arsenic. This mini-review attempts to present what has been done so far in exploring plants and their rhizosphere microbiota and some genetic manipulations to increase the efficiency of arsenic soil phytoremediation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2005.04a
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• pp.42-45
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• 2005

Accurate prediction of the fate and transport of contaminants in soils and sediments is very Important to environmental risk assessment and effective remediation of contaminated soils and sediments. The fate and transport of contaminants in subsurface are affected by geosorbents, especially carbonaceous materials including black carbon. Various physical and chemical treatment methods have been developed to separate different kinds of carbonaceous materials from soils and sediments. However, the effects of these separation methods on the properties of remaining carbonaceous materials including sorption capacity and linearity are unclear. The objective of this study is to determine if the chemical and thermal treatment methods previously used to separate different carbonaceous material fractions affect the properties of carbonaceous materials including longer term sorption capacity of hydrophobic organic contaminants. The results indicate that treatments with hydrochloric acid (HCl)/hydrofluoric acid (HF), trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), sodium hydroxide (NaOH) may not affect the sorption capacity of black carbon reference materials such as char and soot, however, treatments with acid dichromate $(K_2Cr_2O_7/H_2SO_4)$ and heat $(375^{\circ}C)$ for 24 hours in sufficient of oxygen) decrease the sorption capacity of them. The results of longer term sorption isotherm indicate that 2 days might be enough for trichloroethene (TCE) to equilibrate apparently with treated black carbon reference materials. The results suggest that acid dichromate and heat treatments may not appropriate method to investigate sorption properties of black carbon in soils and sediments.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.201-210
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• 2012

The bioavailability of sorbed organic contaminants is one of the most important factors used to determine their fate in the environment. This study was conducted to evaluate the bioavailability of slow-desorbable naphthalene in soils. An air sparging system was utilized to remove dissolved (or desorbed) naphthalene continuously and to limit the bacterial utilization of dissolved naphthalene. A biological air sparging system (air sparging system with bacteria) was developed to evaluate the bioavailability of the slow-desorption fraction in soils. Three different strains (Pseudomonas putida G7, Pseudomonas sp. CZ6 and Burkholderia sp. KM1) and two soils were used. Slow-desorbable naphthalene continuously decreased under air sparging; however, a greater decrease was observed in response to the biological air sparging system. Enhanced bioavailability was not observed in the Jangseong soil. Overall, the results of this study suggests that the removal rate of slow-desorbable contaminants may be enhanced by inoculation of degrading bacteria into an air sparging system during the remediation of contaminated soils. However, the enhanced bioavailability was found to depend more on the soil properties than the bacterial characteristics.

• Advances in nano research
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.541-550
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• 2023

The escalating growth of industrial sectors has led to a pervasive global problem—oil pollution, particularly in industrial areas. The release of substantial volumes of oil and its by-products into the environment has resulted in extensive contamination. Multiple factors contribute to the entry of these substances into water bodies and soils, thereby inflicting irreparable consequences on ecosystems, natural resources, and human health. Consequently, it becomes imperative to comprehend the characteristics and behavior of oil pollution, anticipate its impacts, and develop effective mitigation strategies. Understanding this intricate issue requires considering the physicochemical properties of the environment, the interactions between oil and sediments, and biological factors such as evaporation and dissolution. Although the oil industry has brought about remarkable advancements, its activities have raised significant concerns regarding pollution from extraction and production processes. Oil-rich nations face a particularly challenging predicament of soil pollution caused by petroleum compounds. The areas surrounding oil exploration mines and refineries often endure contamination due to oil leakages from storage tanks and transmission lines resulting from deterioration and damage. Investigating the dispersion of such pollutants and devising methods to remediate petroleum-contaminated soil represent crucial and intricate issues within the realm of environmental geotechnics.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.1-9
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• 2012

As topographic characteristics of Korea where 64 % of the national land area is forest and only 17 % is being used as farmland, remediation of farmland contaminated by heavy metals is a considerably important issue. In this study, as an alternative of practically and effectively remediating farmland which was abandoned as its crop plants exceeded maximum residue limit of heavy metals due to mining impact, applicability of stabilization method was examined through the pilot-scale field experiment. Three plots ($L{\times}W{\times}D=3m{\times}2m{\times}0.3m$) were installed at the selected farmland and in plot 1, only soil of the selected farmland was applied, in pilot 2, soil of the selected farmland plus 3 % limestone (w/w) was applied and in pilot 3, soil of the selected farmland plus 3 % limestone was applied and then uncontaminated soil was covered thereon (0.3 m). After that, seeds of radish, Korean cabbage and soybean of which characteristics of edible portions are different were sowed on each plot and cultivated. Afterwards, at a proper harvesting time (app. 80 days later), crop plants and soil were collected and phytoavailability (0.11 M HOAc extractable) of heavy metals in soil and accumulated concentration of heavy metal in edible portion of crop plants were examined. As a result, it was revealed that phytoavailability of heavy metals in soil added with limestone (plot 2) was clearly reduced compared with plot 1 (untreated) and owing to this treatment, accumulated concentration of heavy metals in edible portion of crops was also clearly reduced compared with plot 1. While radish cultivated in plot 1 had exceeded maximum residue limit of agricultural products, in particular, plot 2 using limestone had shown concentration lower than maximum residue limit and this plot had shown little difference with 3 plot where crop was cultivated in uncontaminated soil cover. Therefore, it was considered that for abandoned farmland like the selected farmland, reducing mobility and phytoavailability of heavy metals and reducing crop uptake through stabilization method would be an effective and practical alternative for producing safe agricultural products on a sustained basis.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.97-108
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• 2012

Microbial degradation of hydrocarbons is found to be an attractive process for remediation of contaminated habitats. However the poor bioavailability of hydrocarbons results in low biodegradation rates. Cyclodextrins are known to increase the bioavailability of variety of hydrophobic compounds. In the present work we purified the Cyclodextrin Glucanotransferase (CGTase) enzyme which is responsible for converting starch into cyclodextrins and studied its role on biodegradation of diesel oil contaminated soil. Purification of CGTase from Enterobacter cloacae was done which resulted in 6 fold increase in enzyme activity. The enzyme showed maximum activity at pH 7, temperature $60^{\circ}C$ with a molecular weight of 66 kDa. Addition of purified CGTase to the treatment setup with Pseudomonas mendocina showed enhanced biodegradation of diesel oil ($57{\pm}1.37%$) which was similar to the treatment setup when added with Pseudomonas mendocina and Enterobacter cloacae ($52.7{\pm}6.51%$). The residual diesel oil found in treatment setup added with Pseudomonas mendocina at end of the study was found to be $73{\pm}0.21%$. Immobilization of Pseudomonas mendocina on alginate containing starch also led to enhanced biodegradation of hydrocarbons in diesel oil at 336 hours.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.123-131
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• 2015

During several visits to the Cebu City landfill in the Philippines, plants were observed growing within the area, including on top of the garbage piles. Studying the response of these plants is important in assessing which can be used in remediating metal contaminated soils. This study aimed to determine whether the plants in the Cebu City landfill excluded or accumulated cadmium (Cd) and chromium (Cr) in the plant tissues. The floristic composition of the landfill was analyzed prior to the sample collection. The samples were acid-digested before the desired elements were measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). The Cd and Cr concentrations in the plant root-zone soil were also measured using AAS. The results indicated that the landfill substrate was generally acidic based on the results of the pH measurement. Of the 32 plant species sampled, Cyperus odoratus showed potential for Cd uptake and internal transfer; Cenchrus echinatus, Vernonia cinerea and Terminalia catappa for Cr uptake, and Cynodon dactylon for Cr internal transfer. The plants in the landfill differed in their response towards the heavy metals. To confirm the behavior of C. odoratus towards Cd, and C. echinatus, C. dactylon, V. cinerea, and T. catappa towards Cr, controlled experiments are recommended, as the plant samples analyzed were collected from the field.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.17-25
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• 2009

The applicability of soil washing/flushing to treat a contaminated soil with cadmium (Cd) and copper (Cu) using a mixture of organic/inorganic extractant was evaluated in laboratory-scale batch and column tests. Citric acid was the effective extractant to remove Cd and Cu from the soil among various organic acids except EDTA. Carbonic acid was chosen as inorganic extractant which was not only low toxicity to environment, but also increasing soil permeability. Moreover, the optimum ratio of organic and inorganic extractant to remove Cd and Cu was 10 : 1, and this ratio of organic and inorganic extractant achieved removal efficiencies of Cd (46%) and Cu (39%), respectively. The increasing flow rate of extractant could explain the phenomena of soil packing when carbonic acid was used with organic extractant (i.e. EDTA and citric acid). Therefore, a mixture of organic extractant with inorganic extractant, especially carbonic acid, could resolve a problem of soil packing when this extractant was applied to a field application to remove Cd and Cu using in-situ soil flushing process.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.938-943
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• 2007

Anaerobic degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in a soil artificially contaminated with 10,000 mg/kg soil of diesel fuel was tested by adding an anaerobic sludge taken from a sludge digestion tank. Treatments of soil(50 g) with 15 mL/kg soil and 30 mL/kg soil of the digestion sludge(2,000 mg/L of vss(volatile suspended solids)) showed 37.2% and 58.0% of total petroleum hydrocarbons(TPH) removal during 90 days incubation, respectively. In evaluation of several anaerobic conditions including nitrate reducing, sulfate reducing, methanogenic, and mixed electron accepters condition, treatments with the digested sludge showed significant degradation of diesel fuel under all anaerobic conditions compare to a control treatment of soil without the sludge and a treatment of autoclaved soil treatment with autoclaved digestion sludge. The rate of diesel fuel degradation was the highest in the treatment with the sludge and mixed electron accepters (75% removal of TPH) for 120 days incubation followed in order by sulfate reducing, nitrate reducing, methanogenic condition as 67%, 53%, 43%, respectively. However, the removal rate of non-biodegradable isoprenoid was the highest in the sulfate reducing condition. These results suggest that anaerobic degradation of diesel fuel in soil with digested sludge is effective for practical remediation of soil contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.10-17
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• 2010

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have advantages to reduce the processing time and mineralize contaminants dissolved in groundwater. Recently, remediation techniques for organic contamination in groundwater have been studied, and technology using $UV/H_2O_2$ is generally accepted as one of the most powerful and reliable alternative for the remediation of groundwater contamination. In this study, $UV/H_2O_2$ technology, which generates hydroxyl radical ($\cdot$ OH) as known for strong non-selective oxidant, was used to degrade chlorinated solvents (TCE and PCE), and it was expanded to apply continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) system (i.e. combinations of three CSTR). The tested parameters for CSTR system were retention time and groundwater/$H_2O_2$ injection volume ratio. To find optimum parameters for CSTR system, various retention time (6 min ~ 90 min) and groundwater/$H_2O_2$ injection volume ratio (5/1 ~ 119/1) were tested. Other conditions for CSTR were adapted from the batch test results, which concentration of $H_2O_2$ and UV dose were 29.4 mM (0.1%) and 4.3 kWh/L, respectively. Based on the experimental results, the optimum parameters for CSTR system were 20 min for retention time and 119/1 for groundwater/$H_2O_2$ injection volume ratio. Applying these optimum conditions, chlorinated solvents (TCE and PCE) were removed at 99.9% and 99.6%. Moreover, the effluent concentrations of TCE and PCE are 0.036 mg/L and 0.087 mg/L, respectively, which are satisfied the regulatory level (TCE 0.3 mg/L, PCE 0.1 mg/L). Consequently, the CSTR system using $UV/H_2O_2$ technology can achieve high removal efficiency in the event of treatment of groundwater contaminated by chlorinated solvents (TCE and PCE).