• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.745-764
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• 2023

In the Republic of Congo, Banded iron formations (BIFs) occur in two areas: the Chaillu Massif and the Ivindo Basement Complex, which are segments of the Archean Congo craton outcropping in the northwestern and southwestern parts of the country. They show interesting potential with significant mineral resources reaching 2 Bt and grades up to 60% Fe. BIFs consist mostly of oxide-rich facies (hematite/magnetite), but carbonate-rich facies are also highlighted. They are found across the country within the similar geological sequences composed of amphibolites, gneisses and greenschists. The Post-Archean Australian Shale (PAAS)-normalized patterns of BIFs show enrichment in elements such as SiO₂, Fe₂O₃, CaO, P₂O₅, Cr, Cu, Zn, Nb, Hf, U and depletion in TiO₂, Al₂O₃, MgO, Na₂O, K₂O, Sc, Th, Ba, Zr, Rb, Ni, V. REE diagrams show slight light REEs (rare earth elements; LREEs) compared to heavy REEs (HREEs), and positive La and Eu anomalies. The lithological associations, as well as the very high (Eu/Eu^*)_SN ratios> 1.8 shown by the BIFs, suggest that they are related to Algoma-type BIFs. The positive correlations between Zr and TiO₂, Al₂O₃, Hf suggest that the contamination comes mainly from felsic rocks, while the absence of correlations between MgO and Cr, Ni argues for negligeable contributions from mafic sources. Pr/Pr^* vs. Ce/Ce^* diagram indicates that the Congolese BIFs were formed in basins with redox heterogeneity, which varies from suboxic to anoxic and from oxic to anoxic conditions. They were formed through hydrothermal vents in the seawater, with relatively low proportions of detrital inputs derived from igneous sources through continental weathering. Some Congolese BIFs show high contents in Cr, Ni and Cu, which suggest that iron (Fe) and silicon (Si) have been leached through hydrothermal processes associated with submarine volcanism. We discussed their tectonic setting and depositional environment and proposed that they were deposited in extensional back-arc basins, which also recorded hydrothermal vent fluids.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.285-294
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• 2000

Butyltin compounds (BTs) in seawater, sediments and organisms (Thais clavigera, Liolophura japonica and Cellana nigrolineata), were quantitatively determined to evaluate their distribution inside Songsan Harbor of Cheju Island. In addition, imposex in T. clavigera was used to assess the effect on organisms of BTs. Analysis of the samples collected in seawater, sediments (March, June and August) and organisms (May, July and August) in 1998, confirmed the contamination of BTs in the aquatic environment inside Songsan Harbor. The main BTs species in seawater and sediments was monobutyltin (MBT), tributyltin (TBT), respectively, irrespective of survey time. In oranisms, TBT and dibutyltin (DBT) were detected in similar concentrations for T. clavigera and L. japonica, but for C nigrolineata, DBt concentration was the highest. TBT, the most toxic to aquatic organisms among BTs, was found at concentrations which were sufficient to have a serious effect on the sensitive organisms upon chronic exposure, The relatively high correlations (r>0.83) between BTs indicated that DBT and MBT were mainly degraded from TBT based on antifouling paint and their sources were negligible. The sedimentary organic matters did not have influence on the distribution of BTs in marine environment, and lipid content in T. clavigera did not show a correlation with TBT concentrations. The rate of occurrence of imposex in T. clavigera was 100%, and the relative penis length index (RPLI) and the relative penis size index (RPSI) which represent the degree of imposex were 79.7%, 58.1%, respectively. Measurement of imposex in T. clavigera was expected to be a very helpful tool for preliminary survey of BTs prior to trace analysis of BTs.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.989-996
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• 2012

Nitrate contamination of water environments can create serious problems such as eutrophication of rivers. Conventional biological processes for nitrate removal by heterotrophic denitrification often need additional organic substrates as carbon sources and electron donors. We tried to accelerate biological denitrification by using bioelectrochemical reactor (BER) in which electrode works as an electron donor. Denitrification activity of 8 environmental samples from various sediments, soils, groundwaters, and sludges were tested to establish an efficient enrichment culture for BER. The established enrichment culture from a soil sample showed stable denitrification activity without any nitrite accumulation. Microbial community analysis by using PCR-DGGE method revealed that dominant denitrifiers in the enrichment culture were Pantoea sp., Cronobacter sakazakii, and Castellaniella defragrans. Denitrification rate ($0.08kg/m^3{\cdot}day$) of the enrichment culture in BER with electrode poised at -0.5 V (vs Ag/AgCl) was higher than that ($2.1{\times}10^{-2}kg/m^3{\cdot}day$) of BER without any poised potential. This results suggested that biological denitrification would be improved by supplying potential throughout electrode in BER. Further research using BER without any organic substrate addition is needed to apply this system for bioremediation of water and wastewater contaminated by nitrate.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.78-84
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• 2013

This study was conducted in order to evaluate the removal process for long-term contamination sources including chlorinated hydrocarbons (TCE and PCE) and explosive compounds (TNT, RDX, and HMX) in underground water using a pulsed-UV system. Crystallized cells containing the contaminants were placed 10, 20, and 40 cm away from a lamp that emits pulsed-UV rays in order to examine how the removal efficiency is influenced by the distance between the source of the light and the compounds. Chlorinated hydrocarbons were completely removed in 30 minutes with a distance of 10 cm, while PCE was completely removed even with a distance of 20 cm. In the case of explosive compounds, removal efficiencies slightly varied depending on the compounds. The majority of the compounds were perfectly removed with a contact time of 10 minutes. In particular, for RDX, the results showed that complete removal was obtained within one minute, regardless of the distance from the UV source. The amount of light energy is in inverse proportion to the distance, and thus the energy reaching the compounds severely diminishes as the distance increases. Therefore, the removal efficiency decreased with increasing distance in the system.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Rural Architecture
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.45-52
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• 2019

Chemical grouting method is mainly used for construction of dams and reservoirs, stabilization and reinforcement of slopes, reinforcement of soft grounds such as embankments, dredging and landfills, the order of earthquake response method, and the reinforcement of structures. Recently, it is widely applied in construction sites such as highways, airfields, high-speed railways, subsea facilities, port construction works, tunnels, and subway works. As such, the demand for grouting continues to increase. The development of the grouting method was focused on increasing the strength of the ground, and the development of the chemical additives, the injection device, and the stirring device were mainly performed. But ordinary portland cement used for grouting is a product that consumes natural resources such as limestone, generates a large amount of greenhouse gases, consumes a large amount of energy sources, and it is time to develop products and new methods to replace them. In this study, Ordinary Portland Cement and New Grouting Binder (circulating fluidized bed boiler fly and blast furnace slag) were compared and analyzed by the following test. Homo-gel strength and homo-gel time, water quality analysis of the water used and soil contamination process tests of homo-gel samples were performed. In the case of NGB, when Using water is used as the reservoir water, the strength measured smaller than that of the other water. However, it shows about 2.5 times greater than the homo-gel compressive strength applied to OPC (7-day, reservoir water), so there is no problem with water quality when applied.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.147-158
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• 2001

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins(PCDDs), dibenzofurans(PCDFs), and biphenyls(PCBs) were analyzed by HRGC/HRMS in human blood samples from the Siwha industrial area in Korea. The PCDD/F and PCB concentrations in workers were higher than those in residents. The average TEQ concentrations of PCDD/Fs in workers and residents were 40.3 pg I-TEQs/g lipid and 16.6 pg I-TEQs/g lipid, respectively, and the total PCB concentrations were 174.1 ng/g lipid and 151.0 ng/g lipid, respectively. When applied to principal component analysis, the PCDD/F congener distributions of workers were differentiated from those of residents. But, all of them were similar to the distribution in several Korean foods. Estimated daily intake(EDI) of each person was calculated, and then only 40% to the total people were within the tolerable daily intake range(1-4pg I-TEQ/kg bw/day) suggested by WHO(1997).

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.155-166
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• 1996

All nuclear facilities and components should receive an initial ALARA review before the installation and thereafter whenever modifications are planned. A major objective in design aspects of ALARA is to identify areas where specific engineering input can reduce personnel exposure. The basic factors which should be considered in the ALARA design review process include curd control, shielding and isolation of radiation sources accessibility maintainability and reliability, and contamination control. Because many diverse aspects must be considered in the ALARA design reviews, a proper ALARA checklist should be used to aid the designer in preventing any of the ALARA review considerations from being slipped away. In order to develop the practical ALARA checklist, check items for basic ALARA factors have been prepared, and what should be considered in reviewing each item has been discussed here. Based on the proposed factors and items, an ALARA checklist was developed.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.253-266
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• 1993

GIS technique was applied for ffie work of water supply protection, and GIS rnaps were produced by this technique in Cheong-ju area. They are actual runoff rnap and regional groundwater protection map. The digital database was estabilished for creation of these maps in EGIS(Environmental Geologic information system). A lot of environmental, hydrological and geotedmical data relating to the area were collected from various sources, and used along with the results of the field investigation and laboratorv works in the interpretation of environmental geologic characteristics of the area. These special maps can be applied in the establishment of water supply protection and regional land use planning. For instant, the actaal runoff rnap is very linportant for hydrologic study, and groundwater protection map for susceptibility to groundwater contamination in the area. Actual runoff of the study area was calculated about 148mm using the method of SCS(Soil Consrevation Service) in GIS. The GIS technique was effective in watershed analysis and water balance study.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.121-131
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• 2006

Atmospheric bulk (wet and dry) samples were monthly collected in Masan and Heangam areas of Korea, to assess the deposition flux and seasonal variation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Deposition fluxes of PAHs in bulk samples were determined using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometer detector (GC/MSD). Particle deposition fluxes from Masan and Haengam areas varied from 13 to $87\;g/m^2/year$ and from 5 to $52\;g/m^2/year$, respectively. PAHs deposition fluxes in atmospheric bulk samples in Masan and Haengam areas ranged from 135 to $464\;{\mu}g/m^2/year$ and from 62.2 to $194\;{\mu}g/m^2/year$, respectively. Atmospheric deposition fluxes of particles and PAHs in this study were comparable to or slightly lower values than those from different locations in Korea and other countries. PAHs profiles of atmospheric deposition bulk samples showed slightly different from two sampling areas, however the predominant species of PAHs were similar. Indeno (1,2,3-c,d)pyrene, benzo(g,h,i)perylene, phenanthrene compounds were the most detected PAHs in deposition bulk samples. Carcinogenic PAHs occupied the contribution of approximately $30-40\%$ of the total PAHs deposition fluxes. The non-metric multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) was used, to assess the differentiation of PAHs source between two sampling areas. The result suggests that PAHs contamination sources were different according to the location and season surveyed. There was no an apparent relationship between the PAHs deposition flux against temperature and rainfall amount, even though summer season with the highest temperature and the largest amount of precipitation showed the lowest PAHs deposition flux. Benzo(e)pyrene/benzo(a)pyrene ratio indicated that the photo-degradation process was one of important factors to the seasonal variation of PAHs with the lower deposition fluxes.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2014

A whole body counter (WBC) is used in nuclear power plants (NPP) to identify and measure internal radioactivity of workers who is likely to ingest or inhale radionuclides. WBC has several counting geometry, i.e. the thyroid, lung, whole body and gastrointestinal tract, considered with the location where radionuclides are deposited in the body. But only whole body geometry is used to detect internal radioactivity during whole body counting at NPPs. It is overestimated internal exposure dose because this measured values are indicated as the most conservative radioactivity values among the them of others geometry. In this study, experiments to measure radioactivity depending on the counting geometry of WBC were carried out using a WBC, a phantom, and standard radiation sources in order to improve overestimated internal exposure dose. Quantitative criteria, could be selected counting geometry according to ratio of count rates of the upper and lower detectors of the WBC, are provided through statistical analysis method.