• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.265-270
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• 2022

With the implementation of the fox restoration project, the number of foxes released into nature are increasing; therefore, in the future, foxes will be dispersed to other areas and will appear in human habitats. In this study, the habitat suitability index (HSI) of foxes was developed to predict and prepare for the effects. After extracting major environmental variables through literature research and GIS analysis, 5 suitability indices (SIs) were constructed. The forest physiognomy, slope, aspect, distance from water source, and distance from road are the main variables, and the arithmetic average value by giving twice the weight to the forest physiognomy is the HSI result. As a result of comparing with the data from the Natural Environment Survey, it is found that the fox coordinates have an average HSI value of 0.64, and the probability of appearance is high when it is 0.53 or higher. Using the results of this study, it is expected to be able to predict the distribution of foxes in advance, to use them as basic data for future restoration plans, or to identify the distribution of the species and the reduction plan in future environmental impact assessments.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.23-34
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• 2003

The emergency response modeling system CARIS has been developed at CCSM (Center for Chemical Safety Management), NIER (National Institute of Environmental Research) to track and predict dispersion of hazardous chemicals for the environmental decision support in case of accidents at chemical or petroleum companies in Korea. The main objective of CARIS is to support making decision by rapidly providing the key information on the efficient emergency response of hazardous chemical accidents for effective approaches to risk management. In particular, the integrated modeling system in CARIS consisting of a real-time numerical weather forecasting model and air pollution dispersion model is supplemented for the diffusion forecasts of hazardous chemicals, covering a wide range of scales and applications for atmospheric information. In this paper, we introduced the overview of components of CARIS and described the operational modeling system and its configurations of coupling/integration in CARIS. Some examples of the operational modeling system is presented and discussed for the real-time risk assessments of hazardous chemicals.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.167-173
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• 2006

The embryos of marine bivalves have been commonly used in bioassays for quality assessments of marine environments. Although several standard protocols for the developmental bioassay of bivalves have been proposed, only a few trials for application of these protocols in environmental assessments or for the development of a new protocol with Korean species have been conducted. As such, there is a strong need to establish standard bioassay protocols with bivalves commonly found in Korean waters. To determine the sensitivity of Mytilus galloprovincialis to establish a standard bioassay, their fertilized eggs were exposed to six metals (Ag, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn). The order of biological impact was Ag > Cu > Ni > Zn > Cr > Cd and their lowest observed effective concentration were 5, 16.4, 25.4, 142, 187 and 1,500${\mu}g/l$, respectively. The proportion of normal larvae appeared to decrease linearly with the logarithm of each toxicant concentration within the tested range. The average values of median effective concentrations $(EC_{50})$ from the triplicate experiments for Ag, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn were 6.8, 1,797, 786, 16.6, 68.1, and 139.2${\mu}g/l$, respectively. There was a more than 100-fold difference in $EC_{50}$ values of Cu and Cd. The value of $EC_{50}$ or median lethal concentration of Cu was within the range observed for other bivalve developmental bioassays. The overall sensitivity of M. galloprovincialis in the present developmental bioassay was also similar to that of other marine organisms commonly used in aquatic bioassays (e.g. sea urchins, oysters). Hence, the bioassay using the embryo of M. galloprovincialis is considered to be a useful tool to monitor and evaluate the quality of marine aquatic environments.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.101-111
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• 2006

In the present work, life cycle assessments (LCA) of various waste-plastic recycling methods (material recycling, refused derived fuel (RDF), recycling on furnace, and pyrolytic oil production) were carried out to investigate their impacts on the environment. Six types of impacts were considered. While the impact on global warming was found to be significant, the impact on others were negligible. The impact values on the global warming caused by the material recycling, RDF, and the recycling on furnace were negative, which implied that their impacts could be noticeably reduced when waste-plastic are used as an alternative to newly drawn plastics. The pyrolytic oil production, however, showed positive value, which may be due to the carbon dioxide produced during electric power generation. The pyrolytic oil production had the largest impact on the ozone layer destruction, which was due to ozone depleting substances produced from the process itself. These results can be used as a useful data for the enhancement of waste-plastic recycling.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.35-59
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• 1997

In this study, for the effective environmental investigation at the level of planning, environmental assessment model to be integrated with urban comprehensive plans was developed. This model was applied to the Suwon City urban comprehensive plan and was tested to derive the future application program and the adaptability to the current research issues. The results of this study can be summarized as follows: First, we defined basic items for environmental assessment as to be used in the developed SEA model. We also defined three ranges and twelve items for the environmental assessments, which can be used in the assessment of the urban comprehensive plan through the expert advices. Second, we performed the case study by applying the developed SEA model to the Suwon City urban comprehensive assessment, and investigated the environmental impacts through an expert inquiry at the "phase 5" of the model. The results of the case study showed that Suwon City urban comprehensive plan contained partially discrepancies at the goal of the planning. The spatial strategy for leisure, park and open space, and green belt was analysed not to be effective in energy use. The case study also indicated that the environments of Suwon City are expected to be much worse in each sectional plan, if the City was to implement the present five sectional plans for life boundary and distribution of population, land use plan, transportation plan, industrial development plan, and life environmental plan. Third, according to the result of the case study, an mitigation plan for urban comprehensive plan of Suwon City was proposed as the following four stages; modification of planning goal, modification of site alternatives, modification of planning contents, and proposal of mitigation measures.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.55-70
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• 2024

The loss of biodiversity poses a significant threat not only to business sustainability and investment risk but also to societal well-being. Nature serves as a crucial driver for long-term business viability and economic prosperity. The Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), established in September 2023, mandates that companies assess and disclose their impacts on nature. Despite this, many businesses lack a full understanding of their reliance on and impact upon natural capital and ecosystem services, leading to insufficient disclosures. This study evaluates the applicability of TNFD's assessment methodologies and indicators within a domestic context, highlighting the condition of nature and ecosystem services, and exploring potential synergies with national biodiversity policies. Our analysis suggests that TNFD necessitates a unique approach to the spatial and temporal data and methodologies traditionally employed in environmental impact assessments. This includes assessing the reciprocal influences of corporate activities on natural capital and ecosystem services via the LEAP framework. Moreover, in industries where the choice of specific indicators depends on unique sectoral traits, developing a standardized strategy for data and assessment indicators-adapted to local conditions-is crucial due to the variability in the availability of assessment tools and data. The proactive engagement of the private sector in ecosystem restoration projects is particularly promising for contributing towards national biodiversity objectives. Although TNFD is in its nascent phase, its global adoption by numerous companies signifies its potential impact. Successful implementation of TNFD is anticipated to deepen businesses' and financial institutions' understanding of natural capital and ecosystem services, thereby reinforcing their commitment to sustainable development.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.436-441
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• 2020

Wave field changes resulting from artificial coastal structures constructed in coastal zones have emerged as a major cause of beach erosion, among other factors. The rates of erosion along the eastern coast of Korea have varied mainly owing to the construction of various ports and coastal structures; however, impact assessments of these structures on beach erosion have not been appropriately conducted. Thus, in this study, a methodology to assess the impact of erosion owing to the construction of artificial structures has been proposed, for which a parabolic bay shape equation is used in determining the shoreline angle deformation caused by the structures. Assuming that the conditions of sediment or waves have similar values in most coastal areas, a primary variable impacting coastal sediment transport is the deformation of an equilibrium shoreline relative to the existing beach. Therefore, the angle rotation deforming the equilibrium of a shoreline can be the criterion for evaluating beach erosion incurred through the construction of artificial structures. The evaluation criteria are classified into three levels: safety, caution, and danger. If the angle rotation of the equilibrium shoreline is 0.1° or less, the beach distance was considered to be safe in the present study; however, if this angle is 0.35° or higher, the beach distance is considered to be in a state of danger. Furthermore, in this study, the distance affected by beach erosion is calculated in areas of the eastern coast where artificial structures, mainly including ports and power plants, were constructed; thereafter, an impact assessment of the beach erosion around these areas was conducted. Using a proposed methodology, Gungchon Port was evaluated with caution, whereas Donghae Port, Sokcho Port, and Samcheok LNG were evaluated as being in a state of danger.

• KIEAE Journal
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.11-16
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• 2001

Concern about global environment has been increasing in recent years. Efforts to minimize the environmental impact to the globe as well as human beings have increased, especially in the late twentieth century. The study researches one of the solutions for the environmentally friendly building construction, which can contribute to sustaining the world environment. Assessment and proposals are made for high-rise apartments, one of the most popular construction types nowadays in Korea. Careful building design and construction for apartment buildings could reduce the environmental impact significantly without lowering standards of living. Since the volume of high-rise apartment construction is so great, a small improvement in each building will make a great contribution. Assessments are made over the life-span of apartment buildings. A tool has been made through references from western examples. mainly from BHEEAMs made in the United Kingdom. The components of the tool include passive design strategies, building materials. energy consumption during building operation, and management and maintenance. Co-relationship between buildings and ten environment in Korea is searched. Korean high-rise apartments are assessed with the tool and suggestions for sustainable development are made mainly for improvement of embodied energy of building materials and the life of buildings.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.1134-1136
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• 2003

In this research, GIS based evaluation methods were applied to habitats of Japanese black bear (Ursus thibetanus japonicus Schlegel) in northern Honshu. The study area was divided into 828 small watershed units , and five GIS indexes, Vegetation Type（V.T.）, Extent of Forest Cover (E.F.C.) Slope Incline (S.I), Average Altitude (A.A.) and Road Density(R.D.), were used to evaluate each watershed unit in terms of suitability as black bear habitat. In addition, Interspersion and Juxtaposition spatial indices were calculated for each watershed unit. The results clearly identified the regions with the most suitable habitats, indicating that this methodology is suitable for application to various environmental planning efforts, such as regional development master plans, project-specific environmental impact assessments, species management plans and biodiversity conservation plans.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2021.06a
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• pp.455-455
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• 2021

The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as an environmental impact assessment tool has received increasing attention over the years. Unlike the water footprint (WF) and carbon footprint (CF) assessments whose focus is only on a single environmental aspect, the LCA systematically analyzes the different impacts along the entire life cycle, making possible the identification of potential environmental tradeoffs. In Korea, LCA has drawn much attention from both industry and academia since the mid-90s. However, the level of Korea-related LCA studies with respect to different sectors in the past 20 years has not been analyzed. This study, therefore, sought to assess the status of environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies in Korea, with a view to understanding the current level of sustainability reporting and identify potential research gaps. Online searches of English written articles published between 2000 and 2019 were conducted on Google, Google scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science databases using the Keywords "life cycle assessment", "lca", and "Korea." At the end of the search, about 88 LCA related studies were identified for Korea within the study period. Majority of these studies focused on the construction (49%) and energy (31%) sectors with fewer environmental studies on the transportation (9%), manufacturing (8%), agriculture (2%), and information and communication (1%) industries. Based on publication trend, results show that LCA studies in Korea have been on the rise in the past 20 years, even though the number of publications has not followed a constant pace. In comparison with the economic sectors of the country, reports show an inadequacy in the coverage of major industries of growing economic relevance like the tourism, health, and agriculture, suggesting a need to further increase and improve LCA related studies in these sectors.