• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.118-126
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• 2019

Background: Government conducts environmental radioactivity surveillance for verification purpose around nuclear facilities based on the Nuclear Safety Law and issues a surveillance report every year. This study aims to evaluate the short and the long-term fluctuation of radionuclides detected above MDC and their origins using concentration ratios between these radionuclides. Materials and Methods: Sample media for verification surveillance are air, rainwater, groundwater, soil, and milk for terrestrial samples, and seawater, marine sediment, fish, and seaweed for marine samples. Gamma-emitting radionuclides including $^{137}Cs$, $^{90}Sr$, Pu, $^3H$, and $^{14}C$ are evaluated in these samples. Results and Discussion: According to the result of the environmental radioactivity verification surveillance in the vicinity of nuclear power facilities in 2017, the anthropogenic radionuclides were not detected in most of the environmental samples except for the detection of a trace level of $^{137}Cs$, $^{90}Sr$, Pu, and $^{131}I$ in some samples. Radioactivity concentration ratios between the anthropogenic radionuclides ($^{137}Cs/^{90}Sr$, $^{137}Cs/^{239+240}Pu$, $^{90}Sr/^{239+240}Pu$) were similar to those reported in the environmental samples, which were affected by the global fallout of the past nuclear weapon test, and Pu atomic ratios ($^{240}Pu/^{239}Pu$) in the terrestrial sample and marine sample showed significant differences due to the different input pathway and the Pu source. Radioactive iodine ($^{131}I$) was detected at the range of < $5.6-190mBq{\cdot}kg-fresh^{-1}$ in the gulfweed and sea trumpet collected from the area of Kori and Wolsong intake and discharge. A high level of $^3H$ was observed in the air (Sangbong: $0.688{\pm}0.841Bq{\cdot}m^{-3}$) and the precipitation (Meteorology Post: $199{\pm}126Bq{\cdot}L^{-1}$) samples of the Wolsong nuclear power plant (NPP). $^3H$ concentration in the precipitation and pine needle samples showed typical variation pattern with the distance and the wind direction from the stack due to the gaseous release of $^3H$ in Wolsong NPP. Conclusion: Except for the detection of a trace level of $^{137}Cs$, $^{90}Sr$, Pu, and $^{131}I$ in some samples, anthropogenic radionuclides were below MDC in most of the environmental samples. Overall, no unusual radionuclides and abnormal concentration were detected in the 2017's surveillance result for verification. This research will be available in the assessment of environment around nuclear facilities in the event of radioactive material release.

• Hwankyungkyoyuk
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• v.19 no.1 s.29
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• pp.43-63
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to evaluate elementary students' environmental mapping following an environmental literacy degree. For this purpose, 34 elementary students of the 5th grade in Daejeon were used as a sample, and their environmental literacy(EL) by 'environmental literacy inventory(ELI)' was assessed. In the end, the correlation between EL and 'Environmental Mapping' was analyzed. The major findings of this study were as follows: 1) 5th grade elementary school students have a high level of conceptual recognition in regard to environmental issues and problems but they have low level of environmental behavioral function; 2) in the correlational analysis of environmental Mapping assessment and EL degree have significant correlation at p<.01 ; 3) environmental issue knowledge and environmental susceptibility have significant correlation in environmental Mapping and p<.01; 4) in the correlation analysis of environmental Mapping assessment and environmental target level, fundamental elements and conceptual recognition have significant correlation at p<.01 and environmental behavior and function on environment have significant correlation at p<.05.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.455-460
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• 2010

This study was carried out to find out any inherent problems occurring in the sampling and analytical procedures, and to suggest the relevant solutions to the problems. In addition, an optimal condition of clean-up process was developed, which was based on a method using silica glass column. As a result of experiments to test any artificial contamination of blank samples such as glassware and collection media, artifacts of DBP and DEHP appeared to be detected in various kinds of laboratory tools and apparatuses used in the sampling and analytical works. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate a degree of contamination before laboratory works by conducting a prior check any possible contaminations in all experimental tools and apparatus. It is also necessary to devise a method to avoid a tool, if possible, or to use a substitute of phthalate free. If the use of any plastic tool to cause contamination is inevitable, it should be properly corrected with a blank level, as is equally treated as the sample. The clean-up process demonstrated in this study can give us a significant benefit in terms of the quantity and quality of a target compound by GC/MS analysis.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.186-196
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• 2020

A simple and rapid preconcentration method of actinide from seawater using Actinide resin was developed and tested with the seawater spiked with a known U and Th. The developed method of Actinide resin based on column chromatography is less time-consuming and requires less labor compared with a typical co-precipitation technique for preconcentration of actinides. U and Th, which are relatively weak-bonded with Actinide resin among actinides, were used to determine the optimum flow rate of seawater sample and evaluate the capacity of Actinide resin to concentrate actinides from seawater. A flow rate of 50 mL min^-1 was available with Actinide resin 2 mL (BV, bed volume). When 5 or 10 L of seawater containing U were loaded on Actinide resin (2 mL, BV) at 50 mL min^-1, the recovery of U was 93 % and 86 %, respectively. For extraction of actinides bound with Actinide resin, we compared three methods: solvent extraction, ashing-acid digestion, and ashing-microwave digestion. Ashing-microwave digestion method shows the best performance of which is the recovery of 100 % for U and 81 % for Th. For the preconcentration of actinides in 200 L of seawater, a typical coprecipitation method requires 2-3 days, but the developed method in this study is achieved the high recovery of actinides within 12 h.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.103-108
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• 2014

Using dried sludge as a secondary fuel of a coal-fired power plant is proposed as an alternative option for sludge disposal. Because elemental contents of sludge are different from those of coal, different levels of acidic gas emissions are expected from the co-combustion of sludge with coal. In this study, sludge samples were obtained from 7 sewage treatment plants in Korea. Each sludge sample was combusted together with coal in a lab-scale combustor, and the concentrations of nitrogen oxides ($NO_x$), sulfur dioxide ($SO_2$), hydrogen chloride (HCl), chlorine ($Cl_2$) in the flue gas were analyzed. Compared to the combustion of coal only, $NO_x$ concentration was slightly higher in the flue gas from the co-combustion of coal and sludge. $SO_2$ emission increased with the combustion of sludge due to the higher content of sulfur in sludge than in coal. For most of the tested samples, the concentrations of HCl and $Cl_2$ were varied depending on the chlorine content in the sludge sample.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.335-344
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• 2020

This work describes highly efficient recovery and selective leaching of Zn from electric arc furnace dust (EAFD) with different physicochemical properties, induced by acid leaching at ambient conditions. The chemical compositions, mineralogical phases, and particle sizes of the EAFDs were analyzed and compared. The effects of leaching time, liquid/solid ratio, acid type, and acid concentration on the selective leaching of Zn were also studied. The EAFD with high Fe/Zn ratio (> 1, EAFD₃) was richer in ZnFe₂O₄ and exhibited larger particle size than samples with low Fe/Zn ratio (< 1, EAFD_1,2). ANOVA analysis revealed that the Fe/Zn ratios of the EAFDs also have a significant effect on Zn extraction (p < 0.005). Selective leaching of Zn with minimum Fe dissolution was obtained at pH > 4.5, regardless of other parameters or sample properties. The maximum Zn extraction rate obtained by the pH control was over 97% for EAFD₁ and EAFD₂, 76% for EAFD₃, and 80% for EAFD₄. The present results confirm that the Fe/Zn ratio can be used to identify EAFDs that permits facile and high-yield Zn recovery, and pH can be used as a process control factor for selective leaching of Zn regardless of any differences in the properties of the EAFD sample.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.26
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• pp.12.1-12.7
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• 2011

Objectives: Perchlorate is an emerging contaminant that is found everywhere, including various foods. Perchlorate is known to disturb the production of thyroid hormones and leads to mental disorders in fetuses and infants, as well as metabolic problems in adults. In this study, we attempted to establish an LC-MS/MS method for measuring perchlorate in dairy products and used this developed method to investigate perchlorate levels in Korean milk and yogurt samples. Methods: The developed method of perchlorate analysis requires a shaker and 1% acetic acid/acetonitrile as the extracting solvent. Briefly, the samples were extracted and then centrifuged (4000 rpm, 1hour), and the supernatant was then passed through a $Envi^{TM}$ Carb SPE cartridge that had been prewashed sequentially with 6 mL of acetonitrile and 6 mL of 1% acetic acid in water. The final volume of the sample extract was adjusted to 40 mL with reagent water and the final sample was filtered through a 0.20-${\mu}m$ pore size PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) syringe filter prior to LC-MS/MS. Results: The average levels of perchlorate in milk and yogurt samples were $5.63{\pm}3.49\;{\mu}g/L$ and $3.65{\pm}2.42\;{\mu}g/L$, respectively. The perchlorate levels observed in milk samples in this study were similar to those reported from China, Japan, and the United States. Conclusions: The exposure of Koreans to perchlorate through the consumption of dairy products was calculated based on the results of this study. For all age groups, the calculated exposure to perchlorate was below the reference of dose (0.7 ${\mu}g/kg$-day) proposed by the National Academy of Science, USA, but the perchlorate exposure of children was higher than that of adults. Therefore, further investigation of perchlorate in other food samples is needed to enable a more exact assessment of exposure of children to perchlorate.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.511-519
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• 2019

Objectives: The standard method for the enumeration of environmental Legionella is culturing, which has several disadvantages, including long incubation and poor sensitivity. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the usefulness of real-time PCR and to improve the standard method. Methods: In 200 environmental water samples, a real-time PCR and culture were conducted to detect and quantify Legionella. Using with the results of the survey, we compared the real-time PCR with the culture. Results: Each real-time PCR assay had 100% specificity and excellent sensitivity (5 GU/reaction). In the culture, 36 samples were positive and 164 samples were negative. Based on the results of the culture, real-time PCR showed a high negative predictive value of 99%, 35 samples were true positive, 105 samples were true negative, 59 samples were false positive and one sample was a false negative. Quantitative analysis of the two methods indicated a weak linear correlation ($r^2=0.29$, $r^2=0.61$, respectively). Conclusions: Although it is difficult to directly apply quantitative analysis results of real-time PCR in the enumeration of environmental Legionella, it can be used as a complementary means of culturing to rapidly screen negative samples and to improve the accuracy of diagnosis.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.23 no.12
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• pp.2035-2044
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• 2014

Taking sample processes from the combined heat and power plant in Busan Fashion Color Industry Complex, the characteristics and amounts of greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions were analysed and calculated, respectively. Based on the results, environmental assessment was evaluated for recent 3 years. The amounts of GHG emissions from 2011 to 2013 were estimated at 182,750, 184,384 and 190,250 $Ton.CO_2eq/year$, respectively. GHG emissions from stationary combustion sources were found to be more than 99 % of the total emissions. Also, the overall eco-efficiency indicator for environmental assessment was more than 1, suggesting that these results would be beneficial for GHG emissions allowance allocations.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.159-166
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• 2003

This research for replacement of chlorine or sulfur based EP(extreme pressure) -additives which is restricted materials by environmental regulation. The subject of this study is as follows, 4-ball test and friction coefficient test were experimented in accordance with temperature and velocity, compounding with several organic or inorganic metallic elements. After 4-ball test, wear area of steel ball was analysed by SEM-EDX. As the analysis, organic and inorganic elements make a effect for extreme pressure lubricity. It is shown that the friction coefficient of lubricant which includes chlorine or sulfur additives, the scoring phenomenon is found accord-ing to temperature and the scuffing phenomenon at 200$^{\circ}C$. Applying to Na, P, S, Zn, Ca based on inorganic and organic elements, the result showed that friction coefficient is decreased more and more, as increasing temperature of lubricant. The additive based on S, Cl, P elements is effect far extreme pressure in the sample#1 and Na, P, S, Zn, Ca in sample #2. These elements are environmental contaminants and S, Cl based on EP additives which are very popular in domestic industry, when they are properly composed with non-chlorine based on additives and Na, P, S, Zn, Ca organic or inorganic elements. It is showed that lubricity and excellent anti-wear properties.