• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제33권6호
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• pp.1967-1971
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• 2012

A hexavalent chromium (Cr (VI)) is one of the hazardous substances regulated by the RoHS. The determination of Cr (VI) in various polymers and printed circuit board (PCB) has been very important. In this study, the three different analytical methods were investigated for the determination of a hexavalent chromium in Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene copolymer (ABS) and PCB. The results by three analytical methods were obtained and compared. An analytical method by UV-Visible spectrometer has been generally used for the determination of Cr (VI) in a sample, but a hexavalent chromium should complex with diphenylcarbazide for the detection in the method. The complexation did make an adverse effect on the quantitative analysis of Cr (VI) in ABS. The analytical method using diphenylcarbazide was also not applicable to printed circuit board (PCB) because PCB contained lots of irons. The irons interfered with the analysis of hexavalent chromium because those also could complex with diphenylcarbazide. In this study, hexavalent chromiums in PCB have been separated by ion chromatography (IC), then directly and selectively detected by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The quantity of Cr (VI) in PCB was 0.1 mg/kg.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.547-554
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• 2012

Chromium is generated from several industrial processes. It occurs in different oxidation states, but Cr(III) and Cr(VI) are the most common ones. Cr(VI) is a toxic, soluble environmental contaminant. Some bacteria are able to reduce hexavalent chromium to the insoluble and less toxic Cr(III), and thus chromate bioremediation is of considerable interest. An indigenous chromium-reducing bacterial strain, Rb-2, isolated from a tannery water sample, was identified as Ochrobactrum intermedium, on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The influence of factors like temperature of incubation, initial concentration of Cr, mobility of bacteria, and different carbon sources were studied to test the ability of the bacterium to reduce Cr(VI) under variable environmental conditions. The ability of the bacterial strain to reduce hexavalent chromium in artificial and industrial sewage water was evaluated. It was observed that the mechanism of resistance to metal was not due to the change in the permeability barrier of the cell membrane, and the enzyme activity was found to be inductive. Intracellular reduction of Cr(VI) was proven by reductase assay using cell-free extract. Scanning electron microscopy revealed chromium precipitates on bacterial cell surfaces, and transmission electron microscopy showed the outer as well as inner distribution of Cr(VI). This bacterial strain can be useful for Cr(VI) detoxification under a wide range of environmental conditions.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제32권9호
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• pp.3437-3442
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• 2011

An on-line flow injection analysis with dual pre-concentration method was developed to determine the ultra trace tri and hexavalent chromium in water. In this system, the cation and anion pre-concentration columns were combined with a 10-port injection valve and then used to separate and concentrate Cr (III) and Cr (VI) selectively. The two species of concentrated chromium were sequentially eluted and determined by using HCl-KCl buffer of pH 1.8 as an eluent. Cr (III) was oxidized by hydrogen peroxide to Cr (VI). It was detected spectrophotometrically at 548 nm by complexation with DPC (diphenylcarbazide). Several factors such as concentration of $H_2O_2$, DPC and coil length in reaction condition were optimized. The linear range for Cr (III) and Cr (VI) was 0.1-50 ${\mu}g$/L. The limit of detections ($3{\sigma}$) of Cr (III) and Cr (VI) were 52 ng/L and 44 ng/L under the optimized FIA system, and their recoveries 98% and 103%, respectively. This method was applied to analyze contamination level of chromium species in tap water, groundwater and bottled water.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제33권11호
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• pp.3691-3695
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• 2012

Photocatalytic reduction of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) in ferric-tartrate system under irradiation of visible light was investigated. Effects of light resources, initial pH value and initial concentration of various reactants on Cr(VI) photocatalytic reduction were studied. Photoreaction kinetics was discussed and a possible photochemical pathway was proposed. The results indicate that Fe(III)-tartrate system is able to rapidly and effectively photocatalytically reduce Cr(VI) utilizing visible light. Initial pH variations resulte in the concentration changes of Fe(III)-tartrate complex in this system, and pH at 3.0 is optimal for Cr(VI) photocatalytic reduction. Efficiency of Cr(VI) photocatalytic reduction increases with increasing initial concentrations of Cr(VI), Fe(III) and tartrate. Kinetics analysis indicates that initial Fe(III) concentration affects Cr(VI) photoreduction most significantly.

• 한국환경보건학회지
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.41-49
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• 2002

Recently, pilot studies showed an evidence of reduction of airborne hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), on PVC filter during air sampling and storage. However, the information on this in the field was limited. Thus, we studied the reduction behaviors of airborne Cr(VI) on PVC filters during sampling and storage at three field electroplating operations. Regression between sampling time and the reduction (ratio of Cr(VI) to total Cr concentrations) was not statistically significant (p>0.05). However, the reductions in samples collected for 240 ～ 340 minutes were significantly higher than those for 30 - 60 minutes. On the other hand, another experiment showed a good correlation (r=0.96) between sampling time and the reduction without an exceptional value. Storage temperature was not a factor affecting the reduction of Cr(VI) collected on PVC filter. The loss of Cr(VI) samples stored in alkali solution (2% NaOH/3% Na$_2$CO$_3$) was significantly lower than that stored in vial according to NIOSH method (p<0.05). Thus, dipping Cr(VI) samples into alkali solution was a storage method to minimize tile reduction.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국생물공학회 2000년도 춘계학술발표대회
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• pp.113-116
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• 2000

Hexavalent chromium was removed by means of biosorption onto the protonated brown seaweed biomass. During the biosorption Cr(VI) was reduced to Cr(III), which resulted in accumulation of Cr(III) in the solution. The Cr(VI) reduction rate increased with increases of initial Cr(VI) and biosorbent concentrations and decrease of solution pH. Based upon the experimental results at various conditions, we suggested the mechanism for the chromium removal as following serial reactions: (1) sorption of anionic Cr(VI) onto the positively charged site of biomass, (2) reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) on the positively charged site, (3) desorption of Cr(III) from the positively charged site, and (4) sorption of cationic Cr(III) onto the negatively charged site of biomass.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• 제38권1호
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• pp.36-39
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• 2000

Toxic hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), was reduced to a less toxic trivalent chromium form by E. coli ATCC 33456. The suitable electron donor for Cr(VI) reduction was glucose. E. coli ATCC 33456 was more resistant to metal cations than other reported Cr(VI) reducing microorganisms. Cell growth was inhibited by the presence of Cr(VI) in a liquid medium and Cr(VI) reduction accompanied cell growth. With a hydraulic retention time of 20 h, Cr(VI) reducing efficiency was 100% to 84% when Cr(VI) concentration in the influent was in the range of 10 to 40 mg L$\^$-1/. Specific rate of Cr(VI) reduction was 2.41 mg Cr(VI) g DCW$\^$-1/ h$\^$-1/ when 40 mg L$\^$-1/ of Cr(VI) influent was used. This result suggested the potential application of E. coli ATCC 33456 for the detoxification of Cr(VI) in Cr(VI) contaminated wastewater.

• 한국산업보건학회지
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.89-94
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• 2015

Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine characteristics of workers' exposures to airborne total and hexavalent chromium by job title in electroplating processes. Methods: Total Cr was determined through a modified method based on NIOSH Method 7024. Airborne hexavalent Cr, Cr(VI), was sampled and extracted according to NIOSH Method 7600 and analyzed at 520 nm using an ion chromatograph/visible detector. Results: The geometric mean(GM) of total Cr concentrations from all factories was $11.2{\mu}g/m^3$(GSD=4.9). The GM of Cr(VI) concentrations from all factories was $2.84{\mu}g/m$ (GSD=5.2), and the concentrations among factories were significantly different (p<0.05). The Cr(VI) levels were lower than total Cr levels. Total Cr exposure levels were highest among buffing workers ($21.6{\mu}g/m^3$), but Cr(VI) levels were highest among plating workers($4.15{\mu}g/m^3$). The concentrations of Cr(VI) and total Cr from plating tasks was highly correlated(r=0.91). Conclusions: In the electroplating industry, plating workers were mainly exposed to Cr(VI), but others were not. Oxidation-reduction states of Cr and job titles should be considered in the exposure or risk assessments of chrome electroplating factories.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.357-363
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• 2006

Chromium compounds are widely used in diverse industries including pigment manufacturing, painting, metal plating and leather tanning. With the wide uses of chromium, various adverse effects of the compounds on the environment and human health have been reported. Among them, hexavalent chromium [Cr (VI)], which is a carcinogenic heavy metal, has been widely studies. Epidemiological investigations have shown that respiratory cancers had been found in workers who had been occupationally exposed to Cr (VI). In this study, cell toxicity and induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by Cr (VI) (1, 2, 4, $8{\mu}M$) in cultured human bronchial epithelial cells were investigated. Exposure of the cells to Cr (VI) led to cell death, ROS increase, and cytosolic caspase-3 activation. The ROS increase was related with the decreased level of GSH. Chromatin condensation and fragmentation were occurred by Cr (VI) when evaluated by DAPI staining or agarose gel electrophoresis of the extracted DNA. Expression of ROS related genes including glutathione S-transferase, heme oxygenase-1, metallothionein were significantly induced in Cr (VI) treated cells. This result suggests the toxicity in cultured cells by Cr (VI) was expressed through the apoptotic process with ROS induction.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• 제35권1호
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• pp.25-29
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• 1997

Microbial reduction of hexavalent (VI) to trivalent (III) chromium decreases its toxicity by two orders of magnitude. In order to investigate the nature of Cr-reduction, Cr-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa HP014 was isolated and tested for its reduction capability. At the concentration of 0.5 mM Cr(VI), cell growth was not inhibited by the presence of Cr(VI) in a liquid medium, and Cr(VI) reduction was accompanied by ell growth. When cell-free extract was tested, the reduction of Cr(VI) showed a saturation kinetics with the maximum specific activity of 0.33 .mu.mol min$\^$-1/ mg$\^$-1/ cell protein, and an apparent K. of 1.73 mM Cr(VI). The activity required either NADH or NADPH as an electron donor. However, NADPH gave 50% as mush activity as sequently the supernatant and pelleted membrane fractions were tested for Cr(VI) reduction activity. The supernatant of the centrifugation showed almost the same Cr(VI) reduction activity as compared with that of the cell-free extract, indicating that the Cr(VI)-reducing activity of P. aeruginosa HP-14 is due to soluble enzyme. Moreover, the activity appeared to be the highest among the known activities, suggesting that the strain might be useful for remediation of Cr(VI)-contaminated sites.