• Toxicological Research
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.293-300
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• 2010

tert-Butyl acetate (TBAc) is an organic solvent, which is commonly used in architectural coatings and industrial solvents. It has recently been exempted from the definition of a volatile organic compound (VOC) by the Air Resources Board (ARB). Since the use of TBAc as a substitute for other VOCs has increased, thus its potential risk in humans has also increased. However, its inhalation toxicity data in the literature are very limited. Hence, inhalation exposure to TBAc was carried out to investigate its toxic effects in this study. Adult male rats were exposed to TBAc for 4 h for 1 day by using a nose-only inhalation exposure chamber (low dose, $2370\;mg/m^3$ (500 ppm); high dose, $9482\;mg/m^3$ (2000 ppm)). Shamtreated control rats were exposed to clean air in the inhalation chamber for the same period. The animals were killed at 2, 7, and 15 days after exposure. At each time point, body weight measurement, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) analysis, histopathological examination, and biochemical assay were performed. No treatment-related abnormal effects were observed in any group according to time course. Based on those findings, the median lethal concentration ($LC_{50}$) of TBAc was over $9482\;mg/m^3$ in this study. According to the MSDS, the 4 h $LC_{50}$ for TBAc for rats is over $2230\;mg/m^3$. We suggested that this value is changed and these findings may be applied in the risk assessment of TBAc which could be beneficial in a sub-acute study.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.261-267
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• 1996

This experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of various fertilizers on the growth and yield of tree peony Moutan cortex RADICIS from 1990 to 1994. The paeonol content, a main medical ingredient of tree peony, was 0.5% in the control, and the contents of the chemical fertilizer(N-P-K) and the two-kind compound fertilizer treatments were $0.26{\sim}0.41%$, and those were lower than $0.40{\sim}0.45$ of the compost, the fowl dropping manure and the organic fertilizer treatments. The weights off dry root(radix) rind were increased by 42% in the fowl dropping manure treatment and by 49% in the compost treatment compared with 151kg/10a in the control. All things considered, compost, fowl dropping manure and organic fertilizer were more effective than chemical fertilizers for the culture of tree peony.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.93-99
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• 2000

Treatment of shaving scrap, a chrome containing solid scrap generated by leather manufacturing process, has been so far depended on mainly incineration, soil landfill and ocean dumping, which give bad impact on environment and cause pollution. Shaving scrap generates from the mechanical work for controlling the final thickness of leather and its main components are collagen protein and pan of chromium compound. For the purpose of reusing this leather waste as resources, researches in connection with collagen fiber recovery, gelable protein recovery and liquid fertilizer is being speedily progressed. In the experiment, shaving scrap went through wet pulverizing treatment by physical and chemical methods. Then, making the leather sheet evenly, it is mixed with natural latex and every kind of binding materials in the container, and the mixtures were passed through experimental hydraulic press machine and applied to Fourdrinier machine respectively. Lastly, a test for fading out physical strength and properties of multiple-purpose of leather-like material was performed on a continuous leather sheet prepared by the experiment. In result, the physical strength and properties of leather-like material showed noticeable differences according to mixing ratio of binding materials, beating methods and the Ends of binding materials selected, and generally tear strength was the weakest property among others. Also, by the pilot scale experiment in sequence, it was possible to manufacture recycled goods made of soft and hard types of leather-like material with various performances.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.200-211
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• 2011

In this study, 13 compounds including four volatile fatty acids (VFA) and nine volatile organic compounds (VOC) were analyzed by cryogenic trapping-thermal desorption technique. In order to evaluate the analytical method for VFA, calibration experiments were performed using five different sorbent materials. When the calibration results are compared between different sorbents, sampling tube filled with Carbopack X showed the highest response factor (RF) for both VFA and VOC. To validate this new analytical method for VFA using cryogenic trapping-thermal desorption technique, this method was compared with alkali absorption method recommended by the odor prevention law of the Korea Ministry of Environment (KMOE). For this purpose, unknown samples were analyzed by two different methods, i.e., cryogenic trapping-thermal desorption (TD) and alkali absorption with solid phase microextraction (SPME). When the results of two different methods were compared, ratios of concentrations determined by the two analytical methods (TD/SPME) was found as 0.46 (valeric acid) ~ 0.71 (isovaleric acid). Therefore, additional study is required to properly establish and find stable analytical conditions for VFA analysis. Furthermore, comparison between two different methods should be made with more reliable calibration approaches.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.337-343
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• 2007

The reforming catalyst and the electrodes in fuel cells can be poisoned by the organic sulfur compound which is added as an odorant for checking out the leakage of natural gas, and that makes a big problem of system degradation. In this study, various adsorbents, such as silica, ${\gamma}$-alumina, activated carbon, HZSM-5, Ultra-stable Y zeolite (USY), and beta zeolite (BEA), were utilized to remove tetra-hydrothiophene (THT) and tert-butylmercaptan (TBM), and to confirm the performance in the adsorption of those odorants by using a continuous adsorptive bed. The effects of Si/Al ratio of zeolites, adsorption temperature and the type of balance gas (methane or He) on the adsorption performance in the packed bed have been investigated. In addition, the competitive adsorption between TBM and THT on the adsorbents was also estimated. The result shows that H-type BEA zeolite exhibited the highest adsorption capacity for TBM and THT odorant, and the higher amount of THT was removed adsorptively on the same adsorbent than TBM. The physical and chemical adsorption of those compounds on acid sites of zeolite were confirmed by temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and infrared spectrum (IR) analyses.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.519-525
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• 2008

Biodegradation of toluene, styrene and hydrogen sulfide as model compounds of volatile organic compounds and odor from waste gas was investigated experimentally in a biotrickling filter. This study focussed on the description of experimental results with regard to operating conditions. The effect of varying $H_2S$ load rate and inlet concentration was investigated under autotropic and mixotropic environmental conditions. The $H_2S$ removal efficiencies of greater than 99% were achieved at $H_2S$ loads below $10g/m^3{\cdot}hr$ for each environment. It was observed that the maximum elimination capacity of mixotrophic filter was achieved a little greater than the one of autotrophic filter. The biofiltration of toluene and styrene in trickling bed was examined under different gas flow rates, load rates, and inlet concentrations. Below $40g/m^3{\cdot}hr$ of toluene loading, the elimination capacity and loading were identical and it was completely destroyed. In high loading of toluene, the biotrickling filter was operated at its maximum elimination capacity. In the inlet concentration of 0.2, 0.5, and $1.0g/m^3$, the maximum elimination capacity of toluene showed 40, 45, and $60g/m^3{\cdot}hr$, respectively. After a short adaptation period, it was demonstrated that the results of styrene in originally toluene adapted bioreactor was similar with the ones of toluene. However, the performance of filer for styrene is generally a little lower than for toluene. The operating conditions (including liquid flow rate etc.) allowing the highest removal efficiency should be determined experimentally for each specific case.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.799-807
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• 2006

The catalytic activity of $Pt/{\gamma}-Al_2O_3$ catalysts for the oxidation of toluene and toluene+xylene mixture was investigated in the microreactor of fixed-bed type. The calcination temperatures and loadings of $Pt/{\gamma}-Al_2O_3$ catalysts played the important role in the activity of catalysts for the oxidation of toluene. The increasing calcination temperatures and loadings of $Pt/{\gamma}-Al_2O_3$ catalysts increased the crystallite size of the platinum to result in the higher oxidation activity of catalysts. The catalytic activity for the toluene oxidation over $Pt/{\gamma}-Al_2O_3$ catalysts turned out to be increasing in the order of $500^{\circ}C\;<\;800^{\circ}C<600^{\circ}C\;<\;700^{\circ}C$ for calcination temperatures and 0.1 wt% < 0.3 wt% < 1.0 wt% for platinum loadings, respectively. The 1.0 wt% $Pt/{\gamma}-Al_2O_3$ catalysts calcined at $700^{\circ}C$ for 3 hrs in the air showed the highest activity for the oxidation of the toluene. The decrease of oxidation activity of $Pt/{\gamma}-Al_2O_3$ catalysts calcined at $800^{\circ}C$ might result from the decrease of active sites by sintering of platinum metals as well as ${\gamma}-Al_2O_3$ supports. The 1.0wt% $Pt/{\gamma}-Al_2O_3$ catalyst showed the activity from the lower temperature at $120^{\circ}C$, reached the light-off temperature ($T_{50%}$) at $180^{\circ}C$, and leveled off its activity at $340^{\circ}C$ with the conversion of 100% 'Mutual promotion' effects were observed for the binary mixture of toluene and xylene. The activity of the easy-to-oxidize toluene was slightly increased with the existence of the xylene. It might suggest the different mechanism for the oxidation of toluene and xylene on the $Pt/{\gamma}-Al_2O_3$ catalysts on different sites, and its reaction of gaseous oxygen.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.497-507
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• 2011

This research studied human health risk assessment of benzene from industrial complexes of Chungcheong Province (Seosan industrial complex) and Jeonla Province (Iksan industrial complex and Yeosoo industrial complex). The residents near the industrial complexes areas can be often exposed to volatile organic compounds (e.g., benzene, toluene, xylenes) through a number of exposure pathways, including inhalation of the organic pollutant via various environmental matrices (air, water and soil), contaminated water, and soil intake. Benzene is well known to be a common carcinogenic and toxic compound that is produced from industrial and oil refinery complexes. In this study, a number of samples from water, air, and soil were taken from the residential settings and public school zones located near the industrial complex sites. Based on the carcinogenic risk assessment, the risk estimates were slightly above $10{\times}10^{-6}$ at all three industrial sites. According to deterministic risk assessment, inhalation was the most important route. The distribution of benzene in the environment would be dependent on vapor pressure, and the physical property influencing the extent of the potential risks. Non-carcinogenic risk assessment of benzene shows that the values of Hazard Index(HI) were much lower than 1.0 at all industrial complexes. Therefore, benzene was not a cause of concern in terms of non-carcinogenic risk posed to the residents near the sites. When compared to probabilistic risk assessment, the CTE(central tendency exposure) cancer risk values of deterministic risk assessment were close to the mean values predicted by the probabilistic risk assessment. The RME(reasonable maximum exposure) values fell within the range of 95% to 99.9% estimated by the probabilistic risk assessment. Since the values of carcinogenic risk assessment were higher than $10{\times}10^{-6}$, further detailed monitoring and refined risk assessment for benzene may be warranted to estimate more reliable and potential inhalation risks to receptors near the industrial complexes.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.361-368
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• 2015

In this study, the fermentation characteristics of Yakju were investigated by addition of protein and lipid. These are classified according to raw material (rice, glucose) and inducing substance (rice protein, rice lipid). Alcoholic fermentation occurred at $25^{\circ}C$, after 14 days. The results of this study were as follows: Alcohol content of Yakju with rice protein was higher than those of other samples. The pH and glucose of rice Yakju were detemied to be 4.86~5.13 and 4.17~4.86, respectively. Titratable acid and the total amino acid content of the Yakju with rice protein were the highest among other samples. The optical density contents of the rice Yakju and glucose Yakju were 0.52~0.653 and 0.27~0.61, respectively. The concentration of organic acids in rice Yakju (433.98~519.31 mg%) was higher than that of glucose Yakju (303.76~387.50 mg%). The major organic acid components of the Yakju were succinic, citric, acetic and lactic acids. The nitrogen compound concentrations of rice Yakju (4377.38~10208.06 ppm) was higher than that of glucose Yakju (671.20~9368.93 ppm). The protein odor correlation coefficient was 0.98 (p<0.001) showing a very high correlation coefficient, while lipid odor coefficient showed a negative correlation with -0.038 (p<0.458).

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.342-347
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• 2013

In recent years, polyphenol-rich herbs, fruits and processed foods, which are made of plant origin, have attracted much attention due to their potential health benefits. Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is an important source of bioactive compounds and has been used to treat diseases because of its medicinal properties. This research was focused on characterizing Korea's national cultivar and a similar product from California, USA. To evaluate their bioactive compounds and pharmacological activities, their anti-oxidation and cancer inhibition properties, as well as their organic acid and free sugar contents, were investigated. The national cultivar had low total sugar and high organic acid contents, contrary to the imported product. The results showed that the peel of national cultivar had high polyphenol and ellagic acid contents compared to imported product. The free radical scavenging capacity was evaluated via 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and its positive correlation with the total polyphenol contents was found. The anti-cancer activity of methanol extracts revealed growth inhibition against the prostate cancer cell. These results signify that while pomegranate, national cultivar, is more sour than the imported product, its health benefits could be excellent. Also, the polyphenol compound content of the non-edible part (such as the peel and the seed) was higher than that of the juice. Thus, it is suggested that the byproduct of the juice extraction could be potentially used in other fields such as medicine or dietary agents.