• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.127-142
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• 2013

In order to investigate the significance of "salting-out" and "pore swelling" effects on the nanofiltration of neutral solutes, rejection properties of two NF ceramic and polymeric membranes were studied with single polyethyleneglycol (PEG) solution and mixed PEG/inorganic electrolyte solutions. For both membranes, the rejection rate of PEG was found to decrease significantly in the presence of ions. In the case of the ceramic membrane (rigid pores), this phenomenon was imputed to the sole partial dehydration of PEG molecules induced by the surrounding ions. This assumption was confirmed by the lowering of the PEG rejection rates which followed the Hofmeister series. Experimental data were used to compute the resulting decrease in the Stokes radius of PEG molecules in the presence of the various salts. Concerning the polymeric membrane, the decrease in the rejection rate was found to be systematically higher than for the ceramic membrane. The additional decrease was then ascribed to the swelling of the pores. The experimental data of rejection rates were then used to compute the variation in the mean pore radius in the presence of the various salts. The pore swelling phenomenon due to accumulation of counterions inside pores was supported by electrokinetic charge density measurements.

• Proceedings of the Membrane Society of Korea Conference
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• 1998.04a
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• pp.83-86
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• 1998

1. Introduction : Low molecular harmful organics such as 1-naphthol and phenol are widely used in industries, and pose serious environmental problems. Wastewater containing low molecular harmful organics may be ejected from various sources including metal-plating industries, circuit-board manufacturing process, photographic and photo-processing industries, refineries and metal-tailing leachate. The pollution of nation harbors, waterways and ground water resources with these organics has reached critical portions, and might also give hazardous influence on human health. Micellar enhanced ultrafiltration(MEUF) is a recently developed process to remove dissolved organics and/or heavy metals present in small or trace quantities from aqueous solution. In this system, the fatal defect is leakage of surfactants especially at low concentration below CMC(critical micelle concentration), which becomes a secondary pollution. Our group proposed to use biosurfactant and polymeric micelle to solve problems mentioned above. In this study we investigated a modified MEUF using PEO-PPO-PEO (polyethyleneoxide-polypropyleneoxide-polyethyleneoxide) block copolymers for the removal of organic solutes such as 1-naphthol and phenol from aqueous wastewater. We proposed PEO-PPO-PEO block copolymers as new surfactants for forming micelles in MEUF, and investigated the solubilization characteristics and efficiency for the removal of 1-naphthol and phenol. PEO-PPO-PEO block copolymers are, environmentally mild and safe as biosurfactants.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2019

Saline soils comprise more than half a billion hectares worldwide. Thus, they warrant attention for their efficient, economical, and environmentally acceptable management. Halophytes are being progressively utilized for human benefits. The halophyte microbiome contributes significantly to plant performance and can provide information regarding complex ecological processes involved in the osmoregulation of halophytes. Microbial communities associated with the rhizosphere, phyllosphere, and endosphere of halophytes play an important role in plant health and productivity. Members of the plant microbiome belonging to domains Archaea, Bacteria, and kingdom Fungi are involved in the osmoregulation of halophytes. Halophilic microorganisms principally use compatible solutes, such as glycine, betaine, proline, trehalose, ectoine, and glutamic acid, to survive under salinity stress conditions. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) enhance plant growth and help to elucidate tolerance to salinity. Detailed studies of the metabolic pathways of plants have shown that plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria contribute to plant tolerance by affecting the signaling network of plants. Phytohormones (indole-3-acetic acid and cytokinin), 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase biosynthesis, exopolysaccharides, halocins, and volatile organic compounds function as signaling molecules for plants to elicit salinity stress. This review focuses on the functions of plant microbiome and on understanding how the microorganisms affect halophyte health and growth.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.297-303
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• 2009

Solvent extraction experiments of cupric and cuprous chloride with Alamine336 have been performed from HCl solution. In order to identify the solvent extraction reaction, distribution diagram of cupric and cuprous species with HCl concentration was obtained by considering complex formation reaction and the activity coefficient of solutes with Pitzer equation. Analysis of the solvent extraction data by graphical method together with the distribution diagram of copper indicated that solvent extraction reaction of copper with Alamine336 depends on HCl concentration. In strong HCl solution of 3 and 5 M, ${CuCl_4}^{2-}$ and ${CuCl_3}^{2-}$ took part in the solvent extraction reaction as Cu(II) and Cu(I), respectively. When HCl concentration was 1 M, ${CuCl_2}^-$ was extracted into the organic phase in the case of Cu(I) while adduct formation between $Cu^{2+}$ and Alamine336 was responsible for the solvent extraction reaction of Cu(II).

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.11-21
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• 2022

Sorption of phenanthrene (PHE) and pyrene (PYR) in several sorbents, i.e., natural soil, BionSoil^®, Pahokee peat, vermicompost and Devonian Ohio Shale and a surfactant (hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium chloride)-modified montmorillonite (HDTMA-M) were investigated. Pyrene exhibited higher sorption tendency than phenanthrene, as predicted by its higher octanol to water partition coefficient (K_ow). Several sorption models: linear, Freundlich, solubility-normalized Freundlich model, and Polanyi-Manes model (PMM) were used to analyze sorption isotherms. Linear isotherms were observed for natural soil, BionSoil^®, Pahokee peat, vermicompost, while nonlinear Freundlich isotherms fitted for Ohio shale and HDTMA-M. The relationship between sorption model parameters, organic carbon content (f_oc), and elemental C/N ratio was studied. In the binary competitive sorption of phenanthrene and pyrene in natural soil, competition between the solutes caused reduction in the sorption of each solute compared with that in the single-solute system. The ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST) coupled with the single-solute Freundlich model was not successful in describing the binary competitive sorption equilibria. This was due to the inherent nature of linear sorption of phenanthrene and pyrene in natural soil. The result indicates that the applicability of IAST for the prediction of binary competitive sorption is limited when the sorption isotherms are inherently linear.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.38 no.8
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• pp.562-569
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• 1994

The retention data of twenty one monosubstituted phenols in the eluent systems containing 30∼70% of methanol or acetonitrile as organic modifiers, on $ C_{18}$ and Phenyl columns were collected to investigate the effect of the substituted groups on the retention of phenols. The capacity factors of the solutes except amino phenols are greater on $ C_{18}$ than on Phenyl column. And all the solutes have shown greater capacity factors in methanol-water than that in acetonitrile-water as a mobile phase. Generally the elution order between meta and para isomers of monosubstituted phenols in consistent (p < m) regardless of the polarity of the substituted group. But the elution order between ortho and meta isomers of phenol varies with regard to the polarity of the substituted group. The retention of the monosubstituted phenols has been influenced by the interaction between the solute and unreacted silanol of columns as well as the interaction between the solute and $ C_{18}$ or phenyl group of columns. And then, the effect of unreacted silanol on the retention of the monosubstituted phenols is greater on $ C_{18}$ than on Phenyl column. And the greater hydrogen bonding acceptor basicity(${\beta}$) of the substituted group is, the greater this effect is. The relationship between the retention of the monosubstituted phenols and their parameters such as van der Waals volume(VWV) and hydrogen bonding acceptor basicity(${\beta}$) has been investigated. The good linearity has been observed in the plot log k' vs. (1.01VWV/100-1.84${\beta}$). In consequence, the retention of the monosubstituted phenols on $ C_{18}$ and Phenyl columns can be easily predicted by the parameter (1.01VWV/100-1.84${\beta}$).

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.12 no.8
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• pp.3532-3540
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• 2011

In order to improve flux of PTMSP/PDMS dense membrane, PTMSP/PDMS-PEI composite membrane with PEI support was prepared by phase inversion process and dip coating. These membranes were evaluated in terms of the removal of volatile organic compounds such as PCE, TCE, chloroform, 1,1,1-trichloroethane from wastewater by pervaporation. The selectivity and flux of PTMSP/PDMS dense membranes was in the range of 216.2 to 2394.4 and 244.3 to 428.2g/m2h, respectively. And pervaporation property of PTMSP/PDMS-PEI composite membrane was in the range of 215.5 to 2404.2 and 390.4 to 728.6g/m2h, respectively. PTMSP/PDMS-PEI composite membrane has remarkably greater flux than dense membranes with similar selectivity. It was possible for polymeric membranes used in this study to remove PCE selectively which is dissolved small quantity in water among other separable solutes. PTMSP/PDMS-PEI composite membrane showed the best performances among the silicone polymeric membranes, and has better durability and mechanical strength than dense membranes. PTMSP/PDMS-PEI composite membrane should be a useful candidate for the removal of volatile organic compounds dissolved in wastewater.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.38-44
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• 2005

In addition to the variation in nitrate accumulation of vegetables due to environmental conditions, there is also a distinct genetic variation. The variation of nitrate accumulation in some cultivars of lettuce and spinach commonly cultivated in Korea was investigated. Ten cultivars for both lettuce and spinach were grown in plastic containers filled with a 1:1 mixture of perlite and vermiculite with application of Hoagland No. 2 nutrient solution of high nitrate content (17.3 mM N) in a greenhouse condition. Plants were harvested four weeks after transplanting four-leaf stage seedlings. Plant growth was measured by fresh and dry matter of shoot, and contents of nitrate and other inorganic ions and organic solutes including sugar, amino acids and organic acids were measured. Large and significant genotypical variations in the nitrate content of the plants were found for both lettuce and spinach, and high negative correlations between nitrate content and fresh or dry weight were found in lettuce and spinach. Variation in nitrate accumulation of lettuce and spinach cultivars was not directly related to the differences in contents of organic and inorganic solutes, and this result indicates that photosynthesis and osmotic regulation are not directly related with the nitrate accumulation. Considering the correlations between nitrate content and plant growth of this study, it can be simply suggested that different cultivars of lettuce and spinach have their own inherited growth and physiological characteristics and also optimum nitrogen level required for the growth. Therefore when available nitrogen in root media is higher than the optimum level required for the inherited growth potential, some of the excess nitrate supplied can be accumulated in plants.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.397-406
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• 2000

In order to clarify the ecophysiological characteristics of Chenopodiaceae which widely distribute on saline and arid habitats, we collected 10 chenopodiaceous plant species, examined their inorganic and organic solute patterns, and confirmed several common physiological characteristics. In spite of high soil Ca/sup 2＋/ contents, chenopodiaceous plants had a little water-soluble Ca within cells, but contained high contents of acid-soluble Ca particularly as a result of Ca-oxalate formation. These plant species also showed accumulation of inorganic ions such as K/sup ＋/, NO₃/sup －/ and Cl/sup －/, and Na/sup ＋/especially in saline habitats instead of K/sup ＋/ Meanwhile, with respect to nitrogen metabolism they retained high N contents in leaves, but showed very low amino acid contents. Additionally, they contained very little proline known to act as a cytoplasmic osmolyte. To ascertain whether this physiological characteristics in the field also can be found under controlled conditions, 7 chenopodiaceous plants (Atriplex gmelini, Corispermum stauntonii, Salicornia herbacea, Suaeda aspayagoides, Suaeda japonica, Chenopodium album var. centrorubrum, C. serotinum) were selected and cultivated under salt treatments. As well as field-grown plants, selected plant species showed similar solute pattern in growth experiment. In summary, the family of Chenopodiaceae represents the following physiological properties; high storage capacity for inorganic ions (especially alkali cations, nitrate and chloride), oxalate synthesis to maintain lower soluble Ca contents within cytoplasm, and low contents of amino acids. In addition to some characteristics mentioned above, the physiological plasticities of Chenopodiaceae which can properly regulate their ion and solute pattern according to soil conditions may enable its representative to grow in dry sand dune and salt marsh habitats.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.420-426
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• 2017

Recently, solvent-resistant nanofiltration membranes have been studied for the separation of solvents or solutes using a molecular weight cut-off system of the polymer which is resistant to a specific solvent. Required conditions for these membranes must have are excellent physical properties and solvent resistance. Polybenzimidazole, which is known to be one of the most heat-resistant commercially available polymers, has an excellent inherent solvent resistance and it is even insoluble in stronger organic solvents when cross-linked. Therefore, in this study, the applicability of polybenzimidazole as a solvent resistant nanofiltration membrane was discussed. The membrane was fabricated using the non-solvent induced phase separation method and showed a suitable morphology as a nanofiltration membrane confirmed by field emission scanning electron microscopy. In addition, the permeance of the solvent in the presence or absence of cross-linking was investigated and the stability was also confirmed through long operation. The permeance test was carried out with five different solvents: water, ethanol, benzene, N, N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) and n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP); each of the initial flux was $6500L/m^2h$ (water, 2 bar), $720L/m^2h$ (DMAc, 5 bar), $185L/m^2h$ (benzene, 5 bar), $132L/m^2h$ (NMP, 5 bar), $65L/m^2h$ (ethanol, 5 bar) and the pressure between 2 and 5 bar was applied depending on the type of membrane.