• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.19-29
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• 2008

Hot air sparging is a groundwater remediation technique, in which organic contaminants volatilized into hot air from the saturated to vadose zone. In the laboratory diesel (10,000 mg TPH/kg) was spiked in contaminated saturated aquifer soil. The hot air ($34.9{\pm}2.7^{\circ}C$) was injected in intermittent (Q=1,500 mL/min, 10 minute injection and 10 minute idle) modes. We performed microcosm tests using the groundwater samples to assess TPH reductive remediation activity. For Terminal-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of eubacterial communities in sludge of wastewater treatment plants and soil of experiment site, the 16S rDNA was amplified by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) from the sludge and the soil. The obtained 16S rDNA fragments were digested with Msp I and separated by electrophoresis gel. We found various sequence types for hot air sparging experiment with sludge soil samples that were closely related to Bacillus (149 bp, Firmicutes), Methlobacterium (149 bp, Euryarchaeotes), Pseudomonas (492 bp, ${\gamma}$-Proteobacteria), etc., in the clone library. In this study we find that TPH-water was reduced to 78.9% of the initial value in this experiment aquifer. The results of the present study suggests that T-RFLP method may be applied as a useful tool for the monitoring in the TPH contaminated soil fate of microorganisms in natural microbial community.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.525-530
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• 2017

The attainment ratios of the water quality goals of the 114 mid-watershed representative stations, examined during the period2011 to 2015, were evaluated in the study. Of the four major river basins, the attainment ratio on water quality goal of the Geum River basin turned out to be the lowest. As a result of formal evaluation of the attainment ratios of BOD, COD and TOC, it was found that the attainment ratio of COD was much lower than that of BOD and TOC (I a circumstance thought to be caused by the higher COD/BOD and COD/TOC ratios of the water quality of the river than those of the environmental water quality standard). As well, higher COD/BOD and COD/TOC of wastewater discharged from point and non-point sources (other than those of the environmental water quality standards) might possibly represent one of the reasons. We also compared attainment ratio between the main stream and tributaries, which indicated that the higher attainment ratio was present in the main stream. The attainment ratio is also documented as more significant in the winter season than the summer season, possibly due to the contribution of non-point pollutants swept in by rain during the summer season during documented periods of high precipitation. Thus, water quality management in summer season and improvement of water quality of the tributaries might be important as a means of increasing attainment ratio on water quality goal.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.83-96
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• 2005

The purposes of this study were to characterize the local levels of VOCs (volatile organic compounds), to develop source profiles of VOCs, and to quantify the source contribution of VOCs using the CMB (chemical mass balance) model. The concentration of VOCs had been measured every 6-day duration in the SRO monitoring site in the Yeosu Petrochemical Industrial Complex from September 2000 to August 2002. The total of 35 target VOCs, which were included in the TO-14 designated from the U.S. EPA, was selected to be monitored in the study area. During a 24-h period, the ambient VOCs were sampled by using canisters placing about 10 ～ 15 m above the ground level. The collected canisters were then analyzed by a GC-MS in the laboratory. Aside from ambient sampling at the SRO site, the VOCs had been intensively and massively measured from 8 direct sources and 4 general sources in the study area. The results obtained in the study were as follows; first, the annual mean concentrations of the target VOCs were widely distributed regardless of monitoring sites in the Yeosu Petrochemical Industrial Complex. In particular, the concentrations of BTX (Benzene, Toluene, Xylene), vinyl chloride were higher than other target compounds. Second, based on these source sample data, source profiles for VOCs were developed to apply a receptor model, the CMB model. Third, the results of source apportionment study for the VOCs in the SRO Site were as follows; The source of petrochemical plant was apportioned by 31.3% in terms of VOCs mass. The site was also affected by 16.7% from wastewater treatment plant, 14.0% from iron mills, 8.4% from refineries, 4.4% from oil storage, 3.8% from automobiles, 2.3% from fertilizer, 2.3% from painting, 2.2% from waste incinerator, 0.6% from graphic art, and 0.4% from gasoline vapor sources.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.400-406
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• 2012

To improve the hydrogen yield from biological fermentation of organic wastewater, a co-culture system of dark- and photo-fermentation bacteria was investigated. In a pure-culture system of the dark-fermentation bacterium Clostridium butyricum, a pH of 6.25 was found to be optimal, resulting in a hydrogen production rate of 18.7 ml-$H_2/l/h$. On the other hand, the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides could produce the most hydrogen at 1.81mol-$H_2/mol$-glucose at pH 7.0. The maximum specific growth rate of R. sphaeroides was determined to be 2.93 $h^{-1}$ when acetic acid was used as the carbon source, a result that was significantly higher than that obtained using either glucose or a mixture of volatile fatty acids (VFAs). Acetic acid best supported R. sphaeroides cell growth but not hydrogen production. In the co-culture system with glucose, hydrogen could be steadily produced without any lag phase. There were distinguishable inflection points in a plot of accumulated hydrogen over time, resulting from the dynamic production or consumption of VFAs by the interaction between the dark- and photo-fermentation bacteria. Lastly, the hydrogen production rate of a repeated fed-batch run was 15.9 ml-$H_2/l/h$, which was achievable in a sustainable manner.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.668-673
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• 2012

Biohydrogen production from organic wastewater by anaerobically activated sludge fermentation has already been extensively investigated, and it is known that hydrogen can be produced by glucose fermentation through three metabolic pathways, including the oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvic acid to acetyl-CoA, oxidation of NADH to $NAD^+$, and acetogenesis by hydrogen-producing acetogens. However, the exact or dominant pathways of hydrogen production in the anaerobically activated sludge fermentation process have not yet been identified. Thus, a continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) was introduced and a specifically acclimated acidogenic fermentative microflora obtained under certain operation conditions. The hydrogen production activity and potential hydrogen-producing pathways in the acidogenic fermentative microflora were then investigated using batch cultures in Erlenmeyer flasks with a working volume of 500 ml. Based on an initial glucose concentration of 10 g/l, pH 6.0, and a biomass of 1.01 g/l of a mixed liquid volatile suspended solid (MLVSS), 247.7 ml of hydrogen was obtained after a 68 h cultivation period at $35{\pm}1^{\circ}C$. Further tests indicated that 69% of the hydrogen was produced from the oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvic acid, whereas the remaining 31% was from the oxidation of NADH to $NAD^+$. There were no hydrogen-producing acetogens or they were unable to work effectively in the anaerobically activated sludge with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of less than 8 h.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.382-389
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• 2013

Propionate is an important intermediate product during the methane fermentation of organic matter, and its degradation is crucial for maintaining the performance of an anaerobic digester. In order to understand the effect of temperature on propionate degradation, an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor with synthetic wastewater containing propionate as a sole carbon source was introduced. Under the hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 10 h and influent propionate of 2,000 mg/l condition, propionate removal was above 94% at 30-$35^{\circ}C$, whereas propionate conversion was inhibited when temperature was suddenly decreased stepwise from $30^{\circ}C$ to $25^{\circ}C$, to $20^{\circ}C$, and then to $18^{\circ}C$. After a long-term operation, the propionate removal at $25^{\circ}C$ resumed to the value at 30- $35^{\circ}C$, whereas that at $20^{\circ}C$ and $18^{\circ}C$ was still lower than the value at $35^{\circ}C$ by 8.1% and 20.7%, respectively. Microbial community composition analysis showed that Syntrophobacter and Pelotomaculum were the major propionate-oxidizing bacteria (POB), and most POB had not changed with temperature decrease in the UASB. However, two POB were enriched at $18^{\circ}C$, indicating they were low temperature tolerant. Methanosaeta and Methanospirillum were the dominant methanogens in this UASB and remained constant during temperature decrease. Although the POB and methanogenic composition hardly changed with temperature decrease, the specific $COD_{Pro}$ removal rate of anaerobic sludge (SCRR) was reduced by 21.4%-46.4% compared with the control ($35^{\circ}C$) in this system.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.723-731
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• 2000

In recent years, the amount and number of synthetic organic compounds(SOCs) discharged from various industries has been increasing. Granular activated carbon(GAC) adsorption is one of the best available technology to remove SOCs from water supplies and wastewater. In this paper competitive adsorption for binary mixture of 4-nitrophenol and phenol on reverse stratified tapered adsorber(RSTA) using GAC was studied. Two isotherm experiments were conducted, one for phenol and the other for 4-nitrophenol. The phenol data of binary mixture isotherm were not fitted to Freundlich isotherm. The competitive adsorption increased significantly with decreasing carbon dose and increasing adsorbate concentration. The RSTA was found to provide an increase in breakthrough time when decreasing flow rate, increasing angle and injection layers. The performance enhancement provided by RSTA can be exploited in separation and in the purification of fluids.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.1360-1366
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• 2018

The fungi associated with termites secrete enzymes such as laccase (multi-copper oxidase) that can degrade extracellular wood matrix. Laccase uses molecular oxygen as an electron acceptor to catalyze the degradation of organic compounds. Owing to its ability to transfer electrons from the cathodic electrode to molecular oxygen, laccase has the potential to be a biocatalyst on the surface of the cathodic electrode of a microbial fuel cell (MFC). In this study, a two-chamber MFC using the laccase-producing fungus Galactomyces reessii was investigated. The fungus cultured on coconut coir was placed in the cathode chamber, while an anaerobic microbial community was maintained in the anode chamber fed by industrial rubber wastewater and supplemented by sulfate and a pH buffer. The laccase-based biocathode MFC (lbMFC) produced the maximum open circuit voltage of 250 mV, output voltage of 145 mV (with a $1,000{\Omega}$ resistor), power density of $59mW/m^2$, and current density of $278mA/m^2$, and a 70% increase in half-cell potential. This study demonstrated the capability of laccase-producing yeast Galactomyces reessii as a biocatalyst on the cathode of the two-chamber lbMFC.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.241-250
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• 2012

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), butyltins (BTs), nonylphenol (NP), and fecal sterols concentrations in sediments were investigated from Gunsan coast of Korea to evaluate organic pollution from anthropogenic activities. Sediment toxicity was also examined by bacterial bioluminescence toxicity test (Vibrio fischeri). The concentrations of 16 PAHs in sediments ranged from 67.9 to 425 ng/g dry wt; BTs ranged from 2.79 to 14.1 ng Sn/g dry wt; NP ranged from 20.7 to 2171 ng/g dry wt; and coprostanol, a fecal sterol, ranged from 7.60 to 245 ng/g dry wt. Effective concentration 50% ($EC_{50}$) of sediments ranged from 0.38 to 23.8 mg/mL. Most of the chemicals were present at levels lower than or comparable to the previously reported values from Korea. However, NP levels in the present study were in the high range of levels reported from the Korean coast, and 40% of the measured samples exceeded screening and ecotoxicological values of NP suggested by the Netherlands and Canada. This suggests that an ongoing source of NP is a serious concern in the Gunsan coast. High levels of contaminants were found in the proximity of potential sources, such as the outfall of a wastewater treatment plant for NP, an anthracite-fired power plant for PAHs, and ports for BTs, fecal sterols, and sediment toxicity. This indicates that Gunsan coast has various potential sources of marine sediment contaminants.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.64-70
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• 2009

The aims of this study is to examine the effects of the changes in HRT(Hydraulic Retention Time) and media charge in a water-mill, among other operation factors, on the nitrogen and phosphorus removal in order to use up-flow anaerobic reactors, anoxic reactors and water-mill aerobic reactors for sewage treatment. The extension of HRT improved the nitrogen removal efficiency, however the removal pattern was constant regardless of HRT. The removal of phosphorus was constant (80%-90%) regardless of the change in HRT. The removal rate with change in influx load varied such that at the OLR (Organic Load Rate) of 1-3 kg/d, the T-N removal efficiency was 80.7%-88.9% and the T-P removal efficiency was 82.9%-89.3% while at the NLR (Nitrogen Loading Rate) of 0.108-0.156 kg/d the removal efficiencies were 80.7-88.9% (T-N) and 82.9-89.3% (T-P). The analyses of the nitrogen and phosphorous removal characteristics with the C/N and C/P ratio showed that the mean T-N removal rate was 88% at the C/N ratio of 1.2-2.6, and that the mean T-P removal rate was 86% at the C/P ratio of 7.2-14.1. Also, the analysis of nitrogen and phosphorous removal characteristics were analyzed in relation to media charge. The comparison between with and without media charge in the water-mill showed that while the nitrogen removal efficiencies were 86-94% and 85-89% respectively, the difference of phosphorous removal efficiencies were between the two conditions was not significant, thus it suggested that the media charge has less effect on the removal efficiency of phosphorous compared to that of nitrogen.