• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.157-165
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• 2023

In Korea, a major contaminant of farmland soils in the vicinity of abandoned mines is arsenic, for which the general soil reclamation method is contaminated soil stabilization and cover the stabilized soil with clean soil at a thickness of 40 cm. In a previous pot experiment study we confirmed the feasibility of a lower thickness (20 cm) of covering soil for such reclamation in abandoned coal mines, where arsenic contamination levels are generally lower than in metal mines. In this subsequent study a field experiment including rice plant cultivation in field test plots was conducted. For over 4 months, the transfer of arsenic from the contaminated soil to the unpolished rice grains was reduced by 44% when a clean soil covering with a thickness of 20 cm was applied. The maximum decrease (56%) was shown when the stabilization process was performed before the covering. These results reveal a lower thickness of clean soil covering has a high feasibility and it can increase cost-efficiency in the reclamation of an abandoned coal mine.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.619-628
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• 2023

In this study, we investigated the feasibility of calcium sulfate fertilizer as a stabilizing agent for As and Hg contaminated farmland soil and its stabilization characteristics in 3 different physical forms (particulate, powder, and solution) through a pot experiment including 34 days of lettuce growth. As and Hg contents of the lettuce grown in the stabilized soils were decreased by at least 70%. However the lettuce yield of the soil stabilized with the solution agent was decreased by 46% due to the overabundance of the nutrients from the solution agent. Thus, if a solution-type agent is planned for agricultural farmland soil stabilization, additional tests for optimal dosage are needed to preserve vegetation growth. In Hg fractionation, a lower concentration of elemental fractions and a higher concentration of residual/sulfide fractions were identified in the soils stabilized with the solution, powder, and pariculate agents in descending order while there were no significant changes in As fractionation. Overall results suggest that calcium sulfate fertilizer can be used as a stabilizing agent, and a solution-type agent could be used when the operation of heavy machinery for the soil stabilization process is impossible.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.24-32
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• 2003

Purpose : Nosocomial infection with Staphylococcus aureus, especially methicillin resistant S. aureus, has become a serious concern in the neonatal intensive care unit. The aim of this study is to investigate the virulence factors, and the relationship between the antibiotic resistance and the associated genes of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from nasal cavity of neonates. Methods : Fifty one isolates of S. aureus were obtained from nasal swab taken in 28 neonates in the NICU and nursery of Pusan National University Hospital between February and May, 2001. They were tested in regard to antibiotic susceptibility, coagulase test and typing, plasmid DNA profile, as well as reactivity to enterotoxin A-E(sea, seb, sec, sed, see) genes and toxic shock syndrome toxin-1(tst) gene by polymerase chain reaction(PCR). Associated genes such as mecA, mecR1, mecI, and femA were also determined by PCR. The origin of MRSA strains was assessed using DNA fingerprinting by arbitrarily-primed polymerase chain reaction(AP-PCR). Results : Twenty three(45.1%) and six(11.8%) isolates were resistant to oxacillin and vancomycin respectively. Multidrug resistance to three or more of the antibiotics tested was observed in 51.0% of the isolates. Forty two isolates were coagulase positive and twenty two isolates had mecA gene. Sixteen isolates had both mecA and femA genes and had type I-III plasmids. 64.7% of isolates carried sec gene, and 80.4% carried tst gene. DNA fingerprinting by AP-PCR for 12 MRSA strains showed 10 distinct patterns, suggesting different origins. Conclusion : We confirmed that the prevalence of nasal carriage of S. aureus and the incidence of antimicrobial-resistant S. aureus, especially vancomycin resistance, is very high in neonates who were admitted in NICU and nursery. It is possible that these pathogens are responsible for serious nosocomial infections in neonates. The need for improved surveillance and continuous control of pathogens is emphasized.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.13-19
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• 2000

Seasonal variations of dominant algae species and the effects of these algae on coagulation and filteration of water treatment were investigated at Chilseo water treatment plant in downstream of Nakdong river from January in 1995 to Desember of 1998. The water quality of Nakdong river was found to be a hyper eutrophic state during the investigation periods. In the measurement, Chlorophyll-a contents ranged $20.7{\sim}180.9{\mu}g/l$ and total nitrogen contents(T-N) and total phosphorus contents(T-P) exceeded more than 3.4mg/l and 0.1mg/l, respectively. The changes in dominant algae species was in the order of Stepanodiscus sp., Asterionella sp., Melosira sp., Microcystis sp. and Synedra sp. from spring to winter. Microcystis sp. especially, was blooming during summer and Synedra sp. and Stepanodiscus sp. during winter. Although most diatomous algae appeared in the water treatment process caused filter clogging and reduced efficiency of coagulation and sedimentation, Synedra sp. and Stepanodiscus sp were revealed as the main trouble algae. Malfunction of water treatment process caused by Synedra sp. and Stepanodiscus sp. started at the algae concentrations of 800cells/ml and 1,820cells/ml, respectively. When chlorophyll-a content was $18.9{\mu}g/l$, the optimum amounts of coagulant were found to be 40mg/l of Alum and 16mg/l of PACS. Under condition of chlorophyll-a content of $154.1{\mu}g/l$, addition of Alum at the level of 75mg/l and PACS at the level of 35mg/l showed the lowest turibidity. The result indicates that increased amounts of the coagulants should be added for a better water treatment as chlorophyll-a contents increased. Addition of Alum at the amount of 60mg/l and 30mg/l of PACS removed Stepanodiscus sp. algae at the rate of 85% and 83%, respectively. In case of Synedra sp., 50mg/l of Alum and 25mg/l of PACS showed removal rates of 79% and 81%, respectively. Synedra sp. algae at the standing crops of 1,500cells/ml started filter clogging and a filtering process was completely inhibited after 8 hours. At this situation the filter clogging by Synedra sp. algae occurred at the depth of 5cm from the top anthracite layer. On the other, other algae did filter clogging at the depth of 10cm.