• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.28-34
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• 2020

Nitrate released from chemical fertilizer, animal wastes, and synthetic detergents can cause methemoglobinemia to infants, thus the standard in drinking water is set to 10 mg/L as World Health Organization recommended. In this study, zero-valent iron-modified rice straw biochar was used to reduce and remove nitrate in the aqueous phase. The rice straw biochar was prepared by pyrolyzing the biomass at 700℃ for 3 hours, and the biochar was modified using 1 M Fe(III), and the Fe(III) on the biochar was reduced to zero-valent iron using sodium borohydride. The modified biochar removed nitrate effectively, which removed more than 91% of nitrate. For the synthetic groundwater, the nitrate removal was lowered to 82% due to the presence of other anions.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.32 no.2 s.89
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• pp.111-117
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• 2006

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in pine needles and soil samples from rural area were analyzed in this study. Concentrations of PBDE congeners were ranged between 0.2 and 3104 pg/g DW(dry weight) in pine needles and between 2.4 and 1997 pg/g DW in soil samples. The most abundant congener both in pine needles and soil samples was BDE-209, which was related to importation and production of deca-BDE technical mixtures in Korean industry. And BDE-99, BDE-47, BDE-100 deposited in pine needles and soil samples were closely matched with the major constituents of the penta-BDE technical mixture. Those can be interpreted as an evidence that transfer of the congeners in deca-BDE and penta-BDE technical mixtures from source to pine needle and soil occurs with broadly similar efficiency. Correlation coefficient(r) of PBDE congeners deposited in pine needles and soil samples is very significant because it implies th at there has been little weathering/degradation/alteration of the congeners generated from sources during atmospheric transport or within pine needles and soil themselves.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.61-69
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• 2015

This study was performed to provide fundamental data to establish the new soil pollution standards and the soil contamination management plans in a rational manner. The distribution characteristics of new soil contaminants such as barium (Ba) and chromium (Cr) in soils (n=140) were investigated in relation to land-use classification and geological features. Also, the sequential extraction test was conducted to evaluate fate and mobility of new soil contaminants. The soil samples taken from 140 sites were analyzed to survey distribution levels of selected new soil contaminants. The average concentration and range for hazardous metals (Ba, Cr) were Ba 128.946 (26.757~489.587) mg/kg, Cr 30.121 (2.579~132.783) mg/kg. Based on land use classification, the highest Ba concentration was found in factory soils, followed by dry field and park soils, while Cr concentration was highest in rice paddy soils, followed by dry field and factory soils. Within 10 geological units investigated the highest Ba and Cr concentrations were observed in the soils from Okcheon group and metamorphic rocks, respectively. The BCR (European Community Bureau of Reference) sequential extraction was conducted to identify chemical distributional existence of 2 elements of soils from each geological unit. Ba in soils is mainly assumed to exists as reducible form (such as BaSO₄, BaCO₃) and Cr in soils mainly is assumed to exist as residual form (such as Cr₂O₃, Cr_xFe_1-x(OH)₃(x < 1)).

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.47-48
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• 2005

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.348-355
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• 2017

Human activities have resulted in soil pollution problems to us. Human and ecological risk assessment have been suggested as an efficient environmental management strategy for protecting human and ecosystems from soil pollution. However, Korean environmental policy is currently focused on human protection, and fundamental researches for ecology protection are required for institutional frameworks. In this study, we developed a schematic frame of Korean soil ecological risk assessment, and suggested the basic information for its application. This study suggested a soil ecological risk assessment scheme consisting of 4 steps for derivation of Predicted-No-Effect-Concentration (PNEC): 1) ecotoxicity data collection and reliability determination, 2) data standardization, 3) evaluation of data completeness for PNEC calculation, and 4) determination of ecological-risk. The reliability determination of ecotoxicity data was performed using Reliability Index (RI), and the classification of domestic species, acute/chronic, toxicity endpoint, and soil properties was used for data cataloging. The PNEC calculation methodology was determined as low-reliability, middle-reliability, and high-reliability according to their quantitative and qualitative levels of ecotoxicity data. This study would be the introductory plan research for establishment of Korean soil ecological risk assessment, and it can be a fundamental framework to further develop guidelines of Korean environmental regulation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.106-115
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• 2009

Knowledge about how to stabilize soil structure is essential to conserve soil systems and maintain various biogeochemical processes through soil. In urban area, soil structural systems are degraded with inappropriate management and land use and become vulnerable to erosion. We analyzed the structural changes of surface soils with different land uses, i.e., forests, parks, roadside green area, riparian area, and farmlands (soybean fields), in the Anyang Stream Watershed in order to find the factors influencing the stability of soil structure and the implication for better management of surface soil. Soil organic matter contents of other land use soils were only 18~52% of that in forest soils. Soil organic matter increased the stability of soil aggregates in the order of soybean fields < roadsides < riparian < parks < forests and also reduced soil bulk density (increased porosity). The lowest stability of soybean field soils was attributed to the often disturbance like tillage and it was considered that higher stability of park soils comparing to other land use soils except forests was owing to the covering of soil surface with grass. These results suggest that supply of soil organic matter and protection of soil surface with covering materials are very important to increase porosity and stability of soil structure.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.20 no.4 s.51
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• pp.279-286
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• 2005

Earthworm (Eisenia fetida) acute toxicity test was carried out and ecological risk assessment in soil was performed with national monitoring data. 14 day - $LC_{50}$ of nonylphenol and bisphenol A were 288.1 mg/kg and 90.1 mg/kg, respectively. And NOECs of nonylphenol and bisphenol A were 250 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg, respectively. Significant weight decrement was appeared at 70 mg/kg of bisphenol A, however, nonylphenol at concentrations tested did not severe adverse effect on the weight decrement. The environmental monitoring has been carrying out by NIER since 1999. Exposure levels of nonylphenol in soil were ND$\sim$10.55 $\mu$g/kg and those of bisphenol A were ND$\sim$15.50$\mu$g/kg in National Monitoring data which had been performed from 2000 to 2004. The measured soil exposure level was applied to evaluate the environmental risk assessment. The values of PNEC for bisphenol A and nonylphenol were determined as 0.5 mg/kg and 2.5 mg/kg, respectively using the safety factors which were suggested in EU and OECD. The values of HQ (PEC/PNEC) were determined to be below I for bisphenol A and nonylphenol when the maximum exposure levels for bispheol A (15.50$\mu$g/kg) and nonylphenol (10.55$\mu$g/kg) were applied. Conclusively, the environmental risk assessment of bisphenol A and nonylphenol was not critical in soil.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.33-42
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• 2012

This study was performed to find the problems according to interference factors (organic matter, pH, Cr, Mn, Fe, clay, and etc.) when we analyzed the hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] in soils using UV/VIS spectrometer (US EPA 7196A), attempted to evaluate the domestic applicability of analytical method (US EPA 7199) using IC-UV/VIS spectrometer as alternative method. The recovery rate of certified reference materials was 75.0% (US EPA 7196A) and 101.4% (US EPA 7199) by the analytical methods. As the results of performing QA/QC about US EPA 7199, method detection limit (MDL) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.062 mg/kg, 0.196 mg/kg, respectively. The LOQ of US EPA 7199 was lower than that of the current soil official testing method in Korea (0.5 mg/kg). Cr(VI) contents in 23 soil samples were compared by the analytical methods of EPA 7196A and 7199. Cr(VI) was detected in 13 of 23 soil samples by EPA 7196A, while EPA 7199 was not detected in any soil samples. The Cr(VI) content in 23 soil samples by EPA 7196A was not clearly correlated with Cr, Fe, Mn and clay content in the soil samples. However, the contents of Cr(VI) and organic matter of the soil samples had the highest coefficient of determination ($R^2$) of 0.80. In order to evaluate the correlation between the recovery rates of Cr(VI) and organic matter contents in the soil samples, the recovery rates of 5 soil samples added Cr(VI) standard solution were analyzed by the analytical methods. According to the results, the higher the organic matter contents in soil samples, the lower the recovery rates of Cr(VI) by US EPA 7196, while in case of US EPA 7199, the recovery rates were stable regardless of the organic matter contents.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.241-246
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• 2013

For effective and efficient environmental management, developed countries, such as the Netherlands, UK, Australia, Canada, and United States apply ecological risk assessment, and they have an autonomous risk assessment methodology to protect native receptors. In this study, soil ecological protective concentration (EPC) of cadmium in Korea was derived using Korean ecological risk assessment methodology. The soil EPC of cadmium was calculated using probabilistic ecological risk assessment based on species sensitivity distribution. The soil EPC was calculated according to land use for residential/agricultural and industrial/commercial purposes. The chronic soil EPCs for residential/agricultural and industrial/commercial lands were derived to be 1.58 and 9.60 mg/kg, respectively. These values were similar to soil EPC of European Commission, the Netherlands, UK, and Canada. However, these values were lower than the established Korean soil standard, because the current soil standard was based on human risk. Therefore, the impact on an ecosystem when establishing environmental standard should be considered.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.48-59
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• 2018

Beryllium (Be), cobalt (Co), thallium (Tl) and vanadium (V) are candidates of 21 priority soil pollutants in Korea. The distribution of their concentration in soils from three contamination sources including industrial, roadside and mining areas was investigated. Concentrations of the metals were evaluated quantitatively using pollution indices and the fractionation of metals was conducted using modified SM&T (Standards Measurements and Testing programme) sequential extraction. Concentrations of the metals for all samples from industrial and roadside soils were within the range of natural background levels, while some of Be in soils from abandoned mines exceeded that the range. Enrichment Factor (EF) and Nemerow Integrated Pollution Index (NIPI) for Be, Co, Tl and V showed that there are effects or possibilities of anthropogenic activities. Pollution Load Index (PLI) analyses indicated all investigated sites needed further monitoring. The results of sequential extractions indicated mobile fractions (F1+F2) of Be, Tl and V were below 30% except some of Co in soil, which implies their low mobility to neighboring environment media. Variable tools like sequential extraction, comparison with background/actual concentration and pollution indices, as well as aqua regia extraction should be considered when evaluating Be, Co, Tl, V in soil.