• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.201-206
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• 1992

Annual amount of plastics waste including rubber and leather waste, generated in 1990 was about 2,600,000 tons. Amount of generation of plastics waste has rapidly increased, but fractions of recycling and incineration have gradually decreased. Recently, two-stage incinerator, consisting of gasifier and gas combustor, draws much attention in Korea. Plastics are gasified in the starved air condition in the gasifier and produced gas is fired in the combustor. Combustion of produced gas is much easier than that of solid plastics, and produces a little pollutants. Standardzation of technology and process automation are still needed, but this incineration technology is in the commercial stage. Next topic concerned with this two-stage incineration will be how to treat complex plastics waste including toxic substances generated from automobiles and household appliances. Pyrolysis, realized by indirect heating in inert atmosphere, can provide high-quality products with minimum emissions. Many plastics are easily decomposed into oil in pyrolysis conditions, which can be utilized as chemical feedstocks, or gasoline or kerosene depending on feed materials and operating conditions. This has been demonstrated in several pilot-scale tests performed in Japan, Germany, etc. Easy removal of HCl from PVC is one of the most decisive merits of pyrolysis process. But in general, further efforts should be made for the process to obtain marketability. The future of pyrolysis process depends on public concern about environmental problems and oil prices.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.14-27
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• 2006

The proper management of discarded electronic devices (often called electronic-waste) is an emerging issue for solid waste professionals throughout the world because of the large growth of the waste stream, and the content of toxic metals in them, most notably heavy metals such as lead. Notebook computers are becoming one of the major components of discarded computer devices and will continue to increase in the waste stream in the future. While the computers hold great promise for recycling, a substantial amount of this waste is often disposed in municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. The toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) is commonly used to simulate worse case leaching conditions where a potentially hazardous waste is assumed to be disposed along with municipal solid waste in a landfill with actively decomposing materials overlying an aquifer. The objective of this study was to examine leaching potential of lead from discarded notebook computers using the scale-up TCLP, other standard leaching tests such as California waste extraction test (Cal WET), and the synthetic precipitation leaching procedure (SPLP) and actual landfill leachates as leaching solution. The scale-up TCLP is a modified TCLP (where the device was disassembled and leached in or near entirety) to meet the intent of the TCLP. The results showed that the scale-up TCLP resulted in relatively high lead found in the leachate with an average of 23.3 mg/L. The average level was less than those by the standard TCLP and WET (37.0 mg/L and 86.0 mg/L, respectively), but much greater than those by the SPLP and the extractions with the landfill leachates (0.55 mg/L and 1.47 mg/L, respectively). The pH of the leaching solution and the ability of the organic acids in the TCLP and WET to complex with the lead were identified as major factors that controlled the amount of lead leached from notebook computers. Based on the results obtained by a number of leaching tests in this study, notebook computers may present a potential leaching risk to the environment and human health upon land disposal. However, further investigation is still needed to assess the true risk posed by the land disposal of discarded notebook computers.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.61-67
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• 1999

Two of municipal waste incinerators were selected as surveying facilities to research on the emission of dioxin and precusors. The sampling of flue gas and analysis was performed in the selected facilities. From the result, the emission patterns of dioxin and precusors, their relatership were examined. The toxic equivalency quantity(TEQ) of dioxin concentration was evaluated in two municipal waste incinerators. The 76.24% and 60.84% of total dioxin concentration in A and B incinerator were made up of the penta-, hexa- and hepta-chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin, respectively. Therefore, to reduce the dioxins in flue gas have to control the formation of furans. The chlorobenzenes and chlorophenols were analyzed in two incinerators. The 1,2,4,5-tetrachlorobenzene, penta-, and hexachlorobenzene are discharged and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, 2,3,4,6-tetrachlorophenol and pentachlorophenol are discharged mainly in A and B municipal waste incinerators.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.11 no.1_2
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• pp.31-39
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• 1996

Leachate from municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill, effluent from leachate treatment plant, and ground water sample from a monitoring well near landfill site were tested for an acute toxicity. Microtox toxicity test was used for testing the acute toxicity of leachate and other samples. EC$_{50}$ values which a concentration of pollutant for reducing 50% light output from luminescent bacteria, Photobacterium phosphoreum were determined to assess the toxicity of pollutants as well as the relative toxicity. In addition, characteristics of leachate were studied and compared to those of phenol and pentachlorophenol (PCP) which are typical aquatic toxic pollutants. For leachate, EC$_{50}$ for 30 min incubation was 10.8%, while for phenol and PCP, 46 ppm and 1.2 ppm, respectively. the relative toxicity of treated leachate by in situ aeration with activated sludge was reduced to more than 75% of toxicity of the untreated leachate. Microtox toxicity test was failed to figure out EC$_{50}$ values for groundwater from a monitoring well since the relative toxicity of the unconcentrated sample was too low to estimate EC$_{50}$. Addition of activated carbon to leachate was reduced the relative toxicity. The reduction Pattern of the relative toxicity of leachate by mechanical aeration was similar to that of PCP, but different from that of phenol. These findings suggest that the toxicity of leachate may come from PCP-like toxic compounds rather than phenol-like one. In conclusion, the process of aeration with activated sludge might be very important to reduce the environmental toxicity of leachate. And Microtox test could be a reasonable bioassay for screening and monitoring the environmental toxicity of leachate from municipal solid waste landfill as well as for determining the reduction efficiency of the leachate toxicity by various treatment processes in leachate treatment plant.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.177-184
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• 2003

Although clay can sorb significant amounts of inorganic contaminants from soils and wastewater, the hydration of exchangeable cations in clay minerals makes it hydrophilic at the clay mineral surfaces and interlayers. Thus, natural clays are often ineffective in complexing and stabilizing toxic organic contaminants in soils and groundwater environment. But, substituting these hydrated cations with cationic surfactant such as QAC(Quaternary ammonium Compound) can change the natural clay from hydrophilic to hydropobic. Furthermore functionalized organoclay can act as a powerful dual function sorbent for both toxic metals and organic compounds. It also can be used as landfill clay liners, slurry walls, nano-composite materials, petroleum tank farms, waste treatment, and filter systems. To use this modified clay minerals effectively, it is required to understand the fundamental chemistry of organoclay, synthetic procedures, its engineering application, bioavailability of sorbed ion-clay complex, and potential risk of organoclay. In this review, we investigate the use, application and historical background of the organoclay in remediation technology. The state-of-the-art of organoclay research is also discussed. Finally, we suggest some future implications of organoclay in environmental research.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.69-74
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• 2014

Slags generated in the smelting reduction of deep sea manganese nodule could be utilized as an additional materials for making Fe-Si-Mn alloys by mixing with cokes and re-smelting at an arc furnace. In this re-melting process slag is also generated, and the secondary slag is treated as waste. In this survey, recycling of the waste slag of Mn nodule was studied. It is tried to utilize the waste slag as ceramic materials or construction materials. However, it is difficult to use the waste slag directly as an additional material to ceramics such as portland cement or castable refractory material due to the much difference of chemical compositions. As an altercation road constructing material is considered, and toxicity on the soil of the waste slag was tested according to Korean Standard for testing permissible amount of toxic substances. The test result was satisfied with the requirements on the standard. So, it should be suggested that the waste slag of the Mn nodule could be utilized as constructing materials such as road filler or base materials.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.318-322
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• 2004

Arsenic is a toxic and carcinogenic metalloid, whose sources in nature include mineral dissolution and volcanic eruption. Abandoned mines and hazardous waste disposal sites are another major source of arsenic contamination of soil and aquatic systems. To predict concentrations of the toxic inorganic arsenic in aqueous phase. the biogeochemical redox processes and transport behavior need to be studied together and be coupled in a reactive transport model. A new reaction module describing the fate and transport of inorganic arsenic species (As(II)), dissolved oxygen, nitrate, ferrous iron, sulfate, and dissolved organic carbon are developed and incorporated into the RT3D code.

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.206-208
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• 2002

Methylmercury (MeHg; $CH_{3}HgCl$) is, second only to cadmium as being, the most toxic on the earth. Inorganic mercury from various waste sources can be easily methylated by bacteria in water and subsequently ingested by fishes and then highly accumulated in human. Although toxicity from mercury exposure occurs with both organic and inorganic forms, organic mercury is more potently toxic to central nervous system. Minamata disease is an example of organic mercury toxicity. (omitted)

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.318-324
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• 2006

The higher valence state of iron i.e., Fe(VI) was employed for the oxidation of one of an important toxic ion, cyanide in the aqueous medium. Cyanide was oxidized into cyanate, which is 1,000 times less toxic to cyanide and often accepted for its ultimate disposal. It was to be noted that Fe(VI) is a very powerful oxidizing agent and can oxidize most of the cyanide within few minutes i.e., ca 5 mins of contact. The data was obtained by the UV-Visible measurements for the Fe(VI) decomposition. The UV-Visible data was used to evaluate the overall rate constant for second order redox reaction between ferrate(VI) and cyanide. Also the pseudo first order rate constant was calculated as keeping the cyanide concentration in excess.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.66-75
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• 2003

This paper reviewed available information/data compiled by various agencies, institutions, and experts, including the academe. The review concentrated on five of the most pressing problems such as air pollution, water pollution, land pollution related to the problem of solid wastes, toxic and hazardous chemical wastes and deforestation. Most of the data presented focused on Metro Manila. Past air monitoring data showed significant exceedances of national air quality guideline values especially for particulates and lead. Many of the country's rivers and lakes have deteriorated, some were declared biologically dead. The acute solid waste problem and the proliferation of toxic and hazardous chemicals have led to the enactment of legislation. Uncontrolled deforestation has taken its toll on the environment and people. Various actions were undertaken by the national administration with the cooperation of other sectors to address environmental problems. However, constraints to the enforcement of environmental laws and programs must be minimized to attain the desired level of environmental protection and management.