• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.34-45
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• 2014

A variety of physical, chemical, and microbiological techniques have been developed to deal with soil and groundwater contamination. However, in the presence of the large portion of soil micro-environments, contaminant rebound and/or tailing have been frequently reported. Case study of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) removal by full-scale land farming showed that contaminant rebound and/or tailing occurred in 9 out of total 21 cases and subsequently resulted in problems of a long term operation to satisfy TPH guidelines of contaminated soil and groundwater. The main cause of contaminant rebound and tailing is considered to be the strong interactions between contaminants and micro-environments including micro-particles, micro-pores, and organic matter. Thus, this study reviewed the effects of soil micro-environments of soil and groundwater on the removal efficiency for both heavy metals and petroleum contaminants. In addition, the various methods of sampling, analysis, and assessment of soil micro-environments were evaluated. Thorough understanding of the effects of soil micro-environments on contaminant removal will be essential to achieve a cost-effective and efficient solution to contaminated sites.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.113-119
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• 2013

Despite rapid changes in the structure of industry, manufacturing remains a key industry for economic progress, promotion of trade, increased employment, and the creation of new industries. Production technologies are essential for strengthening the competitiveness of small- and medium-sized manufacturing industries. However, it is very difficult to standardize and systematically propagate production technology from an experienced worker to an inexperienced worker because these technologies are generally improved by the skilled people in a workshop. In this study, we introduce a Web-based platform system consisting of a knowledge authoring tool, technology database, semantic database, and Web portal service for sharing production technologies for the exterior housing parts of mobile products. By investigating various cellular phone designs, reference form factors for three types of mobile phone housings were designed based on the standard features. In addition, several manufacturing technologies and considerable information such as reference mold designs and molding conditions optimized using CAE and recent R&D outputs are stored in this system.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.66-76
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• 2021

Electric arc furnace dust (EAFD) contains compounds, such as oxides and chlorides, including large quantities of Zn, Pb and Fe. An efficient and stable method for the extraction of metal elements from EAFD is the Rotary Kiln Process. This method is used to recover Zn in the form of crude ZnO (approximately 60%) via the addition of a reducing agent (coke, anthracite) and limestone (for basicity control) to EAFD. This process is commonly used in industry as well as in research and development. Currently, this method is used in many Korean commercial plants, producing approximately 150,000 tons of Crude ZnO per year. The majority of Zn is found in crude ZnO (approximately 76%). In addition components such as Pb, Cd, Sn, In, Fe, Cl, and F are present as oxides, chlorides, and alkaline compounds. This elements have an adverse effect on the zinc smelting process. Therefore, a refining process that eliminates these impurities is essential. In this study, we developed a process technology that efficiently separates Zn and Pb from byproducts (mainly chlorides). A bag filter was used to collect Zn and Pb generated during the dry purification process of crude ZnO. Pure components were recovered as metals or metal carbonate.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.442-454
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• 2021

The porous transport layer (PTL) is essential to effectively remove oxygen and hydrogen gas from the electrode surface at high current density operation conditions. In this study, the effect of PTL with different characteristics such as pore size, pore gradient, interfacial coating was investigated by multi-layered sintered mesh. A water electrolysis single cell of active area of the 34.56 cm² was constructed, and IV performance and impedance analysis were conducted in the range of 0 to 2.0 A/cm². It was confirmed that the multi-layered sintered mesh PTL, which have an average pore size of 25 to 57 ㎛ and a larger pore gradient, removed bubbles effectively and thus seemed to improve IV performance. Also, it was confirmed that the catalytic metals such as Ni, NiMo coating on the PTL reduced activation overpotential, but increased mass transport overpotential.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.296-309
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• 2022

This study investigated the mobility of inorganic elements (As, Cd, Pb, and Zn) that existed as acid extractable and reducible forms in flooded soils with a pot experiment involving rice cultivation. In general, it is known that soil inorganic elements that existed as an acid extractable form which includes exchangeable, carbonates, non-specifically sorbed, and specifically sorbed have mobility. However, the result of the experiment revealed that each inorganic elements of rice roots grown from flooded soils had different characteristics. The concentrations of Arsenic existed as both forms and the concentrations of cadmium and lead existed as a reducible form in the soils showed a high causal relationship with the concentrations of those elements in the roots of rice plants. The concentrations of zinc, an essential plant element, didn't show a causal relationship. Therefore it is necessary to consider the soil's environmental characteristics such as drained/flooded condition, oxidation/reduction condition, etc. for the mobility assessment of inorganic elements. The concentrations of the reducible form of arsenic, cadmium, and lead in flooded environment such as a paddy field should be also considered because the mobility of these elements combined with Fe/Mn increases in the reduction condition.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.138-149
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• 2022

The clinical applicability of ceramics can be increased by analyzing the causes of fractures after fracture testing of dental ceramics. Fractography to analyze the cause of fracture of dental ceramics is being widely applied with the development of imaging technologies such as scanning electron microscopy. Setting the experimental conditions is important for accurate interpretation. The fractured specimens should be stored and cleaned to avoid contamination, and metal pretreatment is required for better observation. Depending on the type of fracture, there are dimple rupture, cleavage, and decohesive rupture mainly observed in metals, and fatigue fractures and conchoidal fractures observed in ceramics. In order to reproduce fatigue fracture in the laboratory, which is the main cause of fracture of ceramics, a dynamic loading for observing slow crack growth is essential, and the load conditions and number of loads must be appropriately set. A typical characteristic of a fracture surface of ceramic is a hackle, and the causes of fracture vary depending on the shape of hackle. Fractography is a useful method for in-depth understanding of fractures of dental ceramics, so it is necessary to follow the exact experimental procedure and interpret the results with caution.

• CELLMED
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.21.1-21.9
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• 2021

Background: Unani System of Medicine (USM) has its origin to Greece. To ensure and develop the quality, authenticity of Unani drugs, standardization on modern analytical parameter is essential requirement for drugs. Objectives: The aimed of the present study was to develop a standard profile of "Qurṣ-e-Mafasil" by systematic study through authenticated ingredients, pharmacognostic identification followed by physicochemical, TLC, HPTLC fingerprinting analysis as per standard protocol. Material and Methods: In this study three batches of "Qurṣ-e-Mafasil" QM were prepared by standard method as per UPI had been followed by organoleptic properties of formulation such as appearance, color, odor, taste. Powder Microscopy and physicochemical studies were carried out such as Uniformity of weight, Friability, Disintegration time, hardness, LOD, ash vales and extractive values in like aqueous, alcohol & hexane. Further qualitative tests such as Thin-Layer Chromatography (TLC), and High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) studies were also carried out to develop fingerprint pattern of the alcoholic solvent extract of QM. Phytochemical screening was carried out in different solvent extracts such as alcoholic, aqueous and chloroform extracts to detect the presence phytoconstituents in the formulation QM. Heavy metals, Microbial Load Contamination and pesticidal residues were also determined. Results: Qurṣ-e-Mafasil showed tablet-like appearance, light brown colour, mild pungent odour and acrid taste. Uniformity of weight (mg), friability (rpm), and hardness (kg/cm) and disintegration time was ranged between (500 to 503), (0.0340 to 0.038), (8.40 to 8.67) and (4-5 minutes) respectively for the three batches. Loss in weight on drying at 105℃ was ranged between (8.3425 to 8.7346). Extracted values were calculated in distilled water ranged between (30.9091 to 31.4358), hexane (1.1419 to 1.4281), and alcohol (3.3352 to 3.3962). The ash values recorded were ranged between (3.7336 to 3.8378), and acid insoluble ash (0.5859 to 0.6112).

• Resources Recycling
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.21-29
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• 2024

Globally, the demand for electric vehicles (EVs) is surging due to carbon-neutral strategies aimed at decarbonization. Consequently, the demand for lithium-ion batteries, which are essential components of EVs, is also rising, leading to an increase in the generation of spent batteries. This has prompted research into the recycling of spent batteries to recover valuable metals. In this study, we aimed to selectively leach and recover lithium from the cathode material of spent LFP batteries. To enhance the reaction surface area and reactivity, the binder in the cathode material powder was removed, and the material was subjected to heat treatment in both atmospheric and nitrogen environments across various temperature ranges. This was followed by a mechanochemical process for aqueous leaching. Initially, after heat treatment, the powder was converted into a soluble lithium compound using sodium persulfate (Na₂S₂O₈) in a mechanochemical reaction. Subsequently, aqueous leaching was performed using distilled water. This study confirmed the changes in the characteristics of the cathode material powder due to heat treatment. The final heat treatment in a nitrogen atmosphere resulted in a lithium leaching efficiency of approximately 100% across all temperature ranges.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.40-51
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• 2019

Ginseng has a unique production system that is different from those used for other crops. It is subject to the Ginseng Industry Act., requires a long-term cultivation period of 4-6 years, involves complicated cultivation characteristics whereby ginseng is not produced in a single location, and many ginseng farmers engage in mixed-farming. Therefore, to bring the production of Ginseng in line with GAP standards, it is necessary to better understand the on-site practices of Ginseng farmers according to established control points, and to provide a proper action plan for improving efficiency. Among ginseng farmers in Korea who applied for GAP certification, 77.6% obtained it, which is lower than the 94.1% of farmers who obtained certification for other products. 13.7% of the applicants were judged to be unsuitable during document review due to their use of unregistered pesticides and soil heavy metals. Another 8.7% of applicants failed to obtain certification due to inadequate management results. This is a considerably higher rate of failure than the 5.3% incompatibility of document inspection and 0.6% incompatibility of on-site inspection, which suggests that it is relatively more difficult to obtain GAP certification for ginseng farming than for other crops. Ginseng farmers were given an average of 2.65 points out of 10 essential control points and a total 72 control points, which was slightly lower than the 2.81 points obtained for other crops. In particular, ginseng farmers were given an average of 1.96 points in the evaluation of compliance with the safe use standards for pesticides, which was much lower than the average of 2.95 points for other crops. Therefore, it is necessary to train ginseng farmers to comply with the safe use of pesticides. In the other essential control points, the ginseng farmers were rated at an average of 2.33 points, lower than the 2.58 points given for other crops. Several other areas of compliance in which the ginseng farmers also rated low in comparison to other crops were found. These inclued record keeping over 1 year, record of pesticide use, pesticide storages, posts harvest storage management, hand washing before and after work, hygiene related to work clothing, training of workers safety and hygiene, and written plan of hazard management. Also, among the total 72 control points, there are 12 control points (10 required, 2 recommended) that do not apply to ginseng. Therefore, it is considered inappropriate to conduct an effective evaluation of the ginseng production process based on the existing certification standards. In conclusion, differentiated certification standards are needed to expand GAP certification for ginseng farmers, and it is also necessary to develop programs that can be implemented in a more systematic and field-oriented manner to provide the farmers with proper GAP management education.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.29 no.3 s.54
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• pp.617-637
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• 1996

Occupational dermatosis is one of the most prevalent occupational disorders. However, the extent of the occupational dermatoses including incidences and prevalencies of each disease entity, and etiologic materials are not yet welt stated in Korea. Authors reviewed the literatures on the statistic data and reports on the occupational dermatoses, and surveyed on the occupational dermatoses in two factories, and surveyed the physicians responsible to the occupational dermatoses with formed questionnaire. The results are as follows; 1. Among medical journals published since 1964, there were 31 articles on the occupational dermatoses. Of 31 articles, 18 were case reports and all others were review articles. Of 18 case reports, 9 were epidemiologic survey. The Workers' Periodic Health Examinations revealed that prevalence of the occupational dermatoses was highest(4.36 per 10,000 workers) in 1974, but number of the cases reported were decreased sharply since 1978 with some tendency to increase since 1981. There were 2,240 reported cases of occupational dermatoses between 1966 and 1992, which is 1.90% of all the reported occupational diseases. Skin infection and injuries due to chemicals were most frequent and there were 6 cases of skin cancer. 2. In an epidemiological survey on the dermatoses among 995 workers in a metal product manufacturing factory and 225 workers in a coal chemical factory, there were 794 with dermatomycosis, 296 workers with acne, 130 workers with scar, 123 workers with deformity of toe nails. Scars, photosensitivity dermatitis, deformity of finger and toe nails, and acne were more prevalent in the metal product manufacturing factory(p<0.05). In the metal prouct manufacturing factory, workers treating organic solvents and oils had more dermatoses than those without treating the materials(p<0.05). On the skin patch performed on 16 workers in the metal product manufacturing factory, there were 8 cases of irritation dermatitis and 5 cases of contact dermatitis. Prevalence of contact dermatitis in the metal product manufacturing factory was 1.3%. 3. On the questionnaire survey, 34 dermatologists, 29 doctors of preventive medicine, and 22 family physician replied. The proportion of occupational etiology among all dermatoses assumed by the physicians were below 9%, and the most important occupational dermatosis in Korea was contact dermatitis. Main etiologic materials related to the occupational dermatosis were organic solvent, acid and alkali, and metals. The reason for the scarcity of report of occupational dermatoses were difficulty in diagnosis and physician's ignorance of the occupational etiology. They replied that to prevent the occupational dermatoses in the workplace, the use of protective devices was most important, and development of diagnostic criteria on the occupational dermatoses is urgent. Above results shows us that there is many workers with occupational dermatoses, but they are mostly unreported. Measures to prevent and manage the occupational dermatoses are not satisfactory at present. Hence, authors suggest measures for the precise diagnosis, report and prevention of the occupational dermatoses. a. Dermatologist, preventive physician, and industrial hygienist should work as a team to examine the high risk group and establish the preventive measures. b. Disease entities, diagnostic criteria of occupational dermatoses should be listed, criteria for the compensation and job fitting at recruitment should be established, and manual for the proper treatment and effective prevention of each occupational dermatosis should be developed. c. Patch test antigens against each occupational category should be developed and it should be available to any physicians responsible. d. To facilitate the diagnosis of occupational dermatoses by the doctors responsible for the Workersr Periodic Health Examination, development of standardized questionnaire, education on the techniques of the patch test, and cooperation with the dermatologist in diagnosis of occupational dermatoses is essential.