• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.79-85
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• 2002

Ecological characteristics of microorganisms in tideland soils were studied by investigation of microbial diversity and population. Twenty soil samples were taken at surface, 10, 20 and 30 cm depth each. Bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi were isolated on each selective isolation medium containing different concentration of NaCl. Actinomycetes were the most isolated from soil samples taken at 10 cm depth and isolated by humic acid-vitamin (HV) medium without sea water or salt. Twenty nine strains of actinomycetes were isolated at surface soil and 74, 39, 37 strains were at 10, 20, and 30 cm depth, respectively. All these isolates were analysed and grouped by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR analysis. Many of the isolates were clustered into Microtetraspora and Pseudonocardia. Fungal isolates were highly distributed at the surface soil and isolated well on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium with sea water. Bacterial isolates were higly distributed at surface soil and isolated well by nutrient medium without sea water or salt. Soil samples taken at 10 cm depth showed the highest microbial diversity and population.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.124-130
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• 2013

Of all the brominated flame retardants (BFRs), TBBPA has the largest production volume (50% of the BFRs in current use). It is interest to investigate how they may degrade, because of it can pose an environmental hazard. By using UV-A (${\lambda}=352nm$ ), we have found that the UV-A irradiation increased the photodecomposition reaction rate of TBBPA in an intensity-dependent manner. We also observed 2,6-dibromo-p-benzosemiquinone radical ($a_{2H}=2.36G$, g = 2.0056) generated from TBBPA by reaction with singlet oxygen ($^1O_2$). On the other hand, when an aqueous preparation of HA was irradiated in the presence of TBBPA, the typical spectrum of semiquinone radical was detected by electron spin resonance (ESR). And then, we have found that the photodecomposition rate of TBBPA is decreased in depend on HA concentration. Radical formation and the reactive rate of TBBPA were inhibited by sodium azide used as a singlet oxygen quencher. Therefore we report that a similar $^1O_2$-induced oxidation can be initiate in aqueous solutions of TBBPA dissolved in humic acid (HA) by the UV-A irradiation (${\lambda}=352nm$). From these results, we suggest that the reaction rate of HA with $^1O_2$ is faster than that of TBBPA with $^1O_2$.

• Clean Technology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.263-269
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• 2020

Zeolite was synthesized hydrothermally using the water-treatment sludge, and the effects of various synthesis parameters like reaction temperature, reaction time, and Na2O/SiO2 molar ratio on the crystallization of zeolite were investigated. Crystal structure, physical property, and thermal stability of zeolite crystals were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, FTIR spectroscopy, BET nitrogen adsorption, and TGA measurements. The removal efficiencies of nitrogen in ammonia, heavy metal ions, and TOC were calculated to evaluate zeolite's adsorption capacity. The primary chemical composition of water-treatment sludge was 28.79% Al2O3 and 27.06% SiO2. The zeolites were synthesized by merely employing the water-treatment sludge as silica and alumina sources without additional chemicals. Zeolite crystals synthesized through the water-treatment sludge were confirmed as an A-type zeolite structure. Zeolite A had the highest crystallinity obtained from a gel with the molar composition 2.1Na2O-Al2O3-1.6SiO2-65H2O after 5 h at a temperature of 90 ℃. The specific surface area of zeolite obtained was 55 ㎡ g-1, which was higher than commercial zeolite A. The removal efficiency of nitrogen in ammonia was 68% after 3 h of reaction time, while the removal efficiencies of Pb2+ and Cd2+ ions were 99.1% and 99.3%, respectively. These results indicate active ion exchange between Pb2+ or Cd2+ ion and Na+ ion in the zeolite framework. The adsorption experiments on the different zeolite addition conditions were performed for 3 h with 300 ppm humic acid. Based on the results, TOC's highest efficiency was 83% when 5 g of zeolite was added.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.128-134
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• 2012

Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is one of the most notorious and contagious viral diseases afflicting cloven-hoofed animals. In this study, the physicochemical properties of leachate from a FMD landfill site at 773-1, Waryong, Andong, Korea and the ground water from 777, Waryong, Andong, Korea, were analyzed for 1 year from December $10^{th}$ 2010 to November $17^{th}$ 2011. The leachate was collected from the FMD landfill site during March, May, July, September and November, 2011 and changes in pH, brix, water content, insoluble solids, crude proteins, crude lipids, total and reducing sugars and ash content were determined. Considering the annual profiles of temperature and rainfall at the FMD landfill site, the dramatic changes in the physicochemical properties of the leachate from March to July, and especially from May to July, such as increases in pH, and a rapid reduction of brix and organic matter, may be closely linked to the growth of microorganisms in the leachate. The sharp decreases in the concentration of biominerals, such as Mg, Ca, and Fe from 1073, 4311 and 56.2 ppm in March to 151, 78, and 0.1 ppm in November, further suggest that decreases in organic matter in the leachate result from degradation by microorganisms originating from the intestines of the livestock. Analysis of the profiles of the organic materials in the leachate revealed that the properties of the leachate were similar to those of excremental matter-derived water. These results could be applied to a number of fields for the analysis of organic matter behavior, the development of the degradation process, and risk analysis in the environment for hygiene and food industries, of leachate from FMD landfill sites.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.1114-1119
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• 2012

This study was conducted to assess the microbial toxicity of ionic silver solution ($Ag^+N$) and silver nanoparticle suspension ($Ag^0NP$) based on the Microtox bioassay. In this test, the light inhibition of luminescent bacteria was measured after 15 and 30 min exposure to aqueous solutions and soils spiked with a dilution series of $Ag^+N$ and $Ag^0NP$. The resulting dose-response curves were used to derive effective concentration (EC25, $EC_{50}$, EC75) and effective dose ($ED_{25}$, $ED_{50}$, $ED_{75}$) that caused a 25, 50 and 75% inhibition of luminescence. In aqueous solutions, $EC_{50}$ value of $Ag^+N$ after 15 min exposure was determined to be < $2mg\;L^{-1}$ and remarkably lower than $EC_{50}$ value of $Ag^0NP$ with $251mg\;L^{-1}$. This revealed that $Ag^+N$ was more toxic to luminescent bacteria than $Ag^0NP$. In soil extracts, however, $ED_{50}$ value of $Ag^+N$ with 196 mg kg-1 was higher than $ED_{50}$ value of $Ag^0NP$ with $104mg\;kg^{-1}$, indicating less toxicity of $Ag^+N$ in soils. The reduced toxicity of $Ag^+N$ in soils can be attributed to a partial adsorption of ionic $Ag^+$ on soil colloids and humic acid as well as a partial formation of insoluble AgCl with NaCl of Microtox diluent. This resulted in lower concentration of active Ag in soil extracts obtained after 1 hour shaking with $Ag^+N$ than that spiked with $Ag^0NP$. With longer exposure time, EC and ED values of both $Ag^+N$ and $Ag^0NP$ decreased, so their toxicity increased. The toxic characteristics of silver nanomaterials were different depending on existing form of Ag ($Ag^+$, $Ag^0$), reaction medium (aqueous solution, soil), and exposure time.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.37-42
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• 1993

Influences of metal concentration, pH and temperature on metal-ligand precipitate formation were investigated, as a part of projects for removing heavy metals from aqueous solution employing the principles in metal-ligand complexation. Aqueous solutions of HA or FA were reacted with those of heavy metals with 1:1 ratio. Efficiency of humic (HA) or fulvic acid (FA) on removing metals was evaluated by separating the precipitates from soltuions with the filtering method. When HA was a counter ligand, there existed three ranges of metal concentrations affecting precipitation : precipitate fromation was not available, was reached to the maximum, and afterwards was decreased again. The concentration ratios of metal to HA for initiating complexation were dependent upon kinds of metal and concentrations of ligand. Amount of Pb to form maximum precipitates per unit mg of HA was 1.3 times higher than that of Cu. When FA was a counter ligand, concentrations of metal-FA precipitates were increased proportionally with the treated metal concentrations. Efficiency of FA fro removing Pb was nearly 100%, but it was ranged from 12 to 19% for Cu, depending on FA concentration. pH exerted a considerable effect on complexation between Pb and FA, showing precipitates were increased six times at most per unit increase of pH. Ranges of pH increasing significantly the mounts of precipitates were coincied with pH jump ranges of the titration curve of organic ligands. As increasing temperature from 15 to $55^{\circ}C$, increases of FA-Cu precipitates were doubled, but those of FA-Pb were accounted for only 6%, However, HA-metal complexation was not affected by temperature.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.39 no.11
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• pp.634-640
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• 2017

Toxicity and fate assessment is necessary in the evaluation of the environmental, health and safety risks of engineered nanomaaterials (ENMs). Therefore, in order to ensure the reproducibility, reliability and relevance of ENMs toxicity results, stable and monomodal dispersion protocols in toxicity test media are needed. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (nZnO) are widely used in various products such as cosmetic products, paper, paints etc. In this study, nZnO dispersions in ecotoxicity test media were produced by following a series of steps of modified National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special publication 1200-5. In addition, natural organic matter (humic acid (HA)) was used as a stabilizing agent to disperse nZnO in the test media. The hydrodynamic diameters (HDD) of the nZnO in dispersion ranged between 150 and 200 nm according to the dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurement. Based on these dispersions in ecotoxicity test using ecological species (Oryzias latipes, Daphnia magna, Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and Chironomusus riparius), dispersion protocol was found to have a considerable potential in ecotoxicity test of ENMs.