• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.237-245
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• 2010

Bioaccumulation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides was studied in sediment dwelling bivalves, Manila clams (Ruditapes philippinarum), collected from the midwestern coast of Korea. As witnessed by the dominance of tetra- to penta-chlorinated congeners in sediments and the penta- to hexa-chlorinated congener dominance in clams, the profile of PCBs in the sediments and Manila clams differed. Lipid and organic carbon-normalized biota-sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs) were determined for organochlorine pesticides. BSAFs of $\beta$-hexachlorocyclohexane ($\beta$-HCH) and $\Sigma$DDTs were in the range of 0.06~1.36 and 0.31~1.06. No clear relationships were found between BSAFs of $\Sigma$DDTs in Manila clams and the concentrations of DDTs in the associated sediment. The accumulated PCBs and organochlorine pesticides were compared in Manila clams and oysters (Crassostrea gigas) collected from 3 sites. Highly chlorinated PCBs were more commonly found in oyster tissues than in clam tissues. The reasons for the different accumulation pattern of organic pollutants in the two organisms are discussed.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.219-225
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• 2008

Many building materials may contain high concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other hazardous pollutants(HAPs). Specifically, VOCs discharged by indoor building material may cause "new house" syndrome, atopic dermatitis etc. The diffusion coefficient and initially contained total VOC quantity were determined using microbalance experiments and small chamber tests. Interactions between volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and vinyl flooring (VF), a relatively homogenous, diffusion-controlled building material, were characterized. Rapid determination of the material/air partition coefficient (K) and the material-phase diffusion coefficient (D) for each VOC was achieved by placing thin VF slabs in a dynamic microbalance and subjecting them to controlled sorption/desorption cycles. K and D are shown to be independent of concentration for all of the VOCs and water vapor. This approach can be applied to other diffusion-controlled materials and should facilitate the prediction of their source/sink behavior using physically-based models.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.25-38
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• 2015

Wastewaters of textile industry cause high volume colour and harmful substance pollutions. Photocatalytic degradation is a method which gives opportunity of reduction of organic pollutants such as dye containing wastewaters. In this study, photocatalytic degradation of C.I. Basic Yellow 28 (BY28) as a model dye contaminant was carried out using Degussa P25 in a photocatalytic reactor. The experiments were followed out at three different azo dye concentrations in a reactor equipped UV-A lamp (365 nm) as a light source. Azo dye removal efficiencies were examined with total organic carbon and UV-vis measurements. As a result of experiments, maximum degradation efficiency was obtained as 100% at BY28 concentration of $50mgL^{-1}$ for the reaction time of 2.5 h. The photodegradation of BY28 was described by a pseudo-first-order kinetic model modified with the langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism. The adsorption equilibrium constant and the rate constant of the surface reaction were calculated as $K_{dye}=6.689{\cdot}10^{-2}L\;mg^{-1}$ and $k_c=0.599mg\;L^{-1}min^{-1}$, respectively.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.73-76
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• 2000

A novel, continuous bioreactor system combining a bubble column (absorption section) and a two-phase bioreactor (degradation section) has been designed to treat a gas stream containing benzene. The bubble column contained hexadecane as an absorbent for benzene, and was systemically chosen considering physical, biological, environmental, operational and economic factors. This solvent has infinite solubility for benzene and very low volatility. After absorbing benzene in the bubble column, the hexadecane served as the organic phase of the two-phase partitioning bioreactor, transferring benzene into the aqueous phase where it was degraded by Alcaligenes xylosoxidans Y234. The hexadecane was then continuously recirculated back to the absorber section for the removal of additional benzene. All mass transfer and biodegradation characteristics in this system were investigated prior to operation of the integrated unit, and these included: the mass transfer rate of benzene in the absorption column, the mass transfer rate of benzene from the organic phase into the aqueous phase in the two-phase bioreactor, the stripping rate of benzene out of the two-phase bioreactor, etc. All of these parameters were incorporated into model equations, which were used to investigate the effects of operating conditions on the performance of the system. Several experiments were conducted to show the feasibility of this system. This process is believed to be very practical for the treatment of high concentrations of gaseous pollutants.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.207-217
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• 2002

This study was designed to investigate the characteristics of atmospheric concentrations of toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Korea. Target compounds included 1,3-butadiene, aromatics such as BTEX, and a number of carbonyl compounds. In this paper, as the second part of the study, the seasonal and locational concentrations of atmospheric VOCs were evaluated. Sampling was conducted seasonally at seven sampling sites. each of them representing a large urban area (commercial and residential), a small urban area (commercial and residential), an industrial area (a site within the complex and a residential), and a background place in Korea. In general, higher concentrations were found in the petro-chemical industrial site than other sites, while VOCs measured in commercial (heavy -traffic) sites were higher than residential sites. Seasonality of VOCs concentrations were not so much clear as other combustion related pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, indicating that the VOCs are emitted from a variety of sources, not only vehicle exhaust and point sources but fugitive emissions. Except the industrial site, the concentrations of VOCs measured in this study do not reveal any serious pollution status, since the levels did not exceed any existing ambient standards in the U.K. and/or Japan. However, the increasing number of petrol -powered vehicles and the rapid industrialization in Korea may result in the increased levels of VOCs concentrations in many large urban areas in the near future, if there is no appropriate programme implemented for the control of these compounds.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.139-143
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• 2014

Catalytic degradation of pentachlorophenol in soil by heme and hydrogen peroxide has been hypothesized to occur through nonspecific catalytic reactions similar to those involving ligninase. The present study examines the evidence for a heme catalytic mechanism for the oxidation of organic compounds. In the presence of hydrogen peroxide, heme is converted to the ferryl heme radical (Hm-$Fe^{+4{\cdot}}$), which can oxidize organic compounds, such as 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA). A second 5-ASA may later be oxidized by ferryl heme (Hm-$Fe^{+4}$), which reverts to the ferric heme state (Hm-$Fe^{+3}$) to complete the cycle. We believe that this catalytic cycle is involved in the degradation of hazardous pollutants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Remediation via heme catalytic reactions of PAHs in soil from a pole yard was evaluated, and about 96% of PAHs was found to disappear within 42 days after treatment with heme and hydrogen peroxide. In addition, benzo[a]pyrene and six other PAHs were undetectable among a total of 16 PAH compounds examined. Therefore, we propose heme catalysis as a novel technology for the remediation of hazardous compounds in contaminated soil.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.209-214
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• 2021

As coffee consumption per person increases annually to 323 cups in 2018, treating the spent coffee ground has arisen because spent coffee ground results in soil and air pollution. The demands of air purification filters are increasing more and more because the air pollution due to the fine dust has become worse. The spent coffee grounds had a porous structure, however, the pore was blocked by organic oil compounds. Electrocoagulation, which is one of the electrochemical methods, has the potential to remove the organic compounds. The surface area of spent coffee grounds increased effectively after the electrocoagulation treatment, and surface morphology and surface area were confirmed using SEM and BET, respectively. Using the FT-IR, both the spent coffee grounds and the electrocoagulated spent coffee grounds were characterized. The filter characteristics were examined by the adsorption test using formaldehyde, one of the air pollutants.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.321-335
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• 2022

Copper-based Metal-organic framework (MOF) namely ([Cu (INA)₂]-MOF) is synthesized by ball milling and characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for the topography, microstructure, and elemental evidence determination, powdered X-ray diffraction (XRD) for the crystallinity measurement, thermogravimetric (TG) analysis was performed to determine the thermal stability of the material, and Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy for functional groups identification. The use of [Cu (INA)₂]-MOF as hazardous removal material of β-agonists as persistent hazardous micro-pollutants in our environmental water is first reported in this study. The removal efficiency of the Cu-MOF is successfully determined to be 97.7% within 40 minutes, and the MOF has established an exceptional removal capacity of 835 mg L^-1 with 95 % percent removal on Clenbuterol (CLB) even after the 5th consecutive cycle. The Langmuir model of the adsorption isotherms was shown to be more favourable, while the pseudo-second-order model was found to be favoured in the kinetics. The reaction was exothermic and spontaneous from a thermodynamic standpoint, and the higher temperatures were unfavourable for the adsorption study of the CLB. As a result, the studied MOF have shown promising properties as possible adsorbents for the removal of CLB in wastewater.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.352-366
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• 2022

Nuclear power plant operations for electricity generation, rare-earth mining, nuclear medical research, and nuclear weapons reprocessing considerably increase radioactive waste, necessitating massive efforts to eradicate radioactive waste from aquatic environments. Cobalt (⁵⁸Co) and strontium (⁹⁰Sr) radioactive elements have been extensively employed in energy generation, nuclear weapon testing, and the manufacture of healthcare products. The erroneous discharge of these elements as pollutants into the aquatic system, radiation emissions, and long-term disposal is extremely detrimental to humans and aquatic biota. Numerous methods for treating radioactive waste-contaminated water have emerged, among which the adsorption process has been promoted for its efficacy in eliminating radioactive waste from aquatic habitats. The current review discusses the adsorptive removal of radioactive waste from aqueous solutions using low-cost adsorbents, such as graphene oxide, metal-organic frameworks, and inorganic metal oxides, as well as their composites. The chemical modification of adsorbents to increase their removal efficiency is also discussed. Finally, the current state of ⁵⁸Co and ⁹⁰Sr removal performances is summarized and the efficiencies of various adsorbents are compared.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.409-415
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• 1999

To evaluate the purification capacity of pollutants (COD, $PO_4^{3-}-p$, $NO_3^{-}-N$, Cu, Cd, Pb) in the three tidal flats, Eueunri, Gyewhado, Chunjangdae, the experiments were carried out with the batch reactor equipped with artifical tidal flats. Eueunri tidal flat was $98.8\%$ content of silt and clay and Chungjangdae was $97.84\%$ content of sand. The organic matters (I.L., $COD_{sed}$, POC) in Eueunri tidal flat were 2$\~$8 times higher than other tidal flats. The purification capacity of COD was 0.75 kg/ha/12 hr in Eueunri, 0.60 kg/ha/12 hr in Gyewhado and 0.55 kg/ha/12 hr in Chunjangdae. The mean purification capacity of COD in three tidal flats was 1.27 kg/ha/day. The calculated purification capacity of COD was 25.4 ton/day in the disappeared tidal flat areas (20,000 ha) of the Saemangeum reclamation. The purification capacity of phosphorus was 0.21 kg/ha/12 hr in Gyewhado, 0.39 kg/ha/12 hr in Eueunri and 0.22 kg/ha/12hr in Chunjangdae. The nitrate was 0.53, 0.74 and 0.43kg/ha/12hr, respectively. The purification capacity of heavy metals (Cu, Cd, Pb) were 88.9g/ha/12hr, 11.0g/ha/12hr, 1.7g/ha/12hr in Gyewhado, 89.1g/ha/12hr, 18.0g/ha/12hr, 2.6g/ha/12hr in Eueunri and 55.3g/ha/12hr, 18.0g/ha/12hr, 2.1g/ha/12hr in Chunjangdae, respectively. Accordingly, the purification capacity of pollutants in Eueunri tidal flat with high contents of organic matter were higher than other tidal flats. So, the purification capacity of pollutants were affected by physical and/or chemical characteristics of tidal flats.