• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.43-50
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• 2018

In a previous study, the feasibility of four materials (bentonite, steelmaking slag, lime and organic compost) to induce soil aggregate formation was assessed and the mixtures of organic compost and lime were chosen as most effective amendments in terms of cost benefit. This work is a subsequent study to evaluate the effectiveness of those amendments in reducing soil loss in $15^{\circ}$ sloped agricultural area by using rainfall simulation test. Three different soils were treated with two conditions of organic compost/lime mixtures (2% + 2%, 3% + 1%, w/w). In the amended soils, soil fertility was increased due to the increase of CEC, T-N, and T-P. During the rainfall simulation, suspended solid in run-off water from amended soil were reduced by 43% ~ 78%. When the content of organic compost was higher than that of lime, reduction of soil loss was also increased by 67% ~ 78%. Sediment discharge was also decreased by 72% ~ 96% in the amended soil. Similar to the suspended solid analysis, higher organic compost content led to more reduction of soil discharging, which implies organic compost is more effective than lime in reducing soil loss. The overall result suggests that the mixtures of organic compost and lime could be used as amendment materials to reduce soil loss in sloped farmland.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.29 no.12
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• pp.1239-1248
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• 2020

This study performed to conduct a test to increase the amount of appropriate organic matter input to organic upland soil, soil fertility, and its effect on the chemical changes and yield of corn in soil due to organic use. The pH level of the T1, T5, and T6 treatment zones where livestock excreta was used was raised to 6.0-6.5, the optimal range of the soil in Korea, and it was confirmed that the pH value was appropriate. Electrical Conductivity (EC), organic content (OM), and total nitrogen (T-N) were also identified as a trend of continuous increase. The quantity of corn gradually increased from 74.1% to 96.4% over the four-year period with the use of organic materials compared to the beginning of the test, and the utilization efficiency of nitrogen has also increased. The results of the study were found to have been able to examine the increase in quantity and changes in soil chemistry through crop cultivation using organic materials such as natural materials, green manure crops, and livestock manure compost, and it is also believed that the changes due to various factors such as soil environment, soil microbes, and climate conditions need to be made through continuous research.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.346-351
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• 2001

Oxidation of Cr(III) to Cr(VI) can increase availability and toxicity of chromium. In this study, possible mechanisms by which pH and organic matter can control the chromium oxidation and reduction in soil system were examined using four soils of different pHs and organic matter contents. Reduction of Mn-oxides occurred in the soils of higher organic matter content (4.0%), but Mn-oxide was quite stable during the incubation in the soil of pH 7.0 and 0.5% organic matter content. Manganese oxides can be reductively dissolved at lower pH and higher organic matter conditions. The soil of pH 7.0 and 4.0% organic matter content showed the highest Cr-oxidation potential. Reduction of soluble Cr(VI) was observed in all the soils examined. The most rapid reduction was found in soil of pH 5.5 and 4.0% organic matter content, but the reduction was slow in soil of pH 7.0 and 0.5% organic matter content. Thus, the reductive capacity of organic matter added soils was much higher as compared to other two soils of lower organic matter content. In all the soils examined, the reductive capacity of soluble chromium was much higher than the oxidative capacity. Organic matter was found to be the most important controlling factor in the chromium oxidation and reduction. Reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) could be a potentially useful remediation or detoxification process, and availability and toxicity of chromium in soil would be controlled by controlling organic matter content and pH of the soils.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.10-17
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• 2022

Inorganic acids such as HCl, HNO₃, and H₂SO₄ have been commonly applied to soil washing of heavy metals-contaminated soil due to their cost-effectiveness. However, implementing the 'Chemical Substance Control Act' requires off-site risk assessment of the chemicals used in the soil washing. Therefore, in this study, organic acids or Fe(III)-based washing agents were evaluated to replace commonly used inorganic acids. Ferric removed heavy metals via H⁺ generated by hydrolysis, which is similar to the HCl used in the control group. Oxalic acid and citric acid were effective to remove Cu, Zn, and Cd from soil. Organic acids could not remove Pb because they could form Pb-organic acid complexes with low solubility. Furthermore, Pb could be adsorbed onto the iron-organic acid complex on the soil surface. Ferric could remove exchangeable-carbonate, Fe-Mn hydroxide, and organic matter and sulfides bound heavy metals (F1, F2, and F3). Organic acids could remove the exchangeable-carbonate and Fe-Mn hydroxide bound metals (F1&F2). Therefore, this research shows that the fractionation of heavy metals in the soil and the properties of washing agents should be considered in the selection of agents in the process design.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2002.04a
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• pp.347-350
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• 2002

Arsenic speciation changes between As(V) and As(III) are subject to changes in accordance with redox conditions in the environment. It is common to find contaminated sites associated with mixed wastes including both organic pollutants and heavy metals. We conducted microcosm experiment under hypothesis that the co-disposed organic pollutants would influence on the arsenic forms and concentrations, via degradation of the organic pollutants and the consequent impact on the redox conditions in soil. Artificially contaminated soil samples were run for 40 days with control samples without artificial contamination. We noticed arsenic in the contaminated soil showed different behaviour compared with the arsenic in the control soil. The findings indicate degradation of organic pollutants in the contaminated soil influenced on the arsenic speciation and concentrations. A further work is needed to understand the process quantitatively. However, we could confirm that degradation of organic pollutants can influence on the abiotic processes associated with geochemical reactions in contaminated soil. Degradation of organic pollutants can increase the mobility and toxicity of arsenic in soil and sediment by changing redox conditions in the geological media and subsequently from As(V) to As(III).

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.47-55
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• 2011

Cicada is a very familiar insect to people but habitat characteristics of them are not well known. To investigate habitat characteristics of cicada nymph, plant species, plant cover, soil hardness, accumulated organic mass, organic content in soil, and root density were investigated at 11 sites in an apartment complex garden in Seoul. Selected sites had different densities of cicada nymph case above the ground. Density of cicada nymph case was positively correlated with accumulated organic mass, organic content in soil, and root density and negatively correlated with soil hardness. Even though shrub coverage was not linearly correlated with the density of cicada nymph case, 80% cover of shrub was necessary for the high density of them. Data in this study suggested that organic matter in addition to root density be the primary limitation factor of cicada nymph and high amount of litter-fall decrease soil hardness through the increase of soil organic matter. This study suggests that the density of cicada nymph can be managed through organic content in soil.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.227-234
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• 2002

Laboratory experiments were conducted to examine the behavior of metalaxyl in environment which was used as pesticide in green soil of golf course and as functions of the characteristics of adsorption, desorption and degradation in soil texture and organic matter contents. Acid water containing metalaxyl was conducted to evaluate the effects on adsorption, desorption and degradation. The adsorption of metalaxyl played more significant role in organic contents than clay contents, and pH Increases more pH 2.5 than pH 5.6. The desorption of metalaxyl from contaminants soil decreased higher organic contents LS-soil than S-soil, but the desorption amount of metalaxyl increased more pH 5.6 than pH 2.5. The rate of degradation of metalaxyl in green soil environmental increased higher organic contents LS-soil than S-soil and decreased more pH 2.5 than pH 5.6. These results indicated that the behavior of metalaxyl of the green soil was affected the soil texture of the golf course. Increasing of organic contents, the adsorption amount of metalaxyl on soil increased. Moreover the decrease of the pH of solution increased adsorption amounts and decreased desorption amounts. As the results, the transportation of metalaxyl in soil decreased the acidic rates. The acidification of soil by the acid rain increased the adsorption amount of metalaxyl, but the degradation of metalaxyl decreased. Therefore, it is possible to sustain contamination in run-off the stream and ground water by residuals in soil.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.1008-1011
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• 2010

A method currently used to determine soil organic matter (SOM), Tyurin method, is time consuming and expensive while accurate. Recently, a spectrophotometric determination was reported to be rapid, accurate, stable, easy to execute, and amendable to field use for soil samples obtained from Texas, USA. The objective of this study was to test if the spectrophotometric method is applicable to soils in Korea. Soil organic matter was extracted by 1 M HCl followed by a 0.25 M NaOH-0.1 M sodium pyrophosphate solution at a ratio of 1:250 soil:extractant. Soil organic matter determined by Tyurin method was linearly related to the value based on absorbance at 300 nm of the soil extracts with a coefficient of determination ($r^2$) of 0.81. Therefore, the result imply that this spectrophotometric method can be used to determine the soil organic matter of agricultural soils in Korea.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.72-79
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• 2014

Cavitation generated by ultrasonic irradiation can enhance the diffusional transport of organic contaminants from soil surfaces or pores. Therefore, ultrasound soil washing can be an alternative of traditional soil washing process. In this study, soil was artificially contaminated with n-tetradecane, n-hexadecane and phenanthrene. A plate type ultrasonic reactor at 25 kHz frequency and 1000W power was used for laboratory soil washing experiments. Ultrasonic soil washing efficiency was compared with those of traditional soil washing using mechanical mixing. Various operational parameter such as soil/liquid ratio, irradiation time, particle size, and soil organic matter content was tested to find out the optimum condition. It was found that ultrasonic soil washing demonstrates better performance than mechanical soil washing. Optimum soil:liquid ratio for ultrasonic soil washing was 1 : 5. Desorption of organic contaminants from soils by ultrasonic irradiation was relatively fast and reached equilibrium within 10 minute. However, decrease in the soil particle sizes by ultrasonic irradiation results in re-adsorption of contaminants to soil phase. It was also observed that soil particle size distribution and soil organic matter content have significant effects on the efficiency of ultrasonic soil washing.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.17-23
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• 2013

In order to evaluate the effect of various organic soil conditioner ratios on the soil moisture content and growth of Cotoneaster horizontalis, a container type for wall-planting experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at Konkuk University under non-irrigation. The experimental planting grounds were prepared with different organic soil conditioner ratios ($A_1L_0$, $A_8L_1$, $A_4L_1$ $A_2L_1$ and $A_1L_1$), and a drought-tolerant ornamental variety of Cotoneaster horizontalis was planted. The change in soil moisture content, plant height, number of branches, number of dead leaves, number of leaves, number of shoots, length of node, length of leaf, width of leaf, root-collar caliper, chlorophyll content, and survival rate were investigated, from April to Jun 2010. The results of soil moisture content measurements were analyzed with weight units in the container type for wall-planting during the dry summer season. The soil moisture contents were significantly enhanced in the container type for wall-planting in increasing order as the amount of soil conditioner level was increased ($A_1L_1$ > $A_2L_1$ > $A_4L_1$ > $A_8L_1$ > $A_1L_0$). Compared to the control treatment application (amended soil with 100% + organic soil conditioner 0%), the highest plant growth was observed in the treatment of $A_1L_1$ application (amended soil with 50% + organic soil conditioner 50%). However, the differences between the organic soil conditioner ratio treatments of $A_1L_1$, $A_4L_1$, and $A_8L_1$ organic soil conditioner application were mostly not significant. The survival rate increased with the increasing application of organic soil conditioner, but in the control treatment application all the plants died. The experimental results from clearly demonstrated that the organic soil conditioner improved the survival rate more than the growth of Cotoneaster horizontalis. Therefore, Cotoneaster horizontalis is expected to be a highly valuable shrub for green wall systems, when considered for us in integration system or for increasing soil water contents in planting grounds.