• KSTLE International Journal
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2007

Chromatic device was developed using light emitting diodes, optic fibers and photodiodes. Chromatic ratio and total contamination parameters based on transmitted light intensity in Red, Green, and Blue wavelengths were used for oil chemical and particulate contamination assessment. Chromatic ratio criterion was found independent of the particulate contamination of oil; but depended on chemical degradation, being more sensitive for synthetic than mineral hydraulic oil. Total contamination index of the sensor depended on both the chemical degradation and particulate contamination of the oil; being most sensitive in blue wavelength, and least in the red. Test results for synthetic hydraulic oils monitored corroborated with results of other tests such as viscosity, total acid number, elemental optical emission spectroscopy, particulate counts and UV-VIS photospectrometry. Chromatic ratio showed a clearer indication of oil degradation, compared to key monitoring parameters such as total acid number, viscosity and particle counts. The results showed that these parameters are effective criteria for the condition monitoring of synthetic hydraulic oils.

• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.33-40
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• 2022

Background/Aims: Multiple outbreaks of multidrug-resistant organisms have been reported worldwide due to contaminated duodenoscopes. In 2015, the United States Food and Drug Administration recommended the following supplemental enhanced surveillance and reprocessing techniques (ESRT) to improve duodenoscope disinfection: (1) microbiological culture, (2) ethylene oxide sterilization, (3) liquid chemical sterilant processing system, and (4) double high-level disinfection. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to assess the impact of ESRT on the contamination rates. Methods: A thorough and systematic search was performed across several databases and conference proceedings from inception until January 2021, and all studies reporting the effectiveness of various ESRTs were identified. The pooled contamination rates of post-ESRT duodenoscopes were estimated using the random effects model. Results: A total of seven studies using various ESRTs were incorporated in the analysis, which included a total of 9,084 post-ESRT duodenoscope cultures. The pooled contamination rate of the post-ESRT duodenoscope was 5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.3%-10.8%, inconsistency index [I²]=97.97%). Pooled contamination rates for high-risk organisms were 0.8% (95% CI: 0.2%-2.7%, I²=94.96). Conclusions: While ESRT may improve the disinfection process, a post-ESRT contamination rate of 5% is not negligible. Ongoing efforts to mitigate the rate of contamination by improving disinfection techniques and innovations in duodenoscope design to improve safety are warranted.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.19-35
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• 2003

In order 새 investigate the spatial and seasonal variations of heavy metal pollution in heavily industrialized urban area, urban roadside sediments were collected for five years from gully pots in Seoul City. A series of studies have been carried out concerning the physicochemical characteristics of the sediments in order to evaluate the contamination of heavy metals such as Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn. Roadside sediments and uncontaminated stream sediments were analyzed for total metal concentrations using acid extraction. The roadside sediments are characterized by very high concentrations of Zn (2,665.0$\pm$1,815.0 $\mu\textrm{g}$/g), Cu (445.6$\pm$708.0 $\mu\textrm{g}$/g), Pb (214.3$\pm$147.9 $\mu\textrm{g}$/g) and Cr (182.1$\pm$268.8 $\mu\textrm{g}$/g), indicating an artificial accumulation of these metals to the sediment chemistry. Comparing with average contents of uncontaminated stream sediments, roadside sediments were shown zinc 14 times (up to 64.4), copper 9 times (up to 181.7), lead 6 times (up to 63.7), cobalt 6 times (up to 168.7), nickel 4 times (up to 98.4), cadmium 2 times (up to 12.8) and chrome 2 times (up to 40.2) high content. The relative degree of heavy metal pollution for roadside sediments collected from each district in Seoul City is evaluated using the “geoaccumulation index”. As a result, heavy-metal contamination is highest centering the oldest residential district and industry area, and contamination level decreases as go to outer block of the city. The factor analysis results indicate that the levels of Cu, Ni, Fe and Cr are strongly related to numbers of factories, whereas the concentrations of Cr, Zn and Cd dependant on pollution index, indicating artificial contamination due to site-specific traffic density.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.191-198
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• 1993

The relationships between microbial activity and disturbance level of soil were investigated from 15 parks in Seoul and undisturbed area. The physico-chemical characteristics of soil and dehydrogenase activity(DHA) as an index of soil microbial activity were analysed. There were ranges of 3.84~7.37 in pH, 9.63~40.33% in moisture content, 3.41~21.49% in organic matter, 0.36~0.79g/g in water holding capacity and 0.03~0.53% in total nitrogen investigated sites. DHA values of soil were 8.64~$146.76{\mu}g/g$ in park soil and 545.14~$1, 198.80{\mu}g/g$ in undisurbed area. DHA of park soil with high traffic density and contamination source from human activities was much lower than that of undisturbed area. DHA was positively correlated with moisture content, organic matter, water holding capacity and total nitrogen.

• Journal of the Speleological Society of Korea
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• no.92
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• pp.9-18
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• 2009

A number of closed metal mines act as point sources of contamination on nearby streams, soils and plants in our country. The contamination of twelve decomposed samples had earned from nine closed metal mines had been evaluated by TEA-3000. The contents of heavy metal with ion fraction exchange and carbonate fraction forms had been showed that the speciation of heavy metals represented with easy solubility, mobility and bioavailable of plants, and in case of sulfide compounds and organic residuals forms are related with the speciation of metals which may be stable forms because of strong bindable capacity. Also heavy metals elements in mosts of mines got with relative stable within crystal lattice, but results of trace element analyser showed that, in the most of tailings from mine areas, large portions of concentration of heavy metals were explained as stable from, sulfides/ organics and residual. In tailing from Imchun mines, the concentrations extracted by water were relatively high as compared with other mine areas whose total concentrations were very high because of large quantities of exchangeable ions and carbonates and low soil pH. Danger Index (D.I.) suggested in this study was based on the cumulative concentrations of step 1 and 2 from the result of trace element analyser. When the soil pH was considered, this index became better indicator to determine the priority for the remediation of mine area.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.32 no.4B
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• pp.261-266
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• 2012

In this study, soil environmental impact assessment using risk-based approach was compared with that using concentration-based approach. For this, heavy metal contaminant exposure was characterized in an abandoned mine area. According to the estimated carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks, soil ingestion was identified as the most dominant exposure pathway. When contaminant concentrations exceeded the Korean Soil Contamination Warning Standards, their corresponding risk values also exceeded the Total Soil Risk Standard. Even the cases of satisfying the Korean Soil Contamination Warning Standards mostly showed higher risk levels than the Total Soil Risk Standard, re-confirming a more sensitivity of the risk-based assessment than concentration-based assessment. However, the in-depth analysis of the estimated non-carcinogenic risk values revealed a few cases for soil contact pathway showing contaminant concentrations higher than the Korean Soil Contamination Warning Standards although their non-carcinogenic risk values satisfied the level of Hazard Index Standard. The findings from this study support a necessity of shifting policy paradigm from concentration-based approach into risk-based approach for reliable risk assessment in abandoned mine areas, and also suggest a necessity of further fundamental studies regarding risk factors and standards.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.19 no.3 s.49
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• pp.171-187
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• 2006

The status of heavy metal contamination was investigated using chemical analyses of stream waters and sediments obtained from Samsanjeil and Sambong Cu mining area in Goseong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do. In addition, the degree and the environmental risk of heavy metal contamination in stream sediments was assessed through pollution index (Pl) and danger index (DI) based on total digestion by aqua regia and fractionation of heavy metal contaminants by sequential extraction, respectively. Not only the degree of heavy metal contamination was significantly higher in Samsanjeil area than in Sambong area, but its environmental risk was also revealed much more serious in Samsanjeil area than in Sambong area. The differences in status and level of contamination and environmental risk between both two mining areas may be attributed to existence of contamination source and geology. Acid mine drainage is continuously discharged and flows into the stream in Samsanjeil mining area, and it makes the heavy metal contamination in the stream more deteriorated than in Sambong mining area in which acid mine drainage is not produced. In addition, the geology of Samsanjeil mining area is mainly comprised of andesitic rocks including a small amount of calcite and having lower pH buffering capacity fer acid mine drainage, and it is likely that the heavy metal contamination cannot be naturally attenuated in streams. On the contrary, the main geology of Sambong mining area consists of pyroclastic sedimentary Goseong formation containing a high content of carbonates, particularly calcite, and it seems that these carbonates of high pH buffering capacity prevent the heavy metal contamination from proceeding downstream in stream within that area.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.504-510
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• 2014

In this study, physico-chemical properties and pollution degree of surface sediments collected at 5 stations(S1~S5) of Incheon H wharf in March 2014 were investigated. From particle size, surface area, XRD and XRF analyses, the sediment samples consisted of similar oxides and minerals. Considering total score of COD, AVS and IL, pollution level ranged between 2 and 3 based on domestic standards. In case of heavy metal contamination, Cd, Ni and Pb were classified as moderately polluted by USEPA standards. However, Cu, Zn and Cr were classified as heavily polluted. With geoaccumulation index value($I_{geo}$), Cd contamination was estimated as class 3. In addition, the calculated enrichment factors of Cd, Pb and Zn were exceeded a value of 1. Site S4 was high as 3.1 in total enrichment factor.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.244-253
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• 2010

The quality of marine sediments from the industrialized coastal areas of Korea (Ulsan Bay, Masan Bay, and artificial Lake Shihwa) was investigated using a bacterial bioluminescence toxicity test. Sediment toxicity results were compared with the levels of chemical contamination (trace metals, organic wastewater markers, acid volatile sulfides, total organic carbon). Effective concentration 50% (EC50) of sediments ranged from 0.014 to 1.126 mg/mL, which is comparable to or lower than values in contaminated lakes, rivers, and marine sediments of other countries. Sediment reference index (SRI) ranged from 13 to 1044, based on the EC50 of the negative control sample. Mean average SRI values in Masan Bay and Lake Shihwa were approximately 8 and 9 times as high as that in Ulsan Bay, indicating higher sediment toxicity and greater contamination in the two former regions. Sediment toxicity were strongly associated with the concentrations of some chemicals, suggesting that this test may be useful for determining potential chemical contamination in sediments.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.401-408
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• 2017

Organic amendments such as animal waste compost, lime-bordeaux mixture, and lime sulphur mixture contain heavy metal(loid)s which are toxic to human being, animal, and plant. The objective of this study was to compare heavy metal(loid)s contamination of soil between conventional and organic farm. Soil samples were collected from 10 conventional and 38 organic fruit farms. At each sampling point, top (0~15 cm) and sub soil (15~30 cm) were taken using hand auger. Total concentration for arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), nikel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in the collected soil were measured. The pollution index (PI) for heavy metal in organic farms indicated it was unpolluted area. However, mean value of PI for organic farms (0.143) was higher than that for conventional farms (0.122). High Geoaccumulation index (Igeo) for Cu, Pb, and Zn implied that grape farms were more polluted than others fruit farms because a lot of lime-bordeaux mixture and lime sulphur were applied in organic grape farms. Especially, top soils showed higher level of contamination than sub soil. Based on the above results, organic amendments might cause accumulation of heavy metals in soil. Therefore, particular attention should be paid for concentration of Cu, Pb, and Zn, when organic amendments are used in the organic fruit farms.