• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.430-439
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• 2023

UV and O₃ are materials used in the water treatment process, and many studies have been reported to remove organic matters, contaminants, and microorganisms. In this study, we were investigated effects of Chirnomidae (Chironomus flaviplumus, Chironomus riparius), which are contamination indicator species to exposure UV and O₃ for the survival rate, body color change and gene expression response. The survival rate of C. flaviplumus exposed to UV decreased to about 70% after 24 hours, and C. riparius about 50%. There was no change in the survival rate of C. flaviplumus exposed to O₃, and C. riparius decreased to 95% after 10 minutes of exposure, but there was no change during the subsequent exposure time. In addition, UV and O₃ exposure to the two species in body color faded in a time-dependent. In the HSP70 gene expression, C. riparius showed an increase in expression after UV exposure compared to the control group, and a significant difference was shown 12 hours after exposure (P<0.05). C. flaviplumus exposed to O₃ showed a relatively low expression compared to the control group, and showed a significant difference at 10 minutes and 1 hour after exposure (P<0.05). These results reported the ecotoxicological effects on Chironomidae according to UV and O₃ exposure. Therefore, the results of this study can be used as basic data to understand the effects of UV and O₃, which are disinfectants used in water treatment plants, on Chirnomidae entering plants.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.19-26
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• 2023

Hydrogen, a clean energy source free of COx emissions, is poised to replace fossil fuels, with its usage on the rise. Despite its high energy content per unit mass, hydrogen faces limitations in storage and transportation due to its low storage density and challenges in long-term storage. In contrast, ammonia offers a high storage capacity per unit volume and is relatively easy to liquefy, making it an attractive option for storing and transporting large volumes of hydrogen. While NH₃ decomposition is an endothermic reaction, achieving excellent low-temperature catalytic activity is essential for process efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The study examined the effects of different zeolite types (5A, NaY, ZSM5) on NH₃ decomposition activity, considering differences in pore structure, cations, and Si/Al-ratio. Notably, the 5A zeolite facilitated the high dispersion of Ni across the surface, inside pores, and within the structure. Its low Si/Al ratio contributed to abundant acidity, enhancing ammonia adsorption. Additionally, the presence of Na and Ca cations in the support created medium basic sites that improved N₂ desorption rates. As a result, among the prepared catalysts, the 15 wt%Ni/5A catalyst exhibited the highest NH₃ conversion and a high H₂ formation rate of 23.5 mmol/g_cat·min (30,000 mL/g_cat·h, 600 ℃). This performance was attributed to the strong metal-support interaction and the enhancement of N₂ desorption rates through the presence of medium basic sites.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.6
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• pp.781-797
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• 2023

Recently, there has been a rapid response from mineral-demanding countries for securing critical minerals in a high tech industries. Graphite, while overwhelmingly dominated by China in production, is changing in global supply due to the exponential growth in EV battery sector, with active exploration in East Africa. Rare earth elements are essential raw materials widely used in advanced industries. Globally, there are ongoing developments in the production of REEs from three main deposit types: carbonatite, laterite, and ion-adsorption clay types. While China's production has decreased somewhat, it still maintains overwhelming dominance in this sector. Recent changes over the past few years include the rapid emergence of Myanmar and increased production in Vietnam. Nickel has been used in various chemical and metal industries for a long time, but recently, its significance in the market has been increasing, particularly in the battery sector. Worldwide, nickel deposits can be broadly classified into two types: laterite-type, which are derived from ultramafic rocks, and ultramafic hosted sulfide-type. It is predicted that the development of sulfide-type, primarily in Australia, will continue to grow, while the development of laterite-type is expected to be promoted in Indonesia. This is largely driven by the growing demand for nickel in response to the demand for lithium-ion batteries. The global lithium ores are produced in three main types: brine lake (78%), rock/mineral (19%), and clay types (3%). Rock/mineral type has a slightly higher grade compared to brine lake type, but they are less abundant. Chile, Argentina, and the United States primarily produce lithium from brine lake deposits, while Australia and China extract lithium from both brine lake and rock/mineral sources. Canada, on the other hand, exclusively produces lithium from rock/mineral type. Vanadium has traditionally been used in steel alloys, accounting for approximately 90% of its usage. However, there is a growing trend in the use for vanadium redox flow batteries, particularly for large-scale energy storage applications. The global sources of vanadium can be broadly categorized into two main types: vanadium contained in iron ore (81%) produced from mines and vanadium recovered from by-products (secondary sources, 18%). The primary source, accounting for 81%, is vanadium-iron ores, with 70% derived from vanadium slag in the steel making process and 30% from ore mined in primary sources. Intermediate vanadium oxides are manufactured from these sources. Vanadium deposits are classified into four types: vanadiferous titanomagnetite (VTM), sandstone-hosted, shale-hosted, and vanadate types. Currently, only the VTM-type ore is being produced.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.68 no.3
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• pp.167-174
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• 2023

This study investigated the microstructure and water absorption characteristics of the Korean adzuki bean (Vigna angularis L.) cultivar under accelerated storage. The germination rate, acid value, redness (a^*), and yellowness (b^*) values showed no significant differences after three months of storage compared to pre-storage under low temperatures (4℃). However, a statistically significant difference was observed under accelerated high temperatures (45℃). In particular, after storage for three months, the germination rate and acid value were 0% and 33.63 mg KOH/100g, respectively, under accelerated high temperatures. After storage for three months, the holes, hilum damage, and spaces between the seed coat and cotyledon shortened the time and speed of water absorption under accelerated high temperatures compared to that under low temperatures. Conversely, further research is required to investigate the reason for the low rate of parallel water absorption.

• Journal of Venture Innovation
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.51-65
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• 2021

The HR policy in the public sector was closed and operated mainly on written tests, but in 2006, a new evaluation, promotion and education system based on competence was introduced in the promotion and selection system of civil servants. In particular, the seniority-oriented promotion system was evaluated based on competence by operating an Assessment Center related to promotion. Competency evaluation is known to be the most reliable and valid evaluation method among the evaluation methods used to date and is also known to have high predictive feasibility for performance. In 2001, 19 government standard competency models were designed. In 2006, the competency assessment was implemented with the implementation of the high-ranking civil service team system. In the public sector, the purpose of the competency evaluation is mainly to select third-grade civil servants, assign fourth-grade civil servants, and promotion fifth-grade civil servants. However, competency assessments in the public sector differ in terms of competency assessment objectives, assessment processes and competency assessment programmes compared to those in the private sector. For the purposes of competency assessment, the public sector is for the promotion of candidates, and the private sector focuses on career development and fostering. Therefore, it is not continuously developing capabilities than the private sector and is not used to enhance performance in performing its duties. In relation to evaluation items, the public sector generally operates a system that passes capacity assessment at 2.5 out of 5 for 6 competencies, lacks feedback on what competencies are lacking, and the private sector uses each individual's competency score. Regarding the selection and operation of evaluators, the public sector focuses on fairness in evaluation, and the private sector focuses on usability, which is inconsistent with the aspect of developing capabilities and utilizing human resources in the right place. Therefore, the public sector should also improve measures to identify outstanding people and motivate them through capacity evaluation and change the operation of the capacity evaluation system so that they can grow into better managers through accurate reports and individual feedback

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.555-560
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• 2023

Conventional aqueous amine-based CO₂ capture has a problem in that a large amount of renewable energy is required for CO₂ stripping and solvent regeneration in its industrial applications. This work proposes a water-lean absorbent that can reduce regeneration energy by lowering the water content in the absorbent with high absorption capacity for CO₂. To this purpose, this water-lean solvent introduced NMP (N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone), which has a higher physical solubility in CO₂ and a low specific heat capacity comparing to water, along with 3-methylaminopropylamine (MAPA), a diamine, into the absorbent. The circulating absorption capacity and absorption rate for CO₂ of this water-lean solvent were measured using a packed tower. When NMP was added to the absorbent, the absorption rate was improved. In the case of the absorbent containing 2.5M MAPA was used, the maximum circulating absorption capacity was obtained when 10 wt% of NMP was included in absorbent. The overall mass transfer coefficient increased as the concentration of NMP increased. However, at loading values higher than 0.5, the increment in mass transfer coefficient decreased as the concentration of NMP increased. When the lean loading value is low, the mass transfer resistance due to viscosity of the absorbent is low, so the overall mass transfer coefficient increases with the addition of NMP. However, as the lean loading value increases, the viscosity of the absorbent increases, and the diffusivity of CO₂ and MAPA decreases, resulting in sharply decreasing of the overall mass transfer coefficient.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.361-372
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• 2023

Organotin pesticide is used as an acaricide in agriculture and may contaminate livestock products. This study aims to develop a rapid and straightforward analytical method for detecting organotin pesticides, specifically azocyclotin, cyhexatin, and fenbutatin oxide, in various livestock products, including beef, pork, chicken, egg, and milk, using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The extraction process involved the use of 1% acetic acid in a mixture of acetonitrile and ethyl acetate (1:1). This was followed by the addition of anhydrous magnesium sulfate (MgSO₄) and anhydrous sodium chloride. The extracts were subsequently purified using octadecyl (C₁₈) and primary secondary amine (PSA), after which the supernatant was evaporated. Organotin pesticide recovery ranged from 75.7 to 115.3%, with a coefficient of variation (CV) below 25.3%. The results meet the criteria range of the Codex guidelines (CODEX CAC/GL 40). The analytical method in this study will be invaluable for the analysis of organotin pesticides in livestock products.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2024

World stone production in 2021 stood at 162.5 million tons, up by 7.5 million tons, or 4.8 percent, compared to the previous year when the production came in at 155 million tons. Six top countries with the most of stone production were China, India, Turkey, Brazil, Iran and Italy and these six countries accounted for 72.8 percent of total production in the world. Stone exports stood at $21.68 billion in 2021, up by $2.3 billion from the previous year. Exports of raw materials and processed stones stood at 54.4 million tons, up by 2.98 million tons from the previous year. In terms of aggregate exports, exports of natural stones increased by $2.3 billion to $21.7 billion while exports of artificial stones rose $2.6 billion to $13.6 billion in 2021 compared to the previous year. The average price of stone (Code: 68.02) was up by $65.2 per ton to $794.82. The price of board, processed stone, an ingredient for building materials, increased by $3.52 per square meter to $42.96 per square meter. Recycling was always the problem as the volume of the total quarry was 333.5 million tons, of which only 28.8 percent were finished products and the remaining 71.2 percent were waste generated from stone extraction and processing. Korea's stone exports stood at $1.97 million in 2021, down 38.3 percent on year, while imports were up 8.6 percent to $758.9 million. Stone exports are expected to grow to 66.1 million tons in 2025, while usage is expected to reach 108.92 million tons, or 2 billion square meters.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.6-25
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• 2024

This study concentrated on a report on the results of smelting experiments conducted eight times by the Jungwon National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, put together the goals and results of the operation, and examined changes in the content of experiments and in the experimental results. First, changes related to operation, such as the ratio of raw materials to fuel and the presence or absence of additives, were reviewed depending on the operation goal. In addition, the results of metallurgical analysis of raw materials, formations, and byproducts were summarized and reviewed by comparing them with materials excavated from the ruins. The operation method varied up to the eighth smelting experiment in terms of iron ore roasting, additives, and raw material/fuel ratio. After reviewing the results again, pure iron with a low carbon content began to be confirmed through metallurgical analysis. As a result, it was confirmed that the charging ratio of raw materials and fuel plays an important role depending on the purpose of production. In addition, most of the products are gray cast iron, and it was deemed that this is due to changes in the internal structure of the pig iron while it was left in the furnace for a long time. The iron was an ingot that was in a molten state even though the carbon content did not reach 4.3%, where the process reaction takes place, and it was deemed to have been caused by excessive operating temperature. Based on the previously reviewed results and the structure and shape of the experimental furnace used in other ironmaking technology restoration experiments, this study finally attempted to restore the structure of an ancient iron smelting furnace, including the furnace's upper structure. By comprehensively referring to the remaining conditions of the excavated iron smelting furnace and the characteristics of the blow pipe, the form of the ancient iron smelting furnace was subdivided into six categories: furnace wall thickness, furnace height, blower height, blow pipe size, furnace inner wall shape, and top shape, and a restoration plan was proposed. To improve the problems of the restoration plan and the Jungwon National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage's experiments that have been conducted through continuous trial and error, an experiment that reflects changes in operating methods by lowering the furnace height and controlling the blowing volume is necessary.

• Clean Technology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.123-133
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• 2024

Zeolite template carbon (ZTC) was synthesized as an adsorbent to remove low-concentration CH₄ from the atmosphere. The synthesis of ZTC was performed using CH₄ and C₂H₂ as carbon precursors and their impact on adsorption was investigated. ZTC was also synthesized using Y zeolite ion-exchanged with CaCl₂ and LiCl as templates to investigate the effect of using metals in ion exchange. The comparison of the carbon precursors revealed that C₂H₂ had a higher carbon yield than CH₄. The synthesized ZTC exhibited developed micropores due to carbon deposition deep inside the micropores of the zeolite template. The kinetic diameter of C₂H₂ (0.33 nm) is smaller than that of CH₄ (0.38 nm), which allowed for its deposition. The study compared metal precursors used for ion exchange and confirmed that the CaCl₂-based ZTC developed more micropores compared to the LiCl-based ZTC. The ion-exchanged Ca inhibited pore blocking by the carbon precursor, allowing it to enter the pores. The ability of synthesized ZTC to adsorb N₂ and CH₄ at 298 K was investigated. The results showed that CH₄ had a higher overall adsorption amount than N₂. The sample synthesized using C₂H₂ and CaY exhibited the highest N₂ and CH₄ adsorption capacity. However, the sample synthesized with CH₄ had the highest CH₄/N₂ gas uptake ratio, which is a crucial factor in designing an adsorption process. The observed difference was likely caused by the underdevelopment of ultrafine pores that are associated with N₂ adsorption. This resulted in a reduction of N₂ adsorption, leading to an increase in CH₄/N₂ separation.