• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.77-83
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• 2013

The original pilot-scale electrokinetic equipment suitable to soil contamination characteristics of Korean nuclear facility sites was manufactured for the remediation of soil contaminated with uranium. During the experiment with the original electrokinetic equipment, many metal oxides were generated and were stuck on the cathode plate. The uranium removal capability of the original electrokinrtic equipment was almost exhausted because the cathode plate covered with metal oxides did not conduct electricity in the original electrokinetic equipment. Therefore, the original electrokinetic equipment was improved. After the remediation experience for 25 days using the improved electrokinetic remediation equipment, the removal efficiency of uranium from the soil was 96.8% and its residual uranium concentration was 0.81 Bq/g. When the initial uranium concentration of soil was about 50 Bq/g, the electrokinetic remediation time required to remediate the uranium concentration below clearance concentration of 1.0 Bq/g was about 34 days. When the initial uranium concentration of soil was about 75 Bq/g, the electrokinetic remediation time required to remediate below 1.0 Bq/g was about 42 days. When the initial uranium concentration of soil was about 100 Bq/g, the electrokinetic remediation time required to remediate below 1.0 Bq/g was about 49 days.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.7
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• pp.764-769
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• 2006

In the electrokinetic(EK) process, oxygen production by electrolysis was proportional to current density. The dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in anode tank and bioreactor increased with the circulation rate of electrolyte. The bacterial population in bioreactor rapidly increased by the supplement of current, but the DO concentration deceased by the increased bacterial oxygen consumption. From the results of EK bioremediation for pentadecane-contaminated soil, the bacterial population and removal efficiency at 1.88 $mA/cm^2$ were lower than those at 0.63 $mA/cm^2$. This is because the high oxygen production rate largely increased the production rate of organic acids, which reduced the electrolyte pH and bacterial activity. At 0.63 $mA/cm^2$, the highest bacterial population and removal efficiency could be obtained due to the appropriate oxygen production and small decrease in pH.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.181-187
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• 2006

In this study, problems related with pH control in electrokinetic(EK) bioremediation of phenanthrene contaminated soil were observed, and the effects of pH control methods on the removal efficiency were investigated to search a further application strategy. In a preliminary experiment, it was found out by flask cultivation that a certain sulfate concentration was needed to degrade phenanthrene well using Sphingomonas sp. 3Y. However, when $MgSO_4$ was used as sulfate source in EK bioremediation, the bacterial activity reduced seriously due to the abrupt decrease of pHs in soil and bioreactor by the combination of magnesium and hydroxyl ions. When another strong buffering compound was used to control the pH problem, the good maintenance of the bacterial activity and pHs could be observed, but the removal efficiency decreased largely. When a low concentration of $MgSO_4$ was added, the removal efficiency decreased somewhat in spite of the good maintenance of neutral pHs. With the addition of NaOH as a neutralizing agent, the removal efficiency also decreased because of the increase of soil pH. Consequently the selection of electrolyte composition was a very important factor in EK bioremediation and some sulfate sources suitable for both bacterial activity and contaminant degradation should be investigated.

• Bulletin of Korea Environmental Preservation Association
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• v.30 s.373
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• pp.49-52
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• 2008

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 2003

A new method has been proposed and developed that solves the problem of decreasing electroosmotic flow rate by excess $H^{+}$ and precipitation of heavy metal by $OH^{-}$. An electrolytic solution was circulated between the anode and cathode compartments that enabled the pH at the anode and cathode to be controlled. The change of the soil pH by circulation systems affects the operation time, by lowering the rate of increase of the electric potential gradient, and the removal efficiency of heavy metals, by affecting the soil pH. Since there was no effluent from the cathode compartment in circulation system, there was no need to treat the wastewater after the experiment, which resulted in the reduction of influent electrolyte volume.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.153-160
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• 2009

Vertical electrokintic-flushing remediation equipment was developed for the remediation of a radioactive soil near nuclear facilities. An optimum reagent was selected to decontaminate the radioactive soil near nuclear facilities with the developed vertical electrokintic-flushing remediation equipment, and the optimum remediation conditions were established to obtain a higher remediation efficiency. Namely, acetic acid was selected as an optimum reagent due to its higher remediation efficiency. When the electrokinetic remediation and the electrokinetic-flushing remediation results were compared, the removal efficiency of 4.6% and the soil waste solution volume of 1.5 times were increased in the electrokinetic remediation. When the potential gradient within an electrokinetic soil cell was increased by two times (4.0 V/cm), the removal efficiencies of $Co^{2+}$ and $Cs^+$ were increased by about 4.3%($Co^{2+}$ : 98.9%, $Cs^+$ : 96.7%). Also, when the reagent concentration was increased from 0.01M to 0.05M, the removal efficiency of $Co^{2+}$ was increased but that of $Cs^+$ was decreased. Therefore, the optimum remediation conditions were that the acetic concentration was $0.01M{\sim}0.05M$, the potential gredient was 4 V/cm, the injection of reagent 2.4ml/g, and the remediation period was 20days.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.175-180
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• 2006

In this study, it could be found that the microbial movement in soil under electric field mainly occurred by electrophoresis and electroosmosis. The contribution of electrophoresis on the microbial mobility and flux was generally higher than that of electroosmosis. In the electrokinetic(EK) bioremediation of a pentadecane-contaminated soil, the microbial population increased simultaneously at anode and cathode regions of the soil specimen because both electrophoresis and electroosmosis affected on the microbial movement. After initial operation, the microbial population was high in order of anode, middle, and cathode regions due to their negatively-charged surface and oxygen generation at anode. However, the uniform contaminant removal was achieved by the microbial movement with two-directionality.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2012.05a
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• pp.199-200
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• 2012

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.83-91
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• 2003

The electrokinetic technique has been applied to remove mainly the heavy metal and the ultrasonic technique to remove mainly organic substance in contaminated soil. In this study, the combined electrokinetic and ultrasonic remediation technique was studied far the removal of heavy metal and organic substance in contaminated soils. This study emphasized the coupled effects of electrokinetic and ultrasonic techniques on migration as well as remediation of contaminants in soils. The laboratory soil flushing tests combining electrokinetic and ultrasonic technique were conducted using specially designed and fabricated devices to determine the effect of both of these techniques. A series of laboratory experiments involving the simple, electrokinetic, ultrasonic, and electrokinetic & ultrasonic flushing test were carried out. A soil admixed with sand and kaolin was used as a test specimen, and Pb and ethylene glycol were used as contaminants of heavy metal and organic substance. An increase in out flow, permeability and contaminant removal rate was observed in electrokinetic and ultrasonic flushing tests. Some practical implications of these results are discussed in terms of technical feasibility of in situ implementation of electrokinetic ultrasonic remediation technique.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2003

Three different surfactants, APG, Brij30, and SDS, were tested to study the characteristics of sorption on soil surfaces, washing ability, biodegradability, and electrokinetic removal. Kaolinite and phenanthrene were selected as a model soil and a representative HOC, respectively. Phenanthrene was sorbed on kaolinite up to 2,200 mg/kg dry soil. The APG, Brij30, and SDS were sorbed on soil to 40, 7, and 4g/kg soil, respectively. The washing ability of phenanthrene was in order of Brij30＆gt;SDS＆gt;APG. The biodegradability tested with sludge was in order of APG＆gt;Brij30＆gt;SDS. In the electrokinetic test, the highest removal efficiency was obtained with APG that exhibited the highest electroosmotic flow. To increase the removal efficiency of HOC in the electrokinetic remediation, the most important factor was the selection of surfactant which maximized the electroosmotic flow.