• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.124-134
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• 2016

The main goal of this study was to investigate biomodification mechanism of lignin by white rot fungus, Abortiporus biennis, and to depolymerize ethanol organosolv lignin for industrial application. In nitrogen-limited culture, A. biennis polymerized mainly lignin showing a rapid increase of molecular weight and structural changes depending on incubation days. At the initial incubation days, cleavage of ether bonds increased phenolic OH content, while the results were contrary in of the later part of the culture. Based on these results, ascorbic acid as a reducing agent was used to induce depolymerization of lignin during cultivation with white rot fungus. As a result, the degree of increase of average molecular weight of lignin was significantly declined when compared with those of the ascorbic acid free-experiment, although the molecular weight of fungus treated sample slightly increased than that of control. Furthermore, lignin derived oligomers in culture medium were depolymerized with the addition of ascorbic acid, showing that the average molecular weight was 381 Da, and phenolic OH content was 38.63%. These depolymerized lignin oligomers were considered to be applicable for industrial utilization of lignin. In conclusion, A. biennis led to the polymerization of lignin during biomodification period. The addition of ascorbic acid had a positive effect on the depolymerization and increase of phenolic OH content of lignin oligomers in medium.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.304-311
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• 2012

Chlorinated ethylenes such as perchloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE) are widely used as industrial solvents and degreasing agents. Because of improper handling, these highly toxic chlorinated ethylenes have been often detected from contaminated soils and groundwater. Biological PCE dechlorination activities were tested in bacterial cultures inoculated with 10 different environmental samples from sediments, sludges, soils, and groundwater. Of these, the sediment using culture (SE 2) was selected and used for establishing an efficient PCE dechlorinating enrichment culture since it showed the highest activity of dechlorination. The cathode chamber of bioelectrochemical system (BES) was inoculated with the enrichment culture and the system with a cathode polarized at -500 mV (Vs Ag/AgCl) was operated under fed-batch mode. PCE was dechlorinated to ethylene via TCE, cis-dichloroethylene, and vinyl chloride. Microbial community analysis with polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) showed that the microbial community in the enrichment culture was significantly changed during the bio-electrochemical PCE dechlorination in the BES. The communities of suspended-growth bacteria and attached-growth bacteria on the cathode surface are also quite different from each other, indicating that there were some differences in their mechanisms receiving electrons from electrode for PCE dechlorination. Further detailed research to investigate electron transfer mechanism would make the bioelctrochemical dechlorination technique greatly useful for bioremediation of soil and groundwater contaminated with chlorinated ethylenes.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.95-102
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• 2013

There was a study for biological characteristics, except for physico-chemical and mineralogical properties, on the natural bentonite that is considered as a buffer material for the high-level radioactive waste disposal site. A bentonite slurry that was prepared from a local 'Gyeongju bentonite' in Korea was incubated in a serum bottle with nutrient media over 1 week and its stepwise change was observed with time. From the activated bentonite in the nutrient media, we can find a certain change of both solid and liquid phases. Some dark and fine sulfides began to be generated from dissolved sulfate solution, and 4 species of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) were identified as living cells in samples that were periodically taken and incubated. These results show that sulfate-reducing (or metal-reducing) bacteria are adhering and existing in the powder of bentonite, suggesting that there may be a potential occurrence of longterm biogeochemical effects in and around the bentonite buffer in underground anoxic environmental conditions.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.251-256
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• 2017

This study presents measures to enhance the efficiency of Successive Alkalinity Producing Systems(SAPS), a natural biological purification method that prevents environmental pollution arising from the release of Acid Mine Drainage(AMD) from abandoned mines into rivers and groundwater. The treatment of AMD using SAPS is based on biological processing technology that mostly involves sulfate reducing bacteria(SRB). It has been proven effective in real-world applications, and has been employed in various projects on the purification of AMD. However, seasonal decrease in temperature leads to a deterioration in the efficiency of the process because sulfate-reducing activity is almost non-existent during cold winters and early spring even if SRB is able to survive. Against this backdrop, this study presents measures to enhance the activity of the SRB of the organic layer by integrating light emitting diode(LED)s in SAPS and to maintain the active temperature using LEDs in cold winters. Given that mine drainage facilities are located in areas where power cannot be easily supplied, solar cell modules are proposed as the main power source for LEDs. By conducting further research based on the present study, it will be possible to enhance the efficiency of AMD treatment under extreme cold weather using solar energy and LEDs, which will serve as an environmentally-friendly solution in line with the era of green growth.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.57.2-57.2
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• 2009

퍼클로레이트 이온($ClO_4^-$)는 자연적으로 혹은 인공적으로 만들어지며 퍼클로릭산이나 암모늄 퍼클로레이트나, 포타슘 퍼클로레이트 혹은 소듐퍼클로레이트 염의 형태로 존재하며, 물에 아주 잘 녹고, 끓여도 제거되지 않으며, 활성 탄소와 같은 광물에도 흡착 되지 않는 성질로 인해, 기존 물리적인 정수 방법으로는 제거하기 어렵다. 또한 우리 몸에 흡수되면, 요오드가 갑상선에 흡수되는 작용을 방해하여 갑상선 기능장애를 초래한다. 이러한 퍼클로레이트 이온의 제거방법으로는 이온교환법이나 생물학적 방법 등이 개발되어져 있으나, 제거 시스템에 이동 및 안전한 농도까지 제거 등의 문제점으로 인한 퍼클로레이트 이온을 환원시키는 촉매 환원 반응에 의한 퍼클로레이트 이온 제거 기술 개발이 필요하다. 이런 촉매 환원에 필요한 수소 환원제를 발생시키기 위해서, 본 연구에서는 Carbon felt 위에 DC magnetron sputtering에 의한 thin film $TiO_2$과 regine을 이용한 powder $TiO_2$ 시편을 제작하였다. 이렇게 제작 된 $TiO_2$/Carbon felt의 미세구조 및 특성은 XRD, SEM, UV-vis-NIR 등을 통하여 분석하였다. UV 조사에 의해 $TiO_2$/Carbon felt 시편의 산소와 수소 발생과 DC bias의 걸어주었을 때 산소와 수소 발생 차이 등을 비교하였고, 이에 따른 퍼클로 레이트 이온의 분해 영향을 알아보았다.

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.97-108
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• 1999

Reduction 2, 4, 6-trinitrotoluene by zero valent iron was studied in a batch reactor under anoxic conditions. Results showed that the removal of trinitrotoluene (TNT)followed a pseudo-first order reaction and the rate was linearly dependent on the available reactive surfau area of the zero valent iron surface area, resulting a rate constant of 0.0981min$^{1}m$$^{-2}m$. High concentrations of the final product, presumably triaminotoluene which needs to be treated by other means, accumulated in the solution. However , little amount of TAT was extracted from the metal surface by using acetonitrile or phosphate buffered water (pH 7.0). Other common major intermediate in biological TNT degradation, a group of aminodinitrotoluenes, was not detected in the solution. Therefore, it is postulated that the reduction of nitro group by $Fe^0$ occurs simultaneously in all three positions and a TNT reduction model by zero valent iron was suggested.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.344-351
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• 2015

In this study, bio-electrokinetics was used to increase migration of arsenic by activating endemic microorganisms in the soil. In this technology, bio-electrokinetics which the cultured soil microorganisms and nutrients injected combines with biological technology. This technology using electrical movement of microorganisms could overcome the weakness of late degradation speed and low removal efficiency. And, various soil microorganisms reduce ferreous, manganese, etc., using organic matter by as an electron donor by injecting mixture of soil microorganisms and nutrients instead of using electrolyte of the electrode. Accordingly, surrounding metal oxide microorganisms convert arsenic (III) to arsenic (V) to increase migration of arsenic (III), in consequence, migration of arsenic increased in 60 to 70% compared to about 30% of conventional electrokinetics.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.11a
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• pp.111.2-111.2
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• 2011

최근 지구온난화로 인해 국제적으로 이산화탄소 저감에 대한 연구가 진행되고 있으며 특히, 이산화탄소의 분리 및 유용물질 전환 등의 다양한 방법에 대한 연구가 활발히 이루어지고 있다. 이산화탄소를 메탄으로 전환시키는 생물학적 반응은 acetotrophic methanogen, hydrogenotrophic methanogen 등의 미생물이 관여한다. 본 연구에서는 hydrogenotrohpic methanogen을 이용하여 메탄으로 전환하고자 하였다. 이를 위해 이산화탄소와 수소의 체류시간에 대한 연구를 진행하였으며, 선행 연구로 혐기성슬러지의 혼합배양균으로부터 hydrogenotrophic methanogen을 우점종화 하기 위해 고정층 반응기를 이용하여 이산화탄소와 수소 가스를 주입하여 고농도로 배양하였다. 그 결과, 반응기내의 이산화탄소의 메탄전환 균주로써 수소를 환원제로 이용하는 hydrogenotrophic methanogen이 배양되었음을 확인하였다. 이산화탄소와 수소가스의 체류시간에 따른 이산화탄소의 생물학적 메탄 전환 실험 결과, 약 4시간에서 이산화탄소의 저감률이 99%이었으며, 체류시간이 2시간, 1.5시간인 경우 이산화탄소의 저감률은 각각 71%, 68% 이었다.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.243-251
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• 2010

Nitrogen oxides (NOx) in combustion flue gas are currently mitigated by chemical processes such as catalytic reduction, absorption and adsorption. However, development of environmentally sustainable biological processes is necessary in the near future. In this paper, the up-to-dated R&D trend of biological methodologies regarding NOx removal was reviewed, and their advantages and disadvantages were discussed. The principles and applications of bacterial system including nitrification and denitrification and photosynthetic microalgae system were compared. In order to enhance biological treatment rate and performance, the insoluble nitric oxide (NO) should be first absorbed using a proper solubilization agent, and then microbial degradation or fixation is to be followed. The use of microalgal system has a good prospect because it can fix $CO_2$ and NOx simultaneously and requires no additional carbon for energy source.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.93-99
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• 2001

There are several ways to remove and treat toxic heavy metals in the environment: chemical, physical and biological ways. The biological treatment utilizes the natural reactions of microorganisms living in the environments. These reactions include biosorption and bioaccumulation, oxidation and reduction, methylation and demethylation, metal - organic complexation and insoluble complex formation. The biological reactions provide a crucial key technology in the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils and waters. According to recent reports, various kinds of heavy metal species were removed by microorganisms and the new approaches and removal conditions to remediate the metals were also tried and reported elsewhere. This was mostly carried out by microorganisms such as fungi, bacteria and alga. In addition, a recent development of molecular biology shed light on the enhancing the microorganism's natural remediation capability as well as improving the current biological treatment.