• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.39-50
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• 2013

The study area is located on the western coastal region of Korea, partly had been reclaimed lands. Groundwaters of the coastal area show lower Eh and DO values (Eh: 0.57 V ${\rightarrow}$ 0.13 V, DO; 9.7 mg/l ${\rightarrow}$ 1.3 mg/l), and higher Fe concentrations (> 20 mg/l) than those of the inner land (< 0.3 mg/l), indicating that the redox condition of groundwater changes from oxic into suboxic/anoxic conditions as it flows from the inland toward the coastal area. In addition, Fe speciation of groundwater from the coastal area demonstrates that the most dissolved Fe exist as $Fe^{2+}$, reflecting that groundwater is under the anoxic condition to sufficiently occur Fe reduction. According to the result of Fe extraction with the sediment samples from three wells (A, B, C), the sediments provide enough $Fe^{3+}$ to occur the Fe reduction in the groundwater. Integrated all results of the groundwater and sediment, we infer that the Fe reduction to occur in groundwater is associated with the reclamation processes of the study area.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.217-224
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• 2011

Removal of dissolved selenium by D. michiganensis, a iron-reducing bacterium, and effects of dissolved metal elements such as iron, sulfate, and copper were investigated. Selenide that was reduced from selenite (2 mM) by D. michiganensis was gradually removed from the aqueous medium. As the reduced selenide was combined with aqueous iron, it was precipitated as a nanoparticulate iron-selenide. Sulfate and copper negatively affected the microbial selenite reduction, and the copper was especially toxic to the bacterium, inhibiting a microbial removal of dissolved selenite. These results show that it should be carefully biotreated for a selenium-contaminated site considering in situ sulfate or copper distribution and concentration. Consequently, the formation of iron-selenide by bacteria will be an important measure for preventing a long-distance migration of selenium in the subsurface environments.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.395-401
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• 2009

The smectite-illite (SI) reaction is a ubiquitous process in siliciclastic sedimentary environments. For the last 4 decades the importance of smectite to illite (S-I) reaction was described in research papers and reports, as the degree of the (S-I) reaction, termed "smectite illitization", is linked to the exploration of hydrocarbons, and geochemical/petrophysical indicators. The S-I transformation has been thought that the reaction, explained either by layer-by-layer mechanism in the solid state or dissolution/reprecipitation process, was entirely abiotic and to require burial, heat, and time to proceed, however few studies have taken into account the bacterial activity. Recent laboratory studies showed evidence suggesting that the structural ferric iron (Fe(III)) in clay minerals can be reduced by microbial activity and the role of microorganisms is to link organic matter oxidation to metal reduction, resulting in the S-I transformation. In abiotic systems, elevated temperatures are typically used in laboratory experiments to accelerate the smectite to illite reaction in order to compensate for a long geological time in nature. However, in biotic systems, bacteria may catalyze the reaction and elevated temperature or prolonged time may not be necessary. Despite the important role of microbe in S-I reaction, factors that control the reaction mechanism are not clearly addressed yet. This paper, therefore, overviews the current status of microbially mediated smectite-to-illite reaction studies and characterization techniques.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.431-439
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• 2014

The purposes of this research were to investigate the enrichment of metal-reducing bacteria from KURT groundwater and the identification of the microbial diversity by 16S rRNA as well as to examine microbial Fe(III)/Mn(IV) reduction and to analyze morphological features of interactions between microbes and precipitates and their mineralogical composition. To cultivate metal-reducing bacteria from groundwater sampled at the KURT in S. Korea, different electron donors such as glucose, acetate, lactate, formate, pyruvate and Fe(III)-citrate as an electron accepter were added into growth media. The enriched culture was identified by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis for the diversity of microbial species. The effect of electron donors (i.e., glucose, acetate, lactate, formate, pyruvate) and electron acceptors (i.e., akaganeite, manganese oxide) on microbial iron/manganese reduction and biomineralization were examined using the 1st enriched culture, respectively. SEM, EDX, and XRD analyses were used to determine morphological features, chemical composition of microbes and mineralogical characteristics of the iron and manganese minerals. Based on 16S rRNA gene analysis, the four species, Fusibacter, Desulfuromonas, Actinobacteria, Pseudomonas sp., from KURT groundwater were identified as anaerobic metal reducers and these microbes precipitated metals outside of cells in common. XRD and EDX analyses showed that Fe(III)-containing mineral, akaganeite (${\beta}$-FeOOH), reduced into Fe(II)/Fe(III)-containing magnetite ($Fe_3O_4$) and Mn(IV)-containing manganese oxide (${\lambda}-MnO_2$) into Mn(II)-containing rhodochrosite ($MnCO_3$) by the microbes. These results implicate that microbial metabolism and respiratory activities under anaerobic condition result in reduction and biomineralization of iron and manganese minerals. Therefore, the microbes cultivated from groundwater in KURT might play a major role to reduce various metals from highly toxic, mobile to less toxic, immobile.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.41-48
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• 2007

Zevo-valent iron (ZVI) has been widely used in permeable reactive barriers for reducing organic contaminants, such as trichloroethylene (TCE). The rapid reaction time, however, leads to decrease in reactivity and availability of ZVI. Shewanella algae BrY, a strain of dissimilatory iron reducing bacteria, can reduce the oxidized Fe (III) to Fe (II) and reduced Fe (II) can be reused to reduce the contaminant. The effect of Shewanella algae BrY on the reduction of the oxidized ZVI column and further TCE removal in the contaminated groundwater were studied at different flow rates and TCE input concentrations in this study. High input concentration of TCE and flow rate increase the amount of input contaminant and make to lower the effect of reduction by Shewanella algae BrY. Specially, the fast flow rate inhibits the direct contact and implantation on the surface of iron. The reduction of oxidized iron reactive barrier by Shewanella algae BrY can decrease the decreation of duration of PRBs by the precipitation of oxidized iron produced by dechlorination of TCE.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.231-240
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• 2002

Microbial metal reduction influences the biogeochemical cycles of carbon and metals as well as plays an important role in the bioremediation of metals, radionuclides, and organic contaminants. The use of bacteria to facilitate the production of magnetite nanoparticles and the formation of carbonate minerals may provide new biotechnological processes for material synthesis and carbon sequestration. Metal-reducing bacteria were isolated from a variety of extreme environments, such as deep terrestrial subsurface, deep marine sediments, water near Hydrothemal vents, and alkaline ponds. Metal-reducing bacteria isolated from diverse extreme environments were able to reduce Fe(III), Mn(IV), Cr(VI), Co(III), and U(VI) using short chain fatty acids and/or hydrogen as the electron donors. These bacteria exhibited diverse mineral precipitation capabilities including the formation of magnetite ($Fe_3$$O_4$), siderite ($FeCO_3$), calcite ($CaCO_3$), rhodochrosite ($MnCO_3$), vivianite [$Fe_3$($PO_4$)$_2$ .$8H_2$O], and uraninite ($UO_2$). Geochemical and environmental factors such as atmospheres, chemical milieu, and species of bacteria affected the extent of Fe(III)-reduction as well as the mineralogy and morphology of the crystalline iron mineral phases. Thermophilic bacteria use amorphous Fe(III)-oxyhydroxide plus metals (Co, Cr, Ni) as an electron acceptor and organic carbon as an electron donor to synthesize metal-substituted magnetite. Metal reducing bacteria were capable of $CO_2$conversion Into sparingly soluble carbonate minerals, such as siderite and calcite using amorphous Fe(III)-oxyhydroxide or metal-rich fly ash. These results indicate that microbial Fe(III)-reduction may not only play important roles in iron and carbon biogeochemistry in natural environments, but also be potentially useful f3r the synthesis of submicron-sized ferromagnetic materials.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.177-182
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• 1971

A new method for the measure of iron pools using 0.02M EDTA and $Na_2S_2O_4$ was tested on Akagare diseased and healthy rice leaf tissue 1) The proposed method could fraction iron into four fractions; ferrous iron($Fe^{++}$), ferric iron($Fe^{+++}$) precipitated iron(PFe) and bound iron(BFe) well indicating the physiological status of tissue. 2) The pattern of iron pools appears to be $Fe^{+++}>PFe>BFe>Fe^{++}$ in most physiologically favorable status of iron, $PFe>Fe^{+++}>BFe>Fe^{++}$ in favorable status, $BFe>Fe^{+++}>PFe>Fe^{++}$ in unfavorable status and $BFe>PFe>Fe^{+++}>Fe^{++}$ in toxic status. 3) The percentage of each fraction to total iron was less than 10 for $Fe^{++}$, 20 to 40 for $Fe^{+++}$ and PFe and 20 to 50 for BFe. 4) Ferrous iron was always higher in upper half leaf, the appearance of which is less healthier than lower half indicating that there is more active metabolic system in which ferrous iron is involved.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.38 no.12
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• pp.667-675
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• 2016

Nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) has been effectively applied for environmental remediation due to its ability to reduce various toxic compounds. However, quantification of nZVI reactivity has not yet been standardized. Here, we adapted colorimetric assays for determining reductive activity of nZVIs. A modified indophenol method was suggested to determine reducing activity of nZVI. The method was originally developed to determine aqueous ammonia concentration, but it was further modified to quantify phenol and aniline. The assay focused on analysis of reduction products rather than its mother compounds, which gave more accurate quantification of reductive activity. The suggested color assay showed superior selectivity toward reduction products, phenol or aniline, in the presence of mother compounds, 4-chlorophenol or nitrobenzene. Reaction conditions, such as reagent concentration and reaction time, were optimized to maximize sensitivity. Additionally, pretreatment step using $Na_2CO_3$ was suggested to eliminate the interference of residual iron ions. Monometallic nZVI and bimetallic Ni/Fe were investigated with the reaction. The substrates showed graduated reactivity, and thus, reduction potency and kinetics of different materials and reaction mechanism was distinguished. The colorimetric assay based on modified indophenol reaction can be promises to be a useful and simple tool in various nZVI related research topics.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 2017.05a
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• pp.86-86
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• 2017

고효율의 에너지 변환 및 친환경적인 이점들을 이유로, 고분자전해질 연료전지(PEMFC)는 차세대 에너지 장치로 이목을 끌어왔다. 반면, 값비싼 백금 촉매의 이용은 연료전지의 상업적 이용에 주요한 결점으로 작용했다. 최근, Zelenay와 연구팀은 폴리아닐린-철-탄소 복합체구조에서 산소환원활성이 백금과 견주어 비슷한 성능을 낼 수 있음을 보고 하였다. Dodelet은 이러한 높은 성능이 전이금속의 영향에 의한 것일 수 있다는 주장을 하였다. 본 연구팀은 지난 연구에서 제일원리전산모사를 통해 니켈, 코발트, 구리등과 같은 전이금속이 질소가 도핑된 탄소 그래핀층에 미치는 거동을 밝혔다. 결론적으로, 금속들은 질소가 도핑된 그래핀의 전자구조를 바꿀 수 있고, 이러한 전자구조의 변화는 산소 환원반응에서 긍정적으로 작용할 수 있음을 확인하였다. 이러한 이론적 연구에 기반하여, 탄소층으로 감싼 금속은 내구성과 활성을 동시에 보유한 향후 전망있는 촉매 물질로 예상되어진다. 특히, 질소가 도핑된 탄소층으로 코팅된 철-코발트 합금은 계산을 통해 산소환원반응에서 우수할 것으로 예측되었다. 본 연구팀은 FeCo@N-C 나노입자를 직접 합성하였고, 이 촉매의 우수한 활성을 전기화학적, 구조적 관점에서 1) 질소의 도핑 효과, 2) 탄소의 두께 효과, 3) 합금효과에 집중하여 분석하였다.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.10
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• pp.1074-1081
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• 2006

As common pollutants in surface and groundwater, nitrate nitrogen($NO_3-N$) and trichloroethylene(TCE) can be chemically and biologically reduced by zero valent iron(ZVI) and peat soil. In batch microcosm experiments, chemical reduction of TCE and nitrate was supported by hydrogen from ZVI. For biological degradation of TCE and denitrification peat soil was introduced. ZVI reduced TCE, while peat provided TCE sorption site and microbes performing biological degradation. Nitrate reduction was also achieved by hydrogen from ZVI. In addition, indirect evidence of denitrification was observed. More reduction of TCE and nitrate was achieved by ZVI+peat treatment however nitrated reduction was hindered in the presence of TCE in the system due to the competition for hydrogen. TCE reduction mechanism was more dependent on ZVI, while nitrate was peat-dependent. Hydrogen and methane concentration showed that peat had various anaerobic denitryfing and halorespiring bacteria.