• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 한국지하수토양환경학회 2003년도 추계학술발표회
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• pp.314-317
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• 2003

Plants may enhance the remediation of munitions at contaminated soils using various natural processes. A computer model can be used as a valuable tool for assisting phytoremediation by predicting the transport and fate of target contaminants at remediation sites. For this research, modeling of phytoremediation and bioremediation of soil contaminated with 2, 4, 6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) was studied. Indian mallow (Abutilion avicennae) was grown in columns packed with 126mg TNT/kg contaminated soils for 50 days and a simulation model was developed to simulate the transport and fate of TNT and its breakdown products interacting with plant roots in a partially saturated soil. The column test showed the substantially enhanced reduction of TNT and greater soil microbial activity in Indian mallow planted soil compared to unplanted soil. The model successfully simulated the fate of TNT and by-products in phytoremediation. The results suggested that plants could provide favorable environments for reduction of TNT.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• 제39권4호
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• pp.223-229
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• 2003

The purpose of this work was to perform the characterization of NAD(P)H-nitroreductase isolated from Stenotrophomonas sp. OK-5 capable of degrading 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT). Initially, NADP(H)-nitroreductase by a series of purification processes including ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-sepharose, andQ-sepharose was prepared. From samples harvested from fraction collector, three different fractions (I, II & III)having the enzyme activity of NAD(P)H-itroreductase were detected. Specific activities of three fractions I, II,and III of NAD(P)H-nitroreductase were determined to approximately 5.06 unit/mg, 4.95 unit/mg and 4.86 unit/mg, and concentrated to 10.5, 9.8, and 8.9-fold compared to crude extract, respectively. Among these three fractions,the fraction I of NAD(P)H-nitroreductase demonstrated the highest specific activity in this experiment. Several factors affecting on the enzyme activity of NAD(P)H-nitroreductase (fractions I, II & III) were investigated.The optimum temperature of all NAD(P)H-nitroreductase (fractions I, II & III) was 30oC, and the optimal pH was approximately 7.5. Metal ions such as Ag+, Cu2+, Hg2+ inhibited approximately 80% enzyme activity of all NAD(P)H-nitroreductase, and the enzyme activities were decreased about 30-40% inhibition in the presence of Mn2+ or Ca2+. However, Fe3+ showed stimulatory effect on the enzyme activity. The molecular weights of NAD(P)H-nitroreductase (fractions I, II & III) were measured about 27 kDa on the SDS-PAGE.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• 제2권1호
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• pp.37-40
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• 2009

Synthesis and characterization of alkyl-capped nanocrystalline silicon (R-n-Si) have been achieved from the reaction of silicontetrachloride with magnesiumsilicide. Surface of silicon nanocrystal has been derivatized with various alkyl groups (R=methyl, n-butyl, etc.). Silicon nanoparticles have been also obtained by the sonication of luminescent porous silicon. Former exhibits an emission band at 360 nm, but latter exhibits an emission band at 680 nm. In this study very sensitive detection of TNT (2,4,6-trinitrotoluene), DNT (2,4-dinitrotoluene), NB (nitrobenzene), and PA (picric acid) has been achieved in gas phase with porous silicon using photoluminescence quenching of the silicon crystallites as a transduction mode. Porous silicon are electrochemically etched from crystalline silicon wafers in an aqueous solution of hydrofluoric acid. We have characterized these silicon nanoparticles by Luminescence Spectrometer (LS 55).

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• 제6권4호
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• pp.3-11
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• 2001

To select a suitable indigenous plant for the phytoremediation of TNT contaminated soil, eight representative species of native grasses were tested to identify TNT toxicity thresholds. The threshold was determined based on various factors including cumulative seed germination, root and shoot length, fresh biomass, and the amount of water uptake under various TNT concentrations. Phytotoxic effect of TNT on plants was increased with the increase in TNT concentration but the degree was varied between grass species. Concentrations up to 60-80mgTNT/liter did not affect germination of Abutilion avicennae, Echinochioa crusgalli var. frumentacea, and Aeschynomene indica. Phytotoxicity threshold inhibition (50%) of Abutilion avicennae, schinochioa crusgalli var. frumentacea, Aeschynomene indica were 5-40mgTNT/liter for root length, 50-73mg TNT/Liter for shoot length and 68-99mgTNT/Liter for fresh biomass during 14 days of seedling exposure. Root and shoot growth as well as fresh biomass decreased as TNT concentration increased. In addition, the amount of water uptake decreased with increasing TNT concentration in Abutilion avicennae and Aeschynomene indica. Comparison of toxicity thresholds for the tested grass species showed that sensitivity of plants to TNT was in the order of root length > shoot length > fresh biomass > germination rate. From these results, we concluded that Abutilion avicennae and Aeschynomene indica had tolerance to TNT among the species tested.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• 제3권1호
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• pp.19-23
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• 2010

A simple and rapid method is described for detecting nitroaromatic explosives in air or seawater with the use of photoluminescent organosilicon compounds. The synthesis, spectroscopic characterization, and fluorescence quenching efficiency of silafluorenes are reported. Silafluorenes were synthesized from the reduction of dilithiobiphenyl with dichlorosilanes. Two silafluorenes were used for the detection of nitroaromatic compounds. Detection of nitroaromatic molecules, such as 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT), 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), and picric acid (PA), has been explored. A linear Stern-Volmer relationship was observed for the first three analytes. Fluorescence spectra of silafluorenes obtained in either toluene solutions or thin films displayed no shift in the maximum of the emission wavelength. The photoluminescence quenching occurs by a static mechanism.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• 제32권6호
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• pp.578-584
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• 2006

This research was conducted to estimate the effect of C/N ratio control on composting of TNT (2,4,6 trinitrotoluene)-contaminated soil. Glucose or acetone was selected to control C/N ratio of the contaminated soil. The C/N ratios of the controlled experiment and no controlled one were 26.0 and 6.6, respectively. During 45days, the degradation efficiency (96.0 or 91.8%) of acetone or glucose C/N ratio controlled soil was higher than that (78.4%) of no C/N ratio controlled case. The first order degradation rate constant of glucose or acetone C/N ratio control was 0.0641 or 0.0820/day. This constant was over twice 0.0356/day of no C/N ratio control. The C/N ratio control with glucose or acetone also showed a rather high $CO_2$ evolution than that without C/N ratio control. It was proven that C/N ratio control for composting of TNT-contaminated soil improved the treatment efficiency.

• KSBB Journal
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• 제24권6호
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• pp.556-562
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• 2009

The biological treatment of TNT-containing wastewater, known commonly as pink water, was investigated using a stirred tank reactor with Stenotrophomonas maltophilia OK-5 bacterial culture. S. maltophilia OK-5 exhibited effective degradation of TNT contained in pink water, completely degrading TNT (100 mg/L) within 6 days of incubation. The dark-red brown color derived from Hydride-Meisenheimer complex became more pronounced during the incubation period, which was determined quantitatively. High-pressure liquid chromatography was used to measure residual TNT, which also resolved the metabolic intermediates (i.e., 2,4-dinitrotoluene, 2,6-dinitrotoluene and 2,4-dinitro-6-hydroxytoluene). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to verify these intermediates. Quantification of the nitroreductase (pnrB) gene isolated from S. maltophilia OK-5 growing in pink water was performed with real-time PCR. The amount of pnrB gene copies increased to $10^3$-fold after 5 days of incubation time.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology
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• 제19권1호
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• pp.127-143
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• 2016

Over the decades, TNT has been produced indiscriminately to be utilized in many fields owing to its ability to manipulate the explosion. Yet, the proper technique for disposal of TNT and the waste residues had not been developed so that the large amount of TNT waste was being piled up. Upon the agreement to demilitarization of old weapon, a study on the disposal methods for TNT and the waste treatment have been raised for their dangerous nature. Since then, from burying in landfill to utilizing supercritical fluid-based oxidation, a lot of research is actively ongoing, but little progress has been made in Korea compared to developed countries. This review paper covers all the technologies developed for TNT and its waste disposal including the concept, advantage, and disadvantage of those technologies. Also, suggested here are the future research directions.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 한국지하수토양환경학회 2004년도 총회 및 춘계학술발표회
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• pp.43-46
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• 2004

Explosive chemicals have been major soil and groundwater contaminants especially in the nations with active military activities. Of these explosives, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) is the most refractory one due to its structural characteristics. Although its efficient reduction by Fe(0) is well-known, the reduction products - mainly aminotoluenes - still possess toxicities to terrestrial biota, and are resistant to biological degradation. In this study, therefore, abiotic transformation of TNT reduction products via oxidative-coupling reaction was evaluated using Mn oxide which is ubiquitous in natural soils. The transformation efficiency is increased with the number of amino groups. Considering the very efficient reduction rate of TNT by Fe(0), Mn oxide can be successfully used for the removal of TNT reduction products.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 한국지하수토양환경학회 2000년도 창립총회 및 춘계학술발표회
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• pp.52-55
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• 2000

The effects of environmental conditions, initial dissolved oxygen concentrations, pH, and the presence of electron carrier vitamin B$_{12}$ , on the reduction rate of TNT by Fe$^{0}$ was Quantitatively analyzed using a batch reactor. In all experiments, TNT reduction was best described with a first order reaction and the reduction rate decreased with the increase in the initial DO concentration. However, the specific reaction rate did not decrease linearly with the increase in the initial DO concentration. In the presence of HEPES buffer 0.2 and 2.0 mM(pH 5.7$\pm$0.2), the specific reaction rate increased more than 5.8 times, which showed reduction rate is rather significantly influenced by the pH of the solution. To test the possibility of reaction rate enhancement, well-known electron carrier(or mediator), vitamin B$_{12}$ has augmented besides Fe$^{0}$ . In the presence of 8.0 $\mu\textrm{g}$/L of vitamin B$_{12}$ , the specific reaction rate increased as much as 14.6 times. The results indicate that the addition of trace amount of vitamin B$_{12}$ can be a promising rate controlling option for the removal of organics using a Fe$^{0}$ filled permeable reactive barrier.