• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.89-95
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• 2021

As the influence of fine dust on society spreads gradually, the public's interest in indoor air is increasingly rising. Air-purifying plants are drawing keen attention due to their natural purifying function enabled by plant physiology. However, as their fine dust reduction mechanism is limited to adsorption only, vegetation bio-filters that optimize purification effects through integration with air-conditioning systems is rising as an alternative. In accordance with the relevant standard test methods, this study looked into the fine dust reduction assessment method by air-conditioning airflow volume that can be used for the industrial spread of vegetation bio-filters. In the case of PM₁₀ at 300 ㎍/m³, it was in the order of EG-B(3,500CMH, 29 min.) < EG-A (2,500CMH, 37 min.) < CG(0CMH, 64 min.) for reaching the maintenance level (100 ㎍/m³) of publicly used facilities. For reaching the WHO Guideline(50 ㎍/m³) requirement, it was in the order of EG-B (51 min.) < EG-A (160 min.) < CG (170 min.). In the case of PM_2.5, it was in the order of EG-B (26 min.) < EG-A (33 min.) < CG (57 min.) for reaching the maintenance level (50 ㎍/m³) of publicly used facilities. It was in the order of EG-B (48 min) < EG-A (140 min) < CG (158 min) for reaching the WHO Guideline (25 ㎍/m³) requirement. The findings from the analysis showed that fine dust can be reduced most efficiently when the system is operated at 3,500CMH level. The limitation of this study is that due to the absence of a way of assessing the stress of plants in vegetation bio-filters, generating optimal air-conditioning air flow of the relevant system and economics analysis against the existing facility-type air purification system have been clarified, which should be explored further though follow-up studies.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.895-908
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• 2023

Disposal of waste containing heavy metals into the environment is a major threat to human health and can result in toxic or chronic poisoning in aquatic life. In the current study, metal-resistant Raoultella ornithinolytica was isolated from metal-contaminated samples collected from the Tanjaro River, located southwest of Sulaymaniyah, Iraq. R. ornithinolytica was identified by partial amplification of 16S rRNA. The uptake potency of heavy metals was assessed using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and indicated that R. ornithinolytica removed 67, 89, 63.4, 55.6, 56.5, 65, and 61.9% of Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni, Zn, Co, and Fe, respectively. These removal rates were influenced by temperature, pH, and contact time; at 35℃ and pH 5 with a change in the incubation time, the reduction rate improved from 89 to 95% for Pb, from 36.4 to 45% for Cu, and from 55.6 to 64% for Ni. Gene analysis indicated that R. ornithinolytica contained pbrT, chrB, nccA, iroN, and czcA genes, but the pcoD gene was absent. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) images showed evidence of metal ion binding on the cell wall surface with different rates of binding. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) detected different mechanisms for metal particle localization; cell surface adsorption was the main mechanism for Pb, Zn, and Co uptake, while Cd, Ni, and Fe were accumulated inside the cell. The current study describes, for the first time, the isolation of R. ornithinolytica from metal-contaminated water, which can be used as an eco-friendly biological expedient for the remediation and detoxification of metals from contaminated environments.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.25-34
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• 2014

The objective of this study was to investigate the removal characteristics and the elimination mechanism of heavy metals in Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) using spherical-type porous Zeolite-StarFish ceramics (porous ZSF ceramics) packed in a continuous column reactor system. The average removal efficiencies of heavy metals in AMD were Al 98.7, As 98.7, Cd 96.0, Cu 89.1, Fe 99.5, Mn 94.4, Pb 96.3 and Zn 80.8 % during 110 days of operation time. The average removal capacity of porous ZSF ceramics for heavy metals were measured to be Al 21.76, As 1.52, Cd 1.27, Cu 3.41, Fe 44.83, Mn 3.48, Pb 2.36 and Zn $3.76mg/kg{\cdot}day$. The analysis results of mechanism using SEM, EDS and XRD exhibited that the porous ZSF ceramics could act as a multi-functional ceramics for the removal of heavy metals in AMD through the reactions of precipitation, adsorption and ion-exchange. The experimental results of column reactor system displayed that the porous ZSF ceramics would be a consistently efficient agent for the removal of heavy metals in AMD for a long term.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.245-253
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• 2014

BACKGROUND: Oyster shell(OS) is alkaline with pH 9.8, porous, and has high concentration of $CaCO_3$. It could be used as an alternative of lime fertilizer to immobilize cadmium(Cd) in heavy metal contaminated arable soil. Therefore, this study has been conducted to compare effects of calcium(Ca) materials [OS and $Ca(OH)_2$] on Cd extractability in contaminated soil and determined mechanisms of Cd immobilization with OS. METHODS AND RESULTS: Both Ca materials were added at the rates of 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.8% (wt Ca wt-1) in Cd contaminated soil and the mixtures were incubated at $25^{\circ}C$ for 4 weeks. Both Ca materials increased pH and negative charge of soil with increasing Ca addition and decreased 1N $NH_4OAc$ extractable Cd concentration. 0.1 N HCl extractable Cd concentration markedly decreased with addition of OS. 1 N $NH_4OAc$ extractable Cd concentration was related with pH and net negative charge of soil, but not with 0.1 N HCl extractable Cd concentration. We assumed that Cd immobilization with $Ca(OH)_2$ was mainly attributed to Cd adsorption resulted from increase in pH-induced negative charge of soil. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images and energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS) analyses were conducted to determine mechanism of Cd immobilization with OS. There was no visible precipitation on surface of both Ca materials. However, Cd was detected in innerlayer of OS by EDS analyses but not in that of $Ca(OH)_2$. CONCLUSION: We concluded that Cd immobilization with OS was different from that with $Ca(OH)_2$. OS might adsorbed interlayer of oyster shell or have other chemical reactions.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.167-181
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• 2017

Graphene-based materials have been considered as a promising membrane material, due to its easy processability and atomic thickness. In this study, we studied on gas permeation behavior in few-layered GO membranes prepared by spin-coating method. The GO membrane structures were varied by using different GO flake sizes and GO solutions at various pH levels. The GO membranes prepared small flake size show more permeable and selective gas separation properties than large one due to shortening tortuosity. Also gas transport behaviors of the GO membranes are sensitive to slit width for gas diffusion because the pore size of GO membranes ranged from molecular sieving to Knudsen diffusion area. In particular, due to the narrow pore size of GO membranes and highly $CO_2$-philic properties of GO nanosheets, few-layered GO membranes exhibit ultrafast and $CO_2$ selective character in comparison with other gas molecules, which lead to outstanding $CO_2$ capture properties such as $CO_2/H_2$, $CO_2/CH_4$, and $CO_2/N_2$. This unusual gas transport through multi-layered GO nanosheets can explain a unique transport mechanism followed by an adsorption-facilitated diffusion behavior (i.e., surface diffusion mechanism). These findings provide the great insights for designing $CO_2$-selective membrane materials and the practical guidelines for gas transports through slit-like pores and lamellar structures.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.351-360
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• 2018

In this study, propylene/propane separation mechanism through NaY zeolite membrane was investigated. As permeation temperature increased, both propylene and propane permeances increased, saturated and decreased again, and a maximum selectivity was shown at around 50 to $60^{\circ}C$. Propane permeance in mixed gas experiment was much smaller than that in single gas experiment, and propylene/propane mixed gas selectivity was much larger than single gas permselectivity. As permeation time increased in transient permeation experiment, propylene permeance initially increased and saturated, while propane permeance decreased and saturated. All the experimental results announced that propylene/propane separation through NaY zeolite membrane was from preferentially adsorbed propylene molecules. The adsorbed propylene molecules efficiently prevented propane molecules from permeating through the membrane, and sufae diffused through the membrane. NaY zeolite capillary membrane prepared in the present study showed a high mixed gas selectivity of 12 and high propylene permeance of 497 GPU for a propylene/propane (89 : 11) mixture at $50^{\circ}C$ and 4 bar. Therefore, it was concluded that NaY zeolite membrane is one of promising membrane materials for propylene/propane separation due to the low cost and high separation performance.

• Clean Technology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.258-264
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• 2010

This study estimated the possibility of phosphate removal characteristics to utilize EAF(electric arc furnace) slag as submarine cover material. The major phosphate removal mechanism was a certain formation of HAP precipitation occurred by the ionization reaction between $Ca^{2+}$ and $OH^-$, which were leached from the EAF Slag. Another phosphate removal mechanism was the adsortion of EAF slag surface. As a result of $PO_4{^-}-P$ removal characteristics using continuous column reactor, $PO_4{^-}-P$ concentration decreased rapidly after 3 days and 10 days later, it show under 0.5 ppm. The result as applied in real sea water, shows that the phosphate removal effects were 93~98% by the subaqueous sediment removal using the EAF slag. In conclusion, EAF slag is useful in $PO_4{^-}-P$ removal and control and it is possible to use without additional process like crush and selection.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.89-94
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• 1998

Various Mn-oxides can oxidize Cr(III) to Cr(VI). Behaviors of chromium species in the oxidation system, especially on the oxide surface, are expected to control the reaction. During Cr(III) oxidation by birnessite and pyrolusite, Cr species in the reaction system were determined to elucidate their effects on the oxidation. Capacities of Cr oxidation of the two Mn-oxides were quite different. Solution pH and initial Cr(III) concentration also had significant effects on the Cr(III) oxidation by Mn-oxides. Chromium oxidation by pyrolusite was less than 5% of the oxidation by birnessite. The high crystallinity of pyrolusite could be one of the reasons and the difficulty of Cr (III) diffusion to the positive pyrolusite surface and Cr(VI) and Cr(III) adsorption seems to be other controlling factors. At pH 3, adsorption or precipitation of Cr species on the surface of birnessite were not found. Small amount of Cr(VI) adsorption was found on the surface of pyrolusite, but arty Cr precipitation on the oxide surface was not found. Therefore Cr(III) oxidation at pH 3 seems to be controlled mainly by the characteristics of Mn-oxides. Chromiun oxidation by Mn-oxides is thermodynamically more favorable at higher solution pH. However as solution pH increased Cr oxidation by birnessite was significantly inhibited. For Cr oxidation by pyrolusite, as pH increased the oxidation increased, but as Cr(III) addition increased the reaction was inhibited. Under these conditions some unidentified fraction of Cr species was found and this fraction is considered to be Cr(III) precipitation an the oxide surface. Chromium(III) precipitation on the oxide surface seems to play an important role in limiting Cr(III) oxidation by armoring the reaction surface on Mn-oxides as well as lowering Cr(III) concentration available for the oxidation reaction.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.344-350
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• 2004

This study was conducted to develop and assess the applicability of mixed-bed ion exchange resin capsules for water quality monitoring in small agricultural watershed. Recoveries of resin capsules for inorganic N and P ranged from 96 to 102%. The net activation energies and pseudo-thermodynamic parameters, such as ${\Delta}G^{o\ddag},\;{\Delta}H^{o\ddag},\;and\;{\Delta}S^{o\ddag}$ for ion adsorption by resin capsules, exhibited relatively low values, indicating the process might be governed by chemical reactions such as diffusion. However, those values increased with temperature coinciding with the theory. The reaction reached pseudo-equilibrium within 24 hours for $NH_4-N\;and\;NO_3-N$, and only 8 hours for $PO_4-P$, respectively. The selectivity of resin capsules were in the order of $NO_3\;^-\;>\;NH_4\;^+\;>\;PO_4\;^{3-}$, coinciding with that of encapsulated Amberlite IRN-150 resin. At the initial state of equilibrium, the resin adsorption quantity was linearly proportional to the mass of ions in the streams, but the rate of movement leveled off, following Langmuir-type sorption isotherm. The overall results demonstrated that the resin capsule system was suitable for water quality monitoring in small agricultural watershed, judging from the reaction mechanism(s) of the resin capsule and the significance of model in field calibration.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.249-254
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• 1997

The constructed wetland system which is applicable to rural wastewater treatment was examined by pilot plant experiment. Removal rates of nutrients including nitrogen and phosphorus and total coliform were evaluated. The $NH_4\;^+$ concentration of the influent was in the range of 91.57 to 275.88mg/l and the effluent concentration was about 40% lower than the influent. The decreasing of the $NH_4\;^+$ concentration might be due to volatilization, plant uptake, adsorption onto soil particles, and mainly nitrification. However, generally concentrations of $NO_2\;^-$ and $NO_3\;^-$ were increased in the effluents compared to the influent concentrations, which implies that nitrogen components in the system were nitrified. Overall, the average removal rate of the nitrogen was about 5% which seems inadequate as a wastewater treatment system, and this system needs improvement on nitrogen removal mechamism. The removal rate of the phosphorus was quite high and effluent concentration was very low. Reason for high removal rate of the phosphorus might be mainly strong adsorption characteristic onto soil particles. The average removal rate of the total coliforms was about 83%, and main removal mechanisms are thought to be adsorption onto soil and inability to compete against the established soil microflora. From the results of the study, the constructed wetland system needs to be improved in nitrogen removal mechanism for field application.