• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.520-528
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• 2007

A practical and efficient disposal of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) in waste transformer oil by a chemical dechlorination process has been reported. The transformer oil containing commercial PCB mixtures (Aroclor 1242, 1254 and 1260) was treated by the required amounts of PEG 600 (polyethylene glycol 600), potassium hydroxide (KOH) and aluminum (Al), along with different reaction temperatures and times. The reaction of PEG with PCBs under basic condition produces arylpolyglycols, the products of nucleophilic aromatic substitution. The relative efficiencies of PCB treatment process were assessed in terms of destruction and removal efficiency (DRE, %). Under the experimental conditions of PEG600/KOH/Al/100 oC/2hr, average DRE of PCBs was approximately 78%, showing completely removal of PCBs containing 7-9 chlorines on two rings of biphenyl which appear later than PCB no. 183 (2,2',3,4,4',5',6-heptaCB) in retention time of GC/ECD. However, when increasing the reaction temperature and time to 150 oC and 240 min, average DRE of PCBs including the most toxic PCBs (PCB no. 77, 105, 118, 123 and 169) in PCB family reached 99.99% or better, with the exception of PCB no. 5 and 8 (2,3-diCB and 2,4'-diCB). In studying the reaction of PEG with PCBs, it confirmed that the process led to less chlorinated PCBs through a stepwise process with the successive elimination of chlorines. The process also permits complete recovery of treated transformer oil through simple segregating procedures.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.97-97
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• 1995

PCBs have been measured using GC-ECD, GC-MS, GC-ELCD, HPLC, TLC, NMR and Immunoassay. The analysis of PCBs using GC-ECD include the peak pattern method as none derivatization and the Perchlorination method as derivatization. This study was conducted to establish the perchlorination method with Sbcls from PCBs to decachlorinated biphenyl(DCB). The aroclor 1242 of PCBs was chlorinated and then, converted into the DCB which showed a single peak in GC-ECD chromatogram. The detection limit of DCB was 2pg. The quantification detection concentration of PCBs extracted with soxhlet was 0.5ng/g in the soil. PCBs were not detected in the suburban soil, but 174ng/g in the soil of industrial complex. Mean PCBs concentration of Shinchun stream at Kumho river and Jinchun stream at Nakdong river was calculated average 낙ngjg in 각e sediment. PCBs concentration in the sediment of Kumho river near 2-7km from conjunction with Nakdong river was average 154ng/g. PCBs concentration in the sediment of Nakdong river near conjunction with Kumho river was average 159ng/g.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.249-258
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• 1995

PCBs have been measured using GC-ECD, GC-MS, GC-ELCD, HPLC, TLC, NMR and Immunoassay. The analysis of PCBs using GC-ECD include the peak pattern method as none derivatization and the Perchlorination method as derivatization. This study was conducted to establish the perchlorination method with Sbcls from PCBs to decachlorinated biphenyl(DCB). The aroclor 1242 of PCBs was chlorinated and then, converted into the DCB which showed a single peak in GC-ECD chromatogram. The detection limit of DCB was 2pg. The quantification detection concentration of PCBs extracted with soxhlet was 0.5ng/g in the soil. PCBs were not detected in the suburban soil, but 174ng/g in the soil of industrial complex. Mean PCBs concentration of Shinchun stream at Kumho river and Jinchun stream at Nakdong river was calculated average 낙ngjg in 각e sediment. PCBs concentration in the sediment of Kumho river near 2-7km from conjunction with Nakdong river was average 154ng/g. PCBs concentration in the sediment of Nakdong river near conjunction with Kumho river was average 159ng/g.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Applied Microbiology Conference
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.100-107
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• 2000

In a recently developed strategy for in-situ treatment of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), bioaugmentation was used in conjunction with a surfactant, sorbitan trioleate, as a carbon source for the degrader bacteria, along with the monoterpene, carvone, and salicylic acid as inducing substrates. Two bacteria were used for soil inoculants, including Arthrobacter sp. st. B1B and Ralstonia eutrophus H850. This methodology achieved 60% degradation of PCBs in Aroclor 1242 after 18 weeks in soils receiving 34 repeated applications of the degrader bacteria. However, an obvious limitation was the requirement for soil mixing after every soil inoculation. In the research reported here, bioaugmentation and biostimulation treatment strategies were modified by using the earthworm, Pheretima hawayana, as a vector for dispersal and mixing of surface-applied PCB-degrading bacteria and soil chemical amendments. Changes in microbial biomass and microbial community structure due to earthworm effects were examined using DNA extraction and PCR-DGGE of 16S rDNA. Results showed that earthworms effectively promoted biodegradation of PCBs in bioaugmented soils to the same extent previously achieved using physical soil mixing, and had a lesser, but significant effect in promoting PCB biodegradation in biostimulated soils treated with carvone and salicylic acid. The effects of earthworms were speculated to involve many interacting factors including increased bacterial transport to lower soil depths, improved soil aeration, and enhanced microbial activity and diversity.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.278-283
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• 2010

This study was performed to compare the analytical results among L2000DX and two GC/ECD methods (rapid and conventional). 15 samples of transformer oils were collected to compare the analytical results. In the analytical results of PCBs-containing transformer oil, the PCBs concentrations were in the range of 4.4 mg/L to 182.8 mg/L with L2000DX, N.D. to 14.63 mg/L with conventional GC/ECD, and N.D. to 13.03 mg/L using rapid GC/ECD. The PCB concentrations detected with the L2000DX showed a large difference to those detected with GC/ECD methods. Otherwise, little difference was shown between the two GC/ECD methods at a concentration range lower than 4 mg/L, although the rapid GC/ECD method tended to detect a slightly lower concentration near the regulation criteria of Korea for 2 mg/L.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.952-957
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• 2008

A Gram-negative bacterium, named LY402, was isolated from contaminated soil. 16S rDNA sequencing and measurement of the physiological and biochemical characteristics identified it as belonging to the genus Enterohacter. Degradation experiments showed that LY402 had the ability to aerobically transform 79 of the 91 major congeners of Aroclor 1242, 1254, and 1260. However, more interestingly, the strain readily degraded certain highly chlorinated and recalcitrant polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Almost all the tri- and tetra-chlorobiphenyls (CBs), except for 3,4,3',4'-CB, were degraded in 3 days, whereas 73% of 3,4,3',4'-, 92% of the penta-, 76% of the hexa-, and 37% of the hepta-CBs were transformed after 6 days. In addition, among 12 octa-CBs, 2,2',3,3',5,5',6,6-CB was obviously degraded, and 2,2',3,3',4,5,6,6'- and 2,2',3,3',4,5,5',6'-CB were slightly transformed. In a metabolite analysis, mono- and dichlorobenzoic acids (CBAs) were identified, and parts of them were also transformed by strain LY402. Analysis of PCB degradation indicated that strain LY402 could effectively degrade PCB congeners with chlorine substitutions in both ortho- and para-positions. Consequently, this is the first report of an Enterobacteria that can efficiently degrade both low and highly chlorinated PCBs under aerobic conditions.