• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 2023

The studies on the effect of different plastic properties (e.g., types, shapes, presence of additivies) on the sorption of contaminants in the agricultural environment are limited. In this study, Cu and Pb, the commonly found heavy metals in the environment, were used to investigate the sorption capacities of microplastics (MPs). The Pb sorption capacity increased in the order of polystyrene (PS)<polyethylene (PE)<polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The estimated Cu sorption capacity was greater for the PE films than the PE fragments, while the sorption strength was greater for the PE fragments. This suggests that the shapes of MPs can affect the contaminant sorption capacities. With the PE fragments, the Pb sorption capacity was greater than the Cu sorption capacity by 10-12 times. Also, the Pb and Cu sorption capacities were greater for the PE fragments with additives than the PE fragment without additives. After the sorption of Pb or Cu on MPs, the toxic effects of the Pb or Cu solutions were decreased, suggesting that the toxic effects of contaminants can be affected by the co-presence of MPs in the environment. Overall, the results show that different types and shapes of MPs and the presence of additives can affect the heavy metal sorption capacities of MPs.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.305-313
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• 2017

Accumulating epidemiological evidence indicates that exposure to fine air pollution particles (APPs) is associated with a variety of adverse health effects. However, the exact physiochemical properties and biological toxicities of fine APPs are still not well characterized. We collected four types of fine particle (FP) (diesel exhaust particles [DEPs], natural organic combustion [NOC] ash, synthetic organic combustion [SOC] ash, and yellow sand dust [YSD]) and investigated their physicochemical properties and in vitro biological toxicity. DEPs were almost entirely composed of ultrafine particles (UFPs), while the NOC, SOC, and YSD particles were a mixture of UFPs and FPs. The main elements in the DEPs, NOC ash, SOC ash, and YSD were black carbon, silicon, black carbon, and silicon, respectively. DEPs exhibited dose-dependent mutagenicity even at a low dose in Salmonella typhimurium TA 98 and 100 strains in an Ames test for genotoxicity. However, NOC, SOC, and YSD particles did not show any mutagenicity at high doses. The neutral red uptake assay to test cell viability revealed that DEPs showed dose-dependent potent cytotoxicity even at a low concentration. The toxicity of DEPs was relatively higher than that of NOC, SOC, and YSD particles. Therefore, these results indicate that among the four FPs, DEPs showed the highest in vitro biological toxicity. Additional comprehensive research studies such as chemical analysis and in vivo acute and chronic inhalation toxicity tests are necessary to determine and clarify the effects of this air contaminant on human health.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.153-160
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• 2000

Odor control for livestock and compost facilities has focused on manure handling and treatment during storage and land application, however, large amount of malodorous air is emitted and it is one of main sources of malodour in livestock farming. Biological treatment or biodegradation involves converting an organic contaminant to carbon dioxide and water using natural bacteria. Biofiltration is an effective air pollution control technology that uses microorganisms to breakdown gaseous contaminants and produce innocuous end products. Investment and operating costs on the biofiltration are lower than for thermal and chemical oxidation processes. This paper is intended to provide an overview of basic design and operating criteria for biofilters to control odors from livestock and compost facilities.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.671-678
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• 1997

This study was conducted to use oyster shell as media for biological wastewater treatment. The comparison between the removal efficiencies of the activated sludge and the submerged biofilm process with oyster shell media (5% of reactor volume) for domestic sewage treatment was made. The contaminant removal efficiencies of the submerged process were higher than that of the activated sludge process. And the removal efficiencies of the submerged biofilm process with oyster shell media of 10% and 18% were Investigated at various loading rate. The removal efficiencies of 10% were higher than that of the 18% during the experimental period. The effluent concentration from the sub- merged bloom process using oyster shell media was prediceted by the Stover-Kincannon model.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.453-457
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• 2009

Contamination of marine environment with hazardous and toxic chemicals is more common these days. Bioremediation is the application of microorganism or microbial processes to degrade environmental contaminant. Because of low water solubility and volatility of diesel, bioremediation is more efficient than physical and chemical methods. The objective of this study is biodegradation of diesel in sea water by using Rhodococcus fascians which is isolated petroleum-contaminated soil. R. fascians was cultured on sea water containing diesel to determine the diesel degradability. Changes in biodegradability of diesel with various inoculum sizes, diesel concentrations, initial pH, and culture temperature were analyzed by TPH analysis using gas chromatography. The inoculum size 2% was effective for biodegrdation of diesel in sea water by R. fascians. When diesel concentration was 5%, the growth of cell was inhibited by the toxicity of diesel. The optimal temperature and initial pH for degradation of diesel in sea water were $27^{\circ}C$ and pH 8.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.479-483
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• 2008

The environmental contamination by organic pollutants is a widespread problem. The most widely distributed pollution can be attributed to oil contamination. Bioremediation, the use of microorganism or microbial processes to degrade environmental contaminant, is one of the new technologies. The objective of the present study is to study the degradation of JP-8 in soil by microorganism. The degradation of JP-8 was analysed by TPH using gas chromatography. Rhodococcus fascians isolated from the petroleum contaminated site was applied for the degradation of JP-8 in the soil column system. Air flow rate of 30 ml/min was sufficient to degrade JP-8 in the soil column as much as 70% of JP-8 in the soil column. The addition of nitrogen source resulted in the increase in JP-8 degradability to 75% of JP-8 and the C:N ratio for JP-8 degradation was 100:10.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.189-196
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• 2014

In Korea, over 4,700 animal carcass disposal sites were installed until 2011 due to the outbreak of foot and mouth disease. Due to the putrefaction of buried animals, the leachate containing veterinary antibiotics may release into surrounding environments. Antibiotic residues in the environment cause the formation of antibiotic resistance bacteria threatening human and ecosystem health. This study reports the concentrations of five antibiotics, including tetracycline (TC), chlortetracycline (CTC), oxytetracycline (OTC), sulfamethazine (SMZ), and sulfamethoxazole (SMX), in soils from animal carcass disposal site and adjacent agricultural field. Concentrations of antibiotics at animal carcass disposal sites (TC: $144.26-350.73{\mu}g/kg$, SMZ: $17.72-44.94{\mu}g/kg$) were higher than those at agricultural field (TC: $134.16-320.73{\mu}g/kg$, SMZ: $6.48-8.85{\mu}g/kg$) whereas the concentrations of CTC, OTC, and SMX were below detection limit in both sites. Results showed that the antibiotics in animal carcass site might leach to the soil and possibly contaminating the groundwater. Future studies will focus on the transfer of antibiotics residues into food crops.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.173-181
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• 2008

Bovine blood, cell, tissue, and organ are used as raw materials for manufacturing biologics such as biopharmaceuticals, tissue-engineered products, and cell therapy. Manufacturing processes for the biologics have the risk of viral contamination. Therefore viral validation is essential in ensuring the safety of the products. Bovine parvovirus (BPV) is one of the common bovine pathogens and has widely been known as a possible contaminant of biologics. In order to establish the validation system for the BPV safety of biologics, a real-time PCR method was developed for quantitative detection of BPV contamination in raw materials, manufacturing processes, and final products. Specific primers for amplification of BPV DNA were selected, and BPV DNA was quantified by use of SYBR Green 1. The sensitivity of the assay was calculated to be $1.3{\times}10^{-1}\;TCID_{50}/mL$. The real-time PCR method was validated to be reproducible and very specific to BPV. The established real-time PCR assay was successfully applied to the validation of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell artificially infected with BPV. BPV DNA could be quantified in CHO cell as well as culture supernatant. Also the real-time PCR assay could detect $1.3{\times}10^0\;TCID_{50}/mL$ of BPV artificially contaminated in bovine collagen. The overall results indicated that this rapid, specific, sensitive, and robust assay can be reliably used for quantitative detection of BPV contamination during manufacture of biologics.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.405-419
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• 2018

Persulfates (i.e., peroxymonosulfate and peroxydisulfate) are capable of oxidizing a wide range of organic compounds via direct reactions, as well as by indirect reactions by the radical intermediates. In aqueous solution, persulfates undergo self-decomposition, which is accelerated by thermal, photochemical and metal-catalyzed methods, which usually involve the generation of various radical species. The chemistry of persulfates has been studied since the early twentieth century. However, its environmental application has recently gained attention, as persulfates show promise in in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) for soil and groundwater remediation. Persulfates are known to have both reactivity and persistence in the subsurface, which can provide advantages over other oxidants inclined toward either of the two properties. Besides the ISCO applications, recent studies have shown that the persulfate oxidation also has the potential for wastewater treatment and disinfection. This article reviews the chemistry regarding the hydrolysis, photolysis and catalysis of persulfates and the reactions of persulfates with organic compounds in aqueous solution. This article is intended to provide insight into interpreting the behaviors of the contaminant oxidation by persulfates, as well as developing new persulfate-based oxidation technologies.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.50-58
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• 2005

It is generally known that paper industry is the second largest industry in the use of process water, and also have the highest environmental impact load in the contaminant sources. Paper is produced from the mixtures composed of 1% fibrous raw materials and 99% water. The optimum use of process water effects on the quality properties of paper and the environmental impact load of waste water treatment. In this research, the kinds of fibrous raw material & additives used in the paperboard production line were investigated, and the quantification of environmental loads and the environmental effects of process water on COD potential were evaluated. The NBDCODs were also analyzed from process water by the method of waste water treatment in paper mill and applied for the optimum use of recycling water, and zero effluent process. In the fibrous raw materials, KOCC caused the highest COD potentials, and sack paper & UKP was comparatively low. The NBDCOD of KOCC largely reduced after biological treatment because of easily biodegradable properties, but AOCC contained non-biodegradable materials. In chemical additives, COD was high in turns of rosin>starch>deaeration agent>dye, NBDCOD greatly reduced in starch and deaeration agent. In the case of 2 kinds of paperboard product, the COD potentials was mainly high in starch, AOCC and KOCC.