• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.1519-1523
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• 2021

Radioactive iodine (¹³¹I) released from nuclear power plants has been a critical environmental concern for workers. The effective trapping of radioactive iodine isotopes from the off-gas stream generated from nuclear facilities is an important issue in radioactive waste treatment systems evaluation. Numerous studies on retaining methyl iodide (CH₃I¹³¹) by impregnated activated carbons under the high content of moisture have been extensively studied so far. But there have been no good results on how to remove methyl iodide at high humid conditions up to now. A new challenge is to introduce other promising impregnating chemical agents that are able to uptake enough radioactive methyl iodide under high humid conditions. In order to develop a good removal efficiency to control radioiodine gas generated from a high humid process, activated carbons (ACs) impregnated with triethylene diamine (TEDA) and qinuclidine (QUID) were prepared. In addition, the removal efficiencies of the activated carbons (ACs) under humid conditions up to 95% RH were evaluated by applying the standard method specified in ASTM-D3808. Quinuclidine impregnated activated carbon showed a much higher decontamination factor above 1,000, which is enough to meet the regulation index for the iodine filters in nuclear power plants (NPPs).

• ALGAE
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.349-357
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• 2017

Korean mariculture Undaria pinnatifida was collected during the months of January, February, March, and December of 2010, as well as from January of 2011 to investigate the changes in the carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios (${\delta}^{13}C$ and ${\delta}^{15}N$) and heavy metal with respect to it growth and to identify the factors that influence such changes. The blades of U. pinnatifida showed ${\delta}^{13}C$ and ${\delta}^{15}N$ in the range (mean) of -13.11 to -19.42‰ (-16.93‰) and 2.99 to 7.57‰ (4.71‰), respectively. Among samples with the same grow-out period, those that weighed more tended to have higher ${\delta}^{13}C$ suggesting a close association between the carbon isotope ratio and growth rate of U. pinnatifida. Indeed, we found a very high positive linear correlation between the monthly average ${\delta}^{13}C$ and the absolute growth rate in weight ($r^2=0.89$). Nitrogen isotope ratio tended to be relatively lower when nitrogen content in the blade was higher, probably due to the strengthening of isotope fractionation stemming from plenty of nitrogen in the surrounding environment. In fact, a negative linear correlation was observed with the nitrate concentration in the nearby seawaters ($r^2=0.83$). Concentrations of Cu, Cd, Pb, Cr, Hg, and Fe in the blades showed a rapid decrease in their concentration per unit weight in the more mature U. pinnatifida. Specifically, compared to adult samples, Cu, Hg, and Pb were concentrated by 30, 55, and 73 folds, respectively, in the young blades. Therefore, U. pinnatifida tissue ${\delta}^{13}C$ is as an indirect indicator of its growth rate, while ${\delta}^{15}N$ values and heavy metal concentrations serve as tracers that reflect the environmental characteristics.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.83-97
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• 2022

The Amundsen Sea in West Antarctica is one of the most affected regions by climate change, but it is one of the least studied realms due to difficulties in access. Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) launched a research project in the Amundsen Sea in 2010 using the icebreaker research vessel (IBRV) Araon and has been conducting various research initiatives. In this paper, previous researches derived from the Amundsen Sea Embayment by Korean researchers are introduced. Through previous studies, researchers have been able to interpret the environmental and biogeochemical changes according to the inflow Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) and provide information for climate models. In particular, researches using radiocarbon isotopes (¹⁴C) were introduced to understand the physical and biogeochemical mechanisms of the carbon cycle in the Amundsen Sea. Opportunely, with the construction of a second icebreaker research vessel, the direction for systematic and long-term polar data acquisition can be presented.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.242-251
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• 2010

In comparison with other terrestrial ecosystems, rice paddies are unique because they provide the primary food source for over 50% of the world's population, and act as major sources of global methane. The present paper summerizes a long-term field study that combine carbon isotopes, and canopy-scale flux measurements in an irrigated rice paddy, in conjugation with continuous monitoring of environmental, and vegetational factors. Both $CO_2$, and methane fluxes were largely influenced by soil temperature, and moisture conditions, especially across drainage events. Soil-entrapped $CO_2$, and methane showed a gradually increasing trend throughout growing season, but rapidly decreased upon flood water drainage. These variations in flux were well correlated with changes in concentration, and isotope ratio of soil $CO_2$, and methane, and of atmospheric $CO_2$, and methane within, and above the canopy. The isotopic signature of the gas exchange process varied markedly in response to change in contribution of soil respiration, belowground storage, fraction of $CO_2$ recycled, magnitude, and direction of $CO_2$ exchange, transport mechanism, and fraction of methane oxidized. Our results clearly demonstrate that stable isotope analysis can be a useful tool to study underlying mechanisms of gas exchange processes under natural conditions.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.567-575
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• 2021

Residents in Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province, in which large-scale emissions facilities such as coal-fired power plants and steel mills are concentrated, are very much concerned about their health despite the local government's aggressive efforts to improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gases. To understand the impact of coal-fired power plants and external factors on local air pollution, the origins of local pollutants were investigated using stable carbon isotopes that are generally used as tracers of the provenance of fine or ultrafine dust. The origins of the pollutants were analyzed with the data library, built using the seasonally measured data for the two separate locations selected considering the distance from the coal-fired power plant and the analysis of previous studies, and with the back trajectory analysis. As a result of analyzing stable isotope ratios, the tendency of high concentration was found in the order of winter > spring > fall > summer. According to the data matching with the library, the mobile pollutants and open-air incineration had a relatively higher impact on the local air pollution. It is believed that this study, as a pilot study, should focus on securing the reliability of the study results through continuous monitoring and data accumulation.

• The Korean Journal of Petroleum Geology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.24-29
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• 2007

The main purpose of this study is to identify the shallow gas origin in the KSSM zone. Based on the results of gas composition and isotope in the headsapace gas, the shallow gas is mainly composed of methane and carbon and deuterium isotopes (${\delta}^{13}CCH_4$ and ${\delta}DCH_4$) of methane has ranged from -93.4%o to -70.9%, and from -228%o to -199%o in each. These results imply that shallow gas has predominately biogenic source by $CO_2$ reduction rather than thermogenic. The carbon isotopic separation (${\varepsilon}_c$) between methane and carbon dioxide $(CO_2)$ has a range of 54.4 to 72.2, it also supports biogenic origin of shallow gas.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.183-191
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• 2013

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and zooplankton and particulate organic matter (POM) ${\delta}^{13}C$ values were measured in five reservoirs in Korea. Zooplankton ${\delta}^{13}C$ and POM ${\delta}^{13}C$ showed large range from -33‰ to -22‰ and a significant difference among the reservoirs. One eutrophic reservoir, Lake Masan, showed unique characteristics with the highest zooplankton density, the highest ${\delta}^{13}C$, and the highest DOC. Zooplankton ${\delta}^{13}C$ was similar to POM ${\delta}^{13}C$, implying that zooplankton occupies substantial portion of POM or that zooplankton isotopic composition is related to selective grazing and assimilation of food sources from bulk POM. Except Lake Masan zooplankton ${\delta}^{13}C$ values were negatively correlated to DOC concentration in four reservoirs with mostly forest land use. This pattern can be probably attributed to intensive agricultural land use in the watershed of Lake Masan compared to the mostly forest land use in the other watersheds. Understanding the relationship between zooplankton ${\delta}^{13}C$ values and the origin of organic matter associated with watershed characteristics will be valuable to better understand trophic relationships in reservoirs in the summer monsoon region.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.422-431
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• 2017

The biogeochemical information of riverine organic matter gives a detailed and integrated recording of natural and anthropogenic activity within a watershed. To investigate the changes in quality and quantity of organic carbon transporting from mountain to ocean via river channels, we estimated the concentrations of dissolved (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC), and then traced the source origin of POC using stable carbon isotopes ratio before and after summer rainfalls in the Tamjin River and Ganjin Bay, Korea. Along the small watershed, a total of 13 sites including headwaters, dam reservoir, river and estuary were established for the study. We found some interesting findings in the aspect of distribution of DOC/POC concentration changing their origin sources dynamically flowing downstream. In particular, the river channel transport downstream mainly DOC to river mouth, although upper dam reservoir increased POC concentration by phytoplankton production in summer. Whereas, in the river mouth and estuary, POC was dominated not only by local supply from nearby reed saltmarsh, but also by marine phytoplankton production, respectively. The findings can contribute to increasing the understanding of riverine organic carbon transport in upper large dam and lower open estuary system.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.57-66
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• 2007

Natural gases generally consist of mainly $^{12}C$ and about 1.1% of $^{13}C$. It is well known that a stable carbon isotope, $^{13}C$, has been widely used for the applications of medical, pharmaceutical, and agricultural tracers. As a result, the development of the separation and concentrating technology of $^{13}C$ can cause of high value-added products and the possibility of the generation of new carbon materials, In general, there are two kinds of approaches to obtain a stable $^{13}C$ isotope by the separation of cryogenic distillation. One is to obtain a concentrated $^{13}CH_4$ isotope from natural gas. Another approach is to get concentrated $^{13}CO$ by distillation followed by a chemical reaction of $CH_4$ and $H_2O$. In this study, rigorous process simulations of the cryogenic distillation have been performed and analyzed for the concentrated separation of $^{13}C$ isotopes from LNG and NG by using commercial process simulator. Due to the very small differences of relative volatilities and separabilities of $^{12}C$ and $^{13}C$, the process design and operation of effective separation and concentration of $^{13}C$ need special strategies and feasibility studies. Utilization of vapor pressure data to acentric factor in SRK equation of state and optimized process conditions have been able to predict for the effective of the separation yield and concentration of $^{13}C$ for the cryogenic distillation. The various operation strategies for both batch and continuous cryogenic distillation are also studied and suggested for the basic design of the process. Development of this study can provide a tool for the effective design and operation of the cryogenic separation of $^{13}C$.

• Journal of the korean society of oceanography
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.43-48
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• 1999

The latest-Quaternary paleoceanographic history of the Ulleung Basin, the East Sea (the Sea of Japan) is reconstructed on the base of planktonic foraminifera, oxygen and carbon isotopes, and accelerator mass spectrometer radiocarbon (AMS-$^{14}$C) data from two cores. Sinistral populations of Neogloboquadrina pachyderma are dominant during the last glacial period while dextral forms of Neogloboquadrina pachydeyma are abundant in the Holocene. An abrupt increase in ${\delta}^{18}$O values in both cores that began about 11 ka B.P may indicate the Younger Dryas cooling episode. A low-salinity event, marked by light ${\delta}^{18}$O values (0-1 %), is observed before the Younger Dryas event. As previous works suggested, the low-salinity event is probably due to the freshening of surface water caused by fresh water input from Huang Ho river and/or the excess of precipitation over evaporation. The lowest salinity water in the Ulleung Basin was probably continued from approximately 18 ka B.P. to 15 ka B.P. The ${\delta}^{18}$O values have gradually decreased since the Younger Dryas as a result of the continuous inflow of the warm Tsushima Current into the East Sea.