• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.28 no.6
• /
• pp.596-602
• /
• 2006

The effects of resin additives and inorganic compounds addition on the thermal decomposition of low density polyethylene(LDPE) resin have been studied in a thermal analyzer(TGA, DSC) and a small batch reactor. The silica-alumina type compounds tested were kaolinite, bentonite, perlite, diatomaceous earth, activated clay and clay. The resin additives were antiforgging-agent and longevity-agent. As the results of TGA experiments, addition of antifogging-agent, longevity-agent and clay increased the temperature of the maximum reaction rate($T_{max}$). The silica-alumina type inorganic materials increased the pyrolysis reraction rate in the order of activated clay, diatomaceous earth, bentonite, perlites, and kaolinite. In the DSC experiments, addition of antifogging-agent and clay decreased the heat of fusion and the heat of pyrolysis reaction. Bentonite decreased 20% of the heat of fusion and 25% of the heat of pyrolysis reaction. In the batch system experiments, the mixing of clay retarded the initial producing rate of fuel oil, but increased the yield of fuel oil. Addition of bentonite increased the yield of fuel oil from LDPE resin. Mixing of antifogging-agent and longevity-agent produced the fuel oil having lower carbon number. The amounts of the carbon number below 12 in fuel oil decreased with adding the clay. That below 23 in fuel oil increased with mixing of bentonite, perlite, kaolinite, and activated clay. But the mixing of diatomaceous earth did not affect the carbon contents of fuel oil from pure LDPE resin. In the silica-alumina type inorganic material used in this experiments, bentonite was the most effective from the pyrolysis heat, yields, and the characteristics of fuel oil.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.98 no.6
• /
• pp.772-779
• /
• 2009

This study was conducted to estimate the carbon (C) contents in pure and mixed stands of pine (Pinus densiflora) and oak (Quercus spp.) trees for establishing the C inventory of forest ecosystems. A total of fifteen 20 m${\times}$20 m pure and mixed stands of pine and oak trees were chosen in natural forests in Hoengseong, Kangwon based on the basal area of all trees ${\geq}$ 5 cm DBH: three of 95% of pine and 5% oak trees [pine stand], three of 100% of oak trees [oak stand], and nine of 20 to 70% of pine and 80 to 30% of oak trees [mixed stand]. To estimate C contents in the study stands, biomass in vegetation, forest floor and coarse woody debris (CWD) were calculated and C concentrations in vegetation, forest floor, CWD and soil (0-30 cm) were analyzed. There was no significant difference in vegetation C contents among the stands; 147.6 Mg C/ha for the oak stand, 141.4 Mg C/ha for the pine stand and 115.8 Mg C/ha for the mixed stand. Forest floor C contents were significantly different among the stands (p<0.05); 12.7 Mg/ha for the pine stand, 9.9 Mg/ha for the oak stand, and 8.4 Mg/ha for the mixed stand. However, CWD C contents were not significantly different among the stands (p>0.05); 2.2 Mg/ha for the mixed stand, 1.7 Mg/ha for the oak stand, and 1.1 Mg/ha for the pine stand. Soil C contents up to 30 cm depth were not significantly different among the study stands; 44.4 Mg C/ha for the pine stand, 41.6 Mg C/ha for the mixed stand, and 33.3 Mg C/ha for the oak stand. Total ecosystem C contents were lower in the mixed stand than those in the pure stands, because vegetation C contents which occupied almost total ecosystem C contents were lower in the mixed stand than those in the pure stands; 199.6 Mg C/ha for the pine stand, 192.5 Mg C/ha for the oak stand and 169.1 Mg C/ha for the mixed stand. Lower vegetation C contents in the mixed stand might be influenced by interspecific competition between pine and oak trees and intraspecific competition among the oak trees resulted from high stand density. We suggest that forest management such as thinning to enhance C storage is indispensible for minimizing the competition in forest ecosystems.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.41 no.2
• /
• pp.174-187
• /
• 2008

In an effort to identify structure and function of microbial loop in Paldang reservoir, we monitored environmental and biological factors at Kyungan stream (station K), Paldang dam (station P) and the confluence of North and South Han River (station M) from March to December, 2005. DOC concentration was higher in March to May and November than the others. Nutrient concentration in station K detected relatively higher than that of two stations. Both of phosphate and silicate gradually increased at all stations until September, after then decreased. The highest Chl-$\alpha$ concentration was observed at all stations in April, and November. The carbon biomass of bacteria and HNF were relatively higher in March, May and August than the others, whereas that of the ciliate showed no significant difference in monthly fluctuation. Nevertheless, the significant relationships revealed between ciliate (P<0.001) and HNF (P<0.05) and bacterial density. Tintinnopsis cratera, Didinium sp., Vorticella sp., Paramecium sp. and Strombidium sp. were dominant species in ciliate community. The dominant species of phytoplankton were Stephanodiscus hantzschii and Cyclotella meneghiniana at almost stations in Spring, Summer and Autumn. However, Aulacoseira granulata accounted for >95% of phytoplankton biomass at station P and M in Autumn. The carbon biomass of zooplankton was highest at station P and M in June, and relatively higher biomass observed at all stations in August, October and November. Diaphanosoma brachyurum and Bosmina longirostris were dominant in stations P and M of June and in all stations of October and November, respectively. The maximum growth (A. granulata: $0.17\;d^{-1}$, S. hantzschii: $0.14\;d^{-1}$) and grazing rate (A. granulata: 1.93 preys $d^{-1}$, S. hantzschii: 1.63 preys $d^{-1}$) of Bosmina longirostris revealed in algal preys as Aulacoseira granulata and Stephanodiscus hantzschii. In conclusion, these results suggest that bacteria and phytoplankton can play the most crucial source as prey within microbial food chain in Spring and Summer and grazing food chain in Autumn, respectively.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.59 no.4
• /
• pp.548-556
• /
• 2021

This study was conducted to investigate the applicability of lignocellulosic fiber and coconut shell activated carbon (CSA) for the production of a particulate matter (PM)-reducing air-filter as raw materials to solve the environmental problems of non-woven fabrics. CSA had a good potential to use as a raw material of air-filter for reducing volatile organic compounds as well as noxious metals, and reduction capability of the CSA was 5 times higher than that of wood fiber. Natural adhesives formulated with proteinaceous wastes mostly were applied successfully to fabricate air-filters with the shape of fiberboard. The air-filter fabricated with the minimum target density of 200 kg/m³ and the maximum CSA-content of 40 wt% in fiberboard had a good manageable strength. However, the fiberboard filters was required to make vent-holes for improving an air-permeability of the filters. Size of the CSA particles was adjusted to greater than 2 mesh with the consideration of strength and formability of the fiberboard. Three-layers fiberboard that only wood fiber and the mixture of wood fiber and CSA were formed in the surface and middle layers, respectively, was determined to the optimal condition for the production of air-filters. In addition, traditional Korean paper handmade from mulberry trees (TKP) showed a good PM-reducing property as an air-filter. It is concluded that air-filtering set composed of fiberboard with vent-holes and TKP instead of conventional air-filters made with non-woven fabrics can be used as a filter for reducing the concentrations of PM, VOC and noxious metals existed in indoor and outdoor spaces.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.135-145
• /
• 2019

Analysis of a long cycle or a trend of time series data based on a long-term observation would require comparability between data observed in the past and the present. In the present study, we proposed an approach to ensure the compatibility among the instruments used for the long-term observation, which would allow to secure continuity of the data. An open-path gas analyzer (Model LI-7500, LI-COR, Inc., USA) has been used for eddy covariance flux measurement in the Gwangneung deciduous forest for more than 10 years. The open-path gas analyzer was replaced by an enclosed-path gas analyzer (Model EC155, Campbell Scientific, Inc., USA) in July 2015. Before completely replacing the gas analyzer, the carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) and latent heat fluxes were collected using both gas analyzers simultaneously during a five-month period from August to December in 2015. It was found that the $CO_2$ fluxes were not significantly different between the gas analyzers under the condition that the daily mean temperature was higher than $0^{\circ}C$. However, the $CO_2$ flux measured by the open-path gas analyzer was negatively biased (from positive sign, i.e., carbon source, to 0 or negative sign, i.e., carbon neutral or sink) due to the instrument surface heating under the condition that the daily mean temperature was lower than $0^{\circ}C$. Despite applying the frequency response correction associated with tube attenuation of water vapor, the latent heat flux measured by the enclosed-path gas analyzer was on average 9% smaller than that measured by the open-path gas analyzer, which resulted in >20% difference of the sums over the study period. These results indicated that application of the additional air density correction would be needed due to the instrument heat and analysis of the long-term observational flux data would be facilitated by understanding the underestimation tendency of latent heat flux measurements by an enclosed-path gas analyzer.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.111 no.4
• /
• pp.473-481
• /
• 2022

Environment-friendly harvesting is practiced to maintain ecosystem, landscape, and forest protection functions. The present study was conducted at Simgok-ri, Sinbuk-myeon, Pocheon, Gyeonngi-do, where a 41-50-year-old Japanese larch forest was harvested in an environment-friendly manner from 2017 to 2019. The dynamics of organic matter in this forest were investigated at three years after the harvest. Specifically, organic matter content was measured on the forest floor and in overstory biomass, litterfall, and soil up to 30 cm in depth from June 2020 to January 2021. Owing to the harvest, the amount of overstory biomass of the Japanese larch stands decreased from 142.22 to 44.20 t ha^-1. On the forest floor, the amount of organic matter was 32.87 t ha^-1 in the control plots and 23.34 t ha^-1 in the harvest plots. Annual litterfall was 4.43 t ha^-1 yr^-1 in the control plots and 1.16 t ha^-1 yr^-1 in the harvest plots. Soil bulk density in the B horizon was 0.97 g cm^-3 in the control plots and 1.06 g cm^-3 i n the harvest plots. Soil organic matter content was 11.5% in the control plots and 12.8% in the harvest plots. The total amount of soil organic matter did not differ significantly between the control plots (245.21 t ha^-1) and harvest plots (263.92 t ha^-1), although the amount of soil organic matter tended to be higher in the harvest plots. The total amount of organic matter in the forest was estimated to be 406.48 t ha^-1 in the control plots and 338.21 t ha^-1 in the harvest plots. In the harvest plots, the ratio of aboveground organic matter decreased to 13.1% and soil organic matter increased to 78.0%, indicating that the distribution of organic matter changed significantly in these plots. Overall, the carbon accumulated in aboveground biomass was substantially reduced by environment-friendly harvesting, whereas the soil carbon level increased, which played a role in mitigating the reduction of system carbon in the forest. These results highlight one possible resolution for forest management in terms of coping with climate change. However, given that only three years of environment-friendly harvesting data were analyzed, further research on the dynamics of organic matter and tree growth is needed.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
• /
• v.39 no.5_1
• /
• pp.481-493
• /
• 2023

In high-density urban areas, the urban heat island effect increases urban temperatures, leading to negative impacts such as worsened air pollution, increased cooling energy consumption, and increased greenhouse gas emissions. In urban environments where it is difficult to secure additional green spaces, rooftop greening is an efficient greenhouse gas reduction strategy. In this study, we not only analyzed the current status of the urban heat island effect but also utilized high-resolution satellite data and spatial information to estimate the available rooftop greening area within the study area. We evaluated the mitigation effect of the urban heat island phenomenon and carbon sequestration capacity through temperature predictions resulting from rooftop greening. To achieve this, we utilized WorldView-2 satellite data to classify land cover in the urban heat island areas of Busan city. We developed a prediction model for temperature changes before and after rooftop greening using machine learning techniques. To assess the degree of urban heat island mitigation due to changes in rooftop greening areas, we constructed a temperature change prediction model with temperature as the dependent variable using the random forest technique. In this process, we built a multiple regression model to derive high-resolution land surface temperatures for training data using Google Earth Engine, combining Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 satellite data. Additionally, we evaluated carbon sequestration based on rooftop greening areas using a carbon absorption capacity per plant. The results of this study suggest that the developed satellite-based urban heat island assessment and temperature change prediction technology using Random Forest models can be applied to urban heat island-vulnerable areas with potential for expansion.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• /
• v.5 no.3
• /
• pp.245-254
• /
• 2000

This study was conducted to investigate the community structure and distributional pattern of meiobenthos in the deep sea bottoms of northeastern Pacific during July 1998. The faunal samples were collected using the multiple corer at ten stations; eight stations along the transects from 5$^{\circ}$N to 12$^{\circ}$N, and two stations in the Preservation Zone and Impact Zone of the KODOS (Korea Deep Ocean Study) area. The organic carbon content in sediments ranged from 0.79 to 1.76 mg cm$^{-3}$, and higher concentration appeared at stations in lower latitudes than 8$^{\circ}$N. The most abundant meiobenthos was nematodes and followed by foraminiferans; these two taxa comprised more than 70% of the total abundance at all stations. The most abundant meiobenthos occurred with mesh size of 0.063 nm. The maximum density of meiobenthos was 442 ind./10 cm$^2$ at station N5, and the density gradually decreased toward station N8 where the minimum density of 92 md./10 cm$^2$ was found. More than 60% of meiobenthos were distributed at surface sediment layer within 1.0 cm, and the peak abundance was found at 0-0.25 cm layer. The latitudinal distribution pattern of meiobenthos in the study area seemed to be related with the primary productivity of the surface water that is also connected to the water circulation pattern of the Pacific Ocean near the Equator, diverging at latitude of 8$^{\circ}$N and conversing at 5$^{\circ}$N.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.66-75
• /
• 2014

This study aims to understand environmental factors that determine spatial distribution of macrozoobenthic community in the southern area (ca 100-500 m depth) of East Sea, Korea, known as a candidate site for carbon storage under the seabed. From sixteen locations sampled in the summer of 2012, a total of 158 species were identified, showing density of $843indiv/m^2$ and biomass of $26.2g\;WW/m^2$, with increasing faunal density towards biologically higher diverse locations. Principal component analysis showed that a total of 33 environmental parameters were reduced to three principal components (PC), indicating sediment, bottom water, and depth, respectively. As sand content was increasing, number of species increased but biomass decreased. Six dominant species including two bivalve species favored high concentrations of ${\Omega}$ aragonite and ${\Omega}$ calcite, indicating that the corresponding species can be severely damaged by ocean acidification or $CO_2$ effluent. Cluaster analysis based on more than 1% density dominant species classified the entire study area into four faunal assemblage (location groups), which were delineated by characteristic species, including (A) Ampelisca miharaensis, (B) Edwardsioides japonica, (C) Maldane cristata, (D) Spiophanes kroeyeri, and clearly separated in terms of geography, bottom water and sediment environment. Overall, a discriminant function model was developed to predict four faunal assemblages from five simply-measured environmental variables (depth, sand content in sediment, temperature, salinity and pH in bottom water) with 100% accuracy, implying that benthic faunal assemablages are closed linked to certain combinations of abiotic factors.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.78-83
• /
• 2014

In this research, we evaluated the performance and characteristics of carbon supported PtM (M = Ni and Y) alloy catalysts (PtM/Cs) synthesized by a modified polyol method. With the PtM/Cs employed as a catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) of cathodes in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), their catalytic and ORR activities and electrical performance were investigated and compared with those of commercial Pt/C. Their particle sizes, particle distributions and electrochemically active surface areas (EAS) were measured by TEM and cyclic voltammetry (CV), while their ORR activity and electrical performance were explored using linear sweeping voltammetries with rotating disk electrodes and rotating ring-disk electrodes as well as PEMFC single cell tests. TEM and CV measurements show that PtM/Cs have the compatible particle size and EAS with Pt/C. When it comes to ORR activity, PtM/C showed the equivalent or better half-wave potential, kinetic current density, transferred electron number per oxygen molecule and $H_2O_2$ production(%) to or than commerical Pt/C. Based on results gained by the three electrode tests, when the PEMFC single cell tests were carried out, the current density measured at 0.6 V and maximum power density of PEMFC single cell adopting PtM/C catalysts were better than those adopting Pt/C catalyst. It is therefore concluded that PtM/C catalysts synthesized by modified polyol can result in the equivalent or better ORR catalytic capability and PEMFC performance to or than commercial Pt/C catalyst.