• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.31-42
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• 2022

Dissolved organic matter (DOM), which changes according to various factors, is ubiquitously present from natural environments to engineered treatment systems. Only limited information is available regarding the environmental functions of DOM after bulk analyses are only applied for characterization. In this paper, latest DOM analytical techniques are briefly introduced, which include fluorescence excitation-emission matrix with parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC), size-exclusion chromatography with an organic carbon detector (SEC-OCD), carbon/nitrogen stable-isotope ratio, and Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance-mass spectroscopy (FT-ICR-MS). Recent examples of using advanced analyses to interpret the phenomena associated with DOM occurring in natural and engineered systems are presented here. Through EEM-PARAFAC, different components like protein-like, fulvic-like, and humic-like can be identified and tracked individually through the investigated systems. SEC-OCD allows researchers to quantify different size fractions. FT-ICR-MS provides thousands of molecular formulas present in bulk DOM samples. Lastly, carbon/nitrogen stable-isotope ratio offers reasonable tools for tracking the sources in environments. We also discuss the advantages and weakness of the above-mentioned characterizing tools. Specifically, they focus on single environmental factors (different sourced-DOM and interaction of sediment-pore water) or simple changes after individual treatment processes. Through collaboration with the advanced techniques later, they help the researchers to better understand environmental behaviors in aquatic systems and serve as essential tools for addressing various pending problems associated with DOM.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Railway
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.408-412
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• 2012

Recently, new climate change mechanism after 2020 year has been accepted with the parties, and so government is pushing ahead the GHG reduction policies to achieve the effective results. Especially, it is essential to enhance the role of railroad in the public traffic system as well as to develop new cars with high energy efficiency for the GHG reduction of transportation sector. Thus, the calculation method of GHG emission of railroad should be established to manage the emission continuously. In this study, the calculation method of GHG emission of railroad was defined with Tier level considering its emission sources to refer to 2006 IPCC guideline for national GHG inventories. Also, the GHG emission of railroad at Tier 1 level was investigated using the activity data related to the amount of diesel and electricity consumption from 2008 to 2010. As a result, total GHG emission in 2010 was about 2,060 thousands ton CO2e, which have 73% of electricity and 27% of diesel. In future, the plans on the GHG reduction of railroad will be accomplished by the analysis of the detailed trends on the basis of the emission management of Tier 3 level under operating patterns. Therefore, it is important to develop the specific GHG emission factors of railroad in advance.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.20-29
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• 2018

Background: For various reasons such as agricultural and economical purposes, land-use changes are rapidly increasing not only in Korea but also in the world, leading to shifts in the characteristics of local carbon cycle. Therefore, in order to understand the large-scale ecosystem carbon cycle, it is necessary first to understand vegetation on this local scale. As a result, it is essential to comprehend change of the carbon balance attributed by the land-use changes. In this study, we attempt to understand accumulated soil carbon (ASC) and soil respiration (Rs) related to carbon cycle in two ecosystems, artificially turned forest into pastureland from forest and a native deciduous temperate forest, resulted from different land-use in the same area. Results: Rs were shown typical seasonal changes in the alpine pastureland (AP) and temperate deciduous forest (TDF). The annual average Rs was $160.5mg\;CO_2\;m^{-2}h^{-1}$ in the AP, but it was $405.1mg\;CO_2\;m^{-2}h^{-1}$ in the TDF, indicating that the Rs in the AP was lower about 54% than that in the TDF. Also, ASC in the AP was $124.49Mg\;C\;ha^{-1}$ from litter layer to 30-cm soil depth. The ASC was about $88.9Mg\;C\;ha^{-1}$, and it was 71.5% of that of the AP. The temperature factors in the AP was high about $4^{\circ}C$ on average compared to the TDF. In AP, it was observed high amount of sunlight entering near the soil surface which is related to high soil temperature is due to low canopy structure. This tendency is due to the smaller emission of organic carbon that is accumulated in the soil, which means a higher ASC in the AP compared to the TDF. Conclusions: The artificial transformation of natural ecosystems into different ecosystems is proceeding widely in the world as well as Korea. The change in land-use type is caused to make the different characteristics of carbon cycle and storage in same region. For evaluating and predicting the carbon cycle in the vegetation modified by the human activity, it is necessary to understand the carbon cycle and storage characteristics of natural ecosystems and converted ecosystems. In this study, we studied the characteristics of ecosystem carbon cycle using different forms in the same region. The land-use changes from a TDF to AP leads to changes in dominant vegetation. Removal of canopy increased light and temperature conditions and slightly decreased SMC during the growing season. Also, land-use change led to an increase of ASC and decrease of Rs in AP. In terms of ecosystem carbon sequestration, AP showed a greater amount of carbon stored in the soil due to sustained supply of above-ground liters and lower degradation rate (soil respiration) than TDF in the high mountains. This shows that TDF and AP do not have much difference in terms of storage and circulation of carbon because the amount of carbon in the forest biomass is stored in the soil in the AP.

• Analyses & Alternatives
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.179-207
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• 2023

Carbon neutrality, the international community's practical challenge in response to climate change, is becoming a key industrial strategy for the future development of nations. Despite concerns that China, as an economic powerhouse in the G2, may face challenges leading global climate change efforts due to its high-carbon-emitting industrial structure, it is leveraging carbon neutrality to enhance its industrial competitiveness. The Chinese government has formulated national policies for achieving carbon neutrality and detailed sector-specific plans to implement them. In particular, it aims to leverage carbon neutrality industrial strategies as a lever for adjusting the domestic industrial structure and fostering new industries, at the same time responding to international climate norms and external pressures. However, the effectiveness of carbon-neutral industrial strategies is expected to vary based on regional conditions such as economic and industrial levels. This article analyzes the regional conditions for implementing carbon neutrality in China, as well as the contents and characteristics of major industrial policies. Due to differing levels of economic development and industrial structures, significant variations in carbon emissions, size, emission sources, and efficiency are inevitable across regions. These disparities introduce diverse initial conditions and endogenous factors in pursuing carbon-neutral goals, limiting the direction and implementation of carbon-neutral industrial strategies favoring certain regions. In particular, the extent of policy autonomy granted to local governments regarding carbon neutrality implementation will influence the regional dynamics of central-local environmental governance. Consequently, it is crucial to emphasize regional monitoring alongside comprehensive national research to accurately navigate the path towards carbon neutrality in China. In summary, the article underscores the importance of understanding regional variations in economic development, industrial structure, and policy autonomy for successful carbon neutrality implementation in China. It highlights the need for regional monitoring and comprehensive national research to determine a more precise direction for achieving carbon neutrality.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.130-136
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• 2011

Methane is known to be one of the major greenhouse gases. On a global scale, livestock farming may contribute 18% of total greenhouse gas emissions. Though methane contribution is less than 2% of all the factors leading to global warming, it plays an important role because it is 21 times more effective than carbon dioxide. Methane emission is a direct result of the fermentation process performed by ruminal microorganisms and, in particular, the archael methanogens. Reducing methane emission would benefit both ruminant production and the environment. Methane generation can be reduced by electron-sink metabolic pathways to dispose of the reducing moieties. An alternative way for methane control in the rumen is to apply inhibitors against methanogens. Generating methane from manure has considerable merit because it appears to offer at least a partial solution to two pressing problems-environmental crisis and energy shortage. An obvious benefit from methane production is the energy value of the gas itself. Control of methane emission by rumen microbes in Korea has mainly been focused on application of various chemicals, such as BES and PMDI, that inhibit the growth and activity of methanogens in the rumen. Alternatives were to apply long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and oils with or without organic acids (malate and fumarate). The results for trials with methane reducing agents and the situation of biogas production industries and a typical biogas plant in Korea will be introduced here.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.211-235
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• 2012

This paper presents an alternative decomposition technique to identify the relative importance of factors associated with changes in $CO_2$ emissions by using directional distance function to model the joint production of desirable and undesirable outputs. The key feature of the proposed approach is the introduction of fossil and non-fossil fuel energy input efficiencies, productivity change and emission intensity change. For the 27 OECD countries as a whole, the empirical results indicate that economic growth is the most important contributor to $CO_2$ emissions increase, while efficiency change is the most important component to $CO_2$ emissions reduction between 1980 and 2007. For more extensive insights, this paper divided 3 groups according to the emission growth rate and find out that high emission countries show relatively low production efficiencies and technical changes contributing $CO_2$ emissions increase. The results also provide that more strict environmental regulations are needed to improve the pollution intensity in these countries.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.113-119
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• 2015

Emission from the traditional Korean fireplace, or the under-floor heating and cooking device, can contribute significantly to airborne pollutants inventories. This study has systematically measured emissions of airborne pollutants from the fireplace when used different fuels such as firewood, agricultural crop residuals, household wastes. The results show that emission factors of airborne pollutants through the primary combustion of firewood were 3.22 g/kg for TSP, 2.93 g/kg for $PM_{10}$, 2.65 g/kg for $PM_{2.5}$, 174.19 g/kg for CO, 7.77 g/kg for NO, 0.15 g/kg for $SO_2$, 40.53 g/kg for TVOC and 0.03 g/kg for $NH_3$; from burning of agricultural crop residues, 2.85 g/kg for TSP, 1.38 g/kg for $PM_{10}$, 1.14 g/kg for $PM_{2.5}$, 126.47 g/kg for CO, 12.60 g/kg for NO, 0.20 g/kg for $SO_2$, 33.73 g/kg for TVOC and 0.02 g/kg for $NH_3$; and for household wastes, 10.52 g/kg for TSP, 8.52 g/kg for $PM_{10}$, 6.23 g/kg for $PM_{2.5}$, 72.86 g/kg for CO, 11.73 g/kg for NO, 0.20 g/kg for $SO_2$, 47.10 g/kg for TVOC and 0.20 g/kg for $NH_3$.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.1157-1163
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• 2012

This study was performed a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) among three rice production systems in order to analyze the difference of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions and environment impacts. Its life cycle inventory (LCI) database (DB) was established using data obtained from interview with conventional, without agricultural chemical and organic farming at Gunsan and Iksan, Jeonbuk province in 2011. According to the result of LCI analysis, $CO_2$ was mostly emitted from fertilizer production process and rice cropping phase. $CH_4$ and $N_2O$ were almost emitted from rice cultivation phase. The value of carbon footprint to produce 1 kg rice (unhulled) on conventional rice production system was 1.01E+00 kg $CO_2$-eq. $kg^{-1}$ and it was the highest value among three rice production systems. The value of carbon footprints on without agricultural chemical and organic rice production systems were 5.37E-01 $CO_2$-eq. $kg^{-1}$ and 6.58E-01 $CO_2$-eq. $kg^{-1}$, respectively. Without agricultural chemical rice production system whose input amount was the smallest had the lowest value of carbon footprint. Although the yield of rice from organic farming was the lowest, its value of carbon footprint less than that of conventional farming. Because there is no compound fertilizer inputs in organic farming. Compound fertilizer production and methane emission during rice cultivation were the main factor to GHGs emission in conventional and without agricultural chemical rice production systems. In organic rice production system, the main factors to GHGs emission were using fossil fuel on machine operation and methane emission from rice paddy field.

• Clean Technology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2009

The adoption of compressed natural gas (CNG) as a vehicle fuel is a common phenomenon as it is accelerating worldwide. Increasing number of CNG driven vehicles around the world has jumped up from one million in 1996 to five million in 2006. CNG as a vehicle fuel is very popular to the end users because of its clean-burning properties and cost effective solution compared to other alternative fuels like diesel and gasoline. The use of CNG as a fuel reduces vehicular emission that is consisted of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), oxides of nitrogen ($NO_x$), carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) etc. This research highlights the characteristics of CNG vehicles, CNG arrangement in the vehicles, CNG fueling procedures and most importantly the environmental and economic factors that are highly considered as cost effective solution for the flexibility of using CNG in the automobiles.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.499-506
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• 2015

Recently the Korean government announced its decision to select the $3^{rd}$ proposal, which targets reducing $CO_2$ by 37% of the BAU level by 2030, for the Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC). According to this proposal, natural gas (or equivalent gas) combined cycle (NGCC) are suggested as alternatives for conventional pulverized coal (PC). In this study, we analyzed the environmental, economic, and energy mixing aspects of synthetic natural gas combined cycle(SNGCC) using NETL material (2011~2012 version) and other domestic materials (2014 version). We found the following conclusions: 1) Considering carbon capture and storage (CCS) integration, $CO_2$ emission factors of SNGCC and supercritical PC are the same. However, 60% of $CO_2$ from SNGCC is produced as high pressure and high purity (99%) gas, making it highly suitable for CCS, which is now strongly supported by the government. 2) Based on the economic analysis for SNGCC using domestic materials and comparison with NGCC, it was found that the settlement price of SNGCC was 30% lower than that of NGCC.