• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.886-894
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• 2023

During the rhizoremediation of diesel-contaminated soil, methane (CH₄), a representative greenhouse gas, is emitted as a result of anaerobic metabolism of diesel. The application of methantrophs is one of solutions for the mitigation CH₄ emissions during the rhizoremediation of diesel-contaminated soil. In this study, CH₄-oxidizing rhizobacteria, Methylocystis sp. JHTF4 and Methyloversatilis sp. JHM8, were isolated from rhizosphere soils of tall fescue and maize, respectively. The maximum CH₄ oxidation rates for the strains JHTF4 and JHM8 were 65.8 and 33.8 mmol·g-DCW^-1·h^-1, respectively. The isolates JHTF4 and JHM8 couldn't degrade diesel. The inoculation of the isolate JHTF4 or JHM8 significantly enhanced diesel removal during rhizoremediation of diesel-contaminated soil planted with maize for 63 days. Diesel removal in the tall fescue-planting soil was enhanced by inoculating the isolates until 50 days, while there was no significant difference in removal efficiency regardless of inoculation at day 63. In both the maize and tall fescue planting soils, the CH₄ oxidation potentials of the inoculated soils were significantly higher than the potentials of the non-inoculated soils. In addition, the gene copy numbers of pmoA, responsible for CH₄ oxidation, in the inoculated soils were significantly higher than those in the non-inoculated soils. The gene copy numbers ratio of pmoA to 16S rDNA (the ratio of methanotrophs to total bacteria) in soil increased during rhizoremediation. These results indicate that the inoculation of Methylocystis sp. JHTF4 and Methyloversatilis sp. JHM8, is a promising strategy to minimize CH₄ emissions during the rhizoremediation of diesel-contaminated soil using maize or tall fescue.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.871-878
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• 2006

Batch experiments were performed to evaluate the applicability of soil washing for heavy metal contaminated soils at Nacdong and Hamchang abandoned mines. The texture of the Nacdong soil was sandy loam. Nacdong abandoned mine soil was almost neutral (pH=6.5). Contaminations of As, Cd, Pb and Zn for Nacdong mine soils were 12,900 mg/kg, 29 mg/kg, 696 mg/kg and 276 mg/kg, respectively. Hamchang abandoned mine soils were acidic (pH=2.6) and the soil texture was loam. The contaminations of As, Cd, Pb and Zn for Hamchang abandoned mine soils were 6,410 mg/kg, 291 mg/kg, 1,300 mg/kg and 1,110 mg/kg, respectively. For the Nacdong abandoned mine soils, oxalic acid was found to be the most effective soil washing extracter for As and Pb while citric acid was the most effective extracter for Cd. For the Hamchang abandoned mine soils, oxalic acid showed the highest extraction efficiencies for As and Pb, whilst citric acid presented the best soil washing efficiencie for Cd. Oxalic acid and EDTA were found to be the most effective soil washing extracter for the Hamchang abandoned mine contaminated soils.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.5-13
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• 2004

In the site for apartment construction, the contaminated soils of the heavy metal and the oil were appeared. The representative soil samples were sampled at 7 sampling points. To confirm the geotechnical stability of the contaminated soils, the environmental checks for the heavy metal and the oil. The soils of 2 sampling points were contaminated heavily, so it was estimated that these soils must be disused. For 1 sampling point of the slightly contaminated soil, to confirm the re-applicability of fill material, the stability analysis was performed and it was concluded that this soil will be able to re-use.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.798-804
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• 2012

Although siderophores are induced primarily in response to iron deficiency, soil and other ecological factors can affect on this process. This study was to evaluate the production of siderophores by different fungal species isolated from heavy metal contaminated and uncontaminated soils. More than thirty fungal strains were isolated from heavy metal contaminated and rhizosphere uncontaminated soils. Chrome azurol sulfonate (CAS) was used for both quantitative and qualitative evaluation of siderophores production. No significant correlations were observed between the tested variables such as ultraviolet (UV) irradiation method and CAS-agar plate and heavy metal concentration in both soils. The production of siderophores in rhizosphere fungi was higher than those isolated from the contaminated soil; however, the difference was not significant. The siderophore production (%) by fungi isolated from heavy metal contaminated soil using UV irradiation method was positively correlated with the qualitative values using CAS-plate method (P<0.05). Pearson correlation test indicated a positive correlation between the quantitative and qualitative methods of detection for fungi isolated from rhizosphere and also those isolated from heavy metal contaminated soil.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.51-61
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• 2011

Germination tests were conducted to determine the practical concentration levels at which plants can reproduce naturally during the phytoremediation of soils contaminated with a high concentration of petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals. The effects of humic acids on plant growth and soil physicochemical properties were also investigated. The results show that phytoremediation can be applied in soils contaminated by multiple contaminants at the former soil contamination potential level of Korean soil quality standards considering successful natural reproduction. It was observed that germination rates of Helianthus annuus and Festuca arundinacea were high after all treatments, and transplantation was more appropriate for Phragmites communis in phytoremediation. Humic acids had a positive effect on the growth of both aboveground and belowground biomass of herbaceous plants. Growth inhibition by multiple contaminants is more severe in the case of aboveground biomass. Germination and growth tests suggest that Helianthus annuus is a suitable phytoremediation plant for soils contaminated with a high concentration of petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals. The addition of humic acids also caused changes in the physicochemical properties of contaminated soils. An increase in the carbon and nitrogen content due to the addition of humic acids and a correlation between cation exchange capacity(CEC) and the organic matter content were observed.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.41-51
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• 2014

This study investigated the ability of Bothriochloa bladhii (Retz.) S.T. Blake (Poaceae), Cyperus ligularis L. (Cyperaceae), Commelina erecta L. (Commelinaceae), Mariscus umbellatus (Rottb.) Vahl (Cyperaceae), Fimbistylis miliacea L. (Cyperaceae) and Torulinium odoratum L. (Cyperaceae) to clean up various levels of used motor oil (UMO) contaminated soils. The plants were grown in 2 kg garden soils treated to 0%, 1%, 5% and 10% levels of UMO contamination. The plant growth parameters, chlorophyll contents and dry weight of test plants were measured. The phytoremediation ability of these test plants were assessed by measuring the uptake of hydrocarbons in terms of total hydrocarbon content (THC) as well as their percentage degradation values. There was significant (P < 0.05) reduction in leaf chlorophyll contents and dry weights of the test plant species planted in UMO contaminated soils. THC as well as the percentage uptake (or degradation) of hydrocarbons were both lowest in C. ligularis but highest in T. odoratum in all cases. The phytoremediation potential of test plants was highest in soils contaminated with 5% UMO. Based on the results of this study, all test plants with the exception of C. ligularis were potentially capable of undertaking phytoremediation. However, B. bladhii and T. odoratum proved most effective in the uptake and degradation of UMO.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.356-365
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• 2020

The aqueous carbonation efficiencies of basic oxygen furnace (BOF) and ladle slags at various pressures, temperatures, and liquid-to-solid (L/S) ratios were investigated to determine optimum conditions. The maximum CO₂ carbonated concentrations in slag (0.584 mmol/g for BOF slag and 1.038 mmol/g for ladle slag) was obtained at 10 bars, 40℃, and L/S = 5 mL/g-dry. The L/S ratio was the most critical parameter for carbonation. The effect of carbonated slag amendment on the immobilization of heavy metals in two field-contaminated soils was also investigated. The immobilization efficiencies evaluated by using the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) and the Standards, Measurements and Testing Programme (SM&T) were above 90% for both raw and carbonated slags for all soils. The TCLP-extractable heavy metals concentrations were below the criteria (5.0, 1.0 and 5.0 g/L for Pb, Cd, and Cr, respectively) after immobilizations with both slags except for Pb in soil B. The SM&T analysis showed the decrease in the exchangeable phase but the increase in residual phase after immobilization with raw and carbonated slags. The results of this study imply the promising potential of the carbonated slags on the immobilization of heavy metals in the field-contaminated soils.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2008.03a
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• pp.229-241
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• 2008

In order to investigate stabilization effect on As-contaminated soils treated by zero-valent iron(ZVI) and industrial by-products, batch tests and column tests were carried out with As-contaminated soils collected from farmland around the abandoned mine site. In batch tests, ZVI and industrial by-products(blast furnace slag, steel refining slag and oyster shell powder) were used as treatment materials to reduce As. Industrial by-products were mixed with As-contaminated soils, in the ratio of 1%, 3%, 5% and 7% on the weight base of dried soil. After incubation, all samples showed the reduction of As concentration and it was expected that ZVI and steel refining slag were effective treatment materials to remove As among treatment materials used in batch test. In column tests, columns were made by acrylic with the dimension of diameter=10cm, height=100cm, thickness=1cm and these columns were filled with untreated soils and treated soils mixed with ZVI and steel refining slag(mixing ratio=3%). Distilled water was discharged into the columns with the velocity of 1 pore-volume/day. During test, pH, EC, Eh and As concentration were measured in the regular term(1 pore-volume). As a result, ZVI and steel refining slag were shown 93%, 62% reduction of As concentration respectively by comparison with untreated soils. Therefore, if ZVI and steel refining slag are used as treatment materials in As-contaminated soils, it is expected that the As concentration in soils is reduced effectively.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.491-495
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• 2014

Phytoremediation is a technology using plants and associated soil microbes to reduce the concentrations or toxic effects of contaminants in the environments. It is regarded as a cost-effective, efficient, eco-friendly, and solar-driven technology with good public acceptance. This study was conducted to find the plants accumulating heavy metals in soils contaminated with Cd and Pb. Experimental plots (plot size: $0.81m^2$) was artificially contaminated using a contaminated soil collected from a field in vicinity of Wondong mine (WD). Sunflower, corn and castor were tested for their potential to remove heavy metals from the contaminated soils. The results indicated that sunflower was most effective in accumulating heavy metals and thus remedying the soils among the three crops. Dry weight and heavy metal uptake of sunflower shoot differed with growth period. For example, the Cd content of shoots including leaf and stem were 0.31mg, 2.23 mg, and 0.96 mg per plot at 4, 8 and 12 weeks after planting in Cd4-WD treatment; in addition, the dry weight of the shoots in Cd8-WD treatment was reduced due to heavy metal toxicity. This experiment showed that sunflower absorbed Cd, Pb and Zn in their shoots up to 8 weeks of planting; thereafter heavy metals uptake was diminished. This implies that the efficiency of these plants in cleaning the contaminated soils may be high at the early stage of plant growth.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.20-30
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• 2012

In case of analyzing PAHs (EPA 16 compounds) in oil-contaminated soils, the lump of peaks may occur because of the aliphatic and polar compounds in oil. This phenomenon is due to the lower accuracy of the analysis. To solve this problem, evaluation of application of silicagel-alumina multi-layer fraction was performed using standard substances and oil-contaminated soils. As a result of application of silicagel-alumina multi-layer fraction cleanup method using standard substances, recovery rates of surrogate standards (5 compounds including Naphthalene-d8) were 83~100% and those of target standards were 75~129%. These were to meet the target values (60~130%) in this study. When used 4% water-silicagel column analyze PAHs in oil-contaminated soils, Some problems were generated for quantitative analysis of PAHs; concentration of PAHs was underestimated due to an upward baseline of internal standard (recovery rate: less than 60%) and overestimated by the lump of peaks which were not purified (the biggest recovery rate: more than 400%). On the other hand, in case of silicagel-alumina multi-layer fraction cleanup method, recovery rate of surrogate standards were 61~101.6%. Therefore this cleanup method was considered a valid method to improve accuracy of analysis of PAHs in oil-contaminated soils.