• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.1-9
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• 2016

This study aims to assess the effectiveness of activated carbon (AC) and crushed concrete (CC) as capping material to block the release of nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic substance from reservoir sediments. The efficiency of AC and CC as capping material was evaluated in a reactor in which a 1 or 3 cm thick layer of capping materials was placed on the sediments collected from Mansu reservoir in Anseong-city. Dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration, total nitrogen (T-N), total phosphorus (T-P), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration in reservoir water above the uncapped sediments and capping material were monitored for 45 days. The release rate of T-N was in the following increasing order: AC 3 cm ($1.18mg/m^2{\cdot}d$) < CC 1 cm ($2.66mg/m^2{\cdot}d$) < AC 1 cm ($2.94mg/m^2{\cdot}d$) < CC 3 cm ($3.42mg/m^2{\cdot}d$) < uncapped ($4.59mg/m^2{\cdot}d$). The release rate of T-P was in the following increasing order: AC 3 cm ($0mg/m^2{\cdot}d$) $${\approx_-}$$ CC 3 cm ($0mg/m^2{\cdot}d$) < CC 1 cm ($0.03mg/m^2{\cdot}d$) < AC 1 cm capped ($0.07mg/m^2{\cdot}d$) < uncapped ($0.24mg/m^2{\cdot}d$). The release of nitrogen and phosphorus were effectively blocked by AC capping of 3 cm thickness, and CC capping of 3 cm thickness effectively controlled the release of phosphorus. The order of increasing COD release rate was as follows: AC 3 cm ($0mg/m^2{\cdot}d$) $${\approx_-}$$ CC 3 cm ($0mg/m^2{\cdot}d$) < CC 1 cm ($5.03mg/m^2{\cdot}d$) < AC 1 cm ($7.28mg/m^2{\cdot}d$) < uncapped ($10.05mg/m^2{\cdot}d$), indicating that AC and CC capping effectively interrupted the release of organic contaminants from the sediments. It was concluded that AC and CC could effectively block the release of T-N, T-P and COD release from contaminated reservoir sediments.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2003.09a
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• pp.368-371
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• 2003

Accidental release of petroleum products from underground storage tank(USTs) is one of the most common causes of groundwater contamination. BTEX is the major components of fuel oils, which are hazardous substances regulated by many nations. In addition to BTEX, other gasoline consituents such as MTBE(methyl-t-buthyl ether), anphthalene are also toxic to humans. Natual attenuation processes include physic, chemical, and biological trasformation. Aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation are believed to be the major processes that account for both containment of the petroleum-hydrocarbon plum and reduction of the contaminant concentrations. Aerobic bioremediation has been highly effective in the remediation of many fuel releases. However, Bioremediation of aromatic hydrocarbons in groundwater and sediments is ofen limited by the inability to provide sufficient oxygen to the contaminated zones due to the low water solubility of oxygen. Anaerobic processes refer to a variety of biodegradation mechanisms that use nitrate, ferric iron, sulfate, and carbon dioxide as terminal electron accepters. The objectives of this study was to conduct laboratory-scale microcosm studies in assessing enhanced bioremediation potential of BTEX and MTBE under various electron accepters(aerobic, nitrate, ferric iron, sulfate) in contaminated Soil. these results suggest that, presents evidence and a variety pattern of the biological removal of aromatic compounds under enhanced nitrate-, Fe(III)-, sulfate-reducing conditions.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.274-280
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• 2020

The marine sediment sustains from the anoxic condition due to increased nutrients of external sources. The nutrients are liberated from the sediment, which acts as an internal source. In hypoxic environments, anaerobic respiration results in the formation of several reduced matters, such as N₂ and NH₄⁺, N₂O, Fe²⁺, H₂S, etc. The experimental results have shown that nitrogen and sulfur played an influential, notable role in this biogeochemical cycle with expected chemical reductions and a 'diffusive' release of present nutrient components trapped in pore water inside sediment toward the bulk water. Nitate/ammonium, sulfate/sulfides, and ferrous/ferric irons are found to be the key players in these sediment-waters mutual interactions. Organonitrogen and nitrate in the sediment were likely to be converted to a form of ammonium. Reductive nitrogen is called dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium and denitrification. The steady accumulation in the sediment and surplus increases in the overlying waters of ammonium strongly support this hypothesis as well as a diffusive action of the involved chemical species. Sulfate would serve as an essential electron acceptor so as to form acid volatile sulfides in present of Fe³⁺, which ended up as the Fe²⁺ positively with an aid of the residential microbial community.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.39 no.8
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• pp.470-477
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• 2017

In this study, the applicability of calcite, sand, and zeolite for the remediation of sediments contaminated with organics and nutrients were investigated. Sediments and seawater for water tank experiments were sampled from Pyeongtaek harbor, and 1 cm or 3 cm of calcite, sand, and zeolite were capped on the sampled sediments. pH, electric conductivity (EC), dissolved oxygen (DO), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) were monitored for 63 days. The sampled sediments were highly contaminated with organic matter and total nitrogen. DO in uncapped condition was exhausted within 10 days but DO in capping condition except 3 cm of zeolite capping was prolonged above 2 mg/L. Capping efficiency for interrupting COD release from sediments was in the following order: zeolite 1 cm > calcite 1 cm > calcite 3 cm > sand 3 cm ${\cong}$ zeolite 3 cm ${\cong}$ sand 1 cm. Zeolite was found to be effective for interrupting nitrogen release. T-P was not observed in both uncapped and capped sediment, i.e., all experimental conditions. It can be concluded that zeolite can be effectively used for the remediation of sediments highly contaminated with organic matter and nitrogen.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.174-181
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• 2023

Five local governments along the Korea-Japan Sea (Jeju, Jeonnam, Gyeongnam, Busan, Ulsan) operate a joint countermeasure committee regarding the marine discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant by Japan's Tokyo Electric Power Plant. This study compared and analyzed citizen surveys, response strategies, and detailed action plans conducted by the Jeju Research Institute, Busan Research Institute, and Ulsan Research Institute as part of a study on countermeasures for the marine discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan. The purpose was to present basic data for the preparation of effective measures. As a result of the perception survey, all citizens of local governments showed a strong negative perception of marine discharge regardless of scientific research results, and it is expected that future fisheries and tourism industries will suffer great damage. In response strategies for each local government, building a control tower was found to be the most urgent task common to all local governments. It is judged that this is because it is necessary to break away from the organization-centered system and to respond to the function-centered system for effective response. In terms of response methods, while Jeju and Busan established response plans for each sector, Ulsan City focused on practical responses with step-by-step response measures according to the release time. In terms of content, the establishment of a marine product radiation inspection system and publicity to relieve public anxiety were important. As the marine discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant is scheduled to continue until 2030, strengthening the network for sharing research results and achievements among local government research institutes was deemed necessary.

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.45-54
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• 2000

Several chemical washing procedures were applied to Zn and Cd contaminated soil. Batch and column tests were performed to determine the metal extraction efficiency as a function of pH and concentration. Washing efficiencies by water and NaOH are very low but those by HCI, EDTA and Oxalic acid are high. The most efficient washing occurs in case of using HCI because heavy metal is ionized easily at the condition of low pH. EDTA and Oxalic acid are also effective to extract Zn and Cd because they have a high complexation affinity for heavy metals forming active surface complexes. More Zn is released than Cd is and release trend is increased as pH is decreased and concentration of washing solution is increased. When heavy metal contaminated soil is remediated, HCI and EDTA are more effective to remove Zn than others are. Meanwhile HCI and Oxalic acid are more effective to remove Cd than others are.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.11
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• pp.2511-2521
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• 2020

The Fukushima accident is characterized by the fact that three reactors at the same site experienced reactor vessel failure and the accident resulted in significant radiological release to the environment, which was about 1/10 of the Chernobyl releases. The safe removal of fuel debris in the reactor vessel and Primary Containment Vessel (PCV) and treatment of huge amount of contaminated water are the major issues for the decommissioning in coming decades. Discussions on the new researches efforts being carried out in the area of investigation of the end state of fuel debris and Boling Water reactor (BWR) specific core melt progression, development of technologies for the mitigation of radiological releases to comply with the strengthened safety requirement set after the Fukushima accident are discussed.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.409-415
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• 2017

This study aims to evaluate the effect of capping materials on blocking pollutant elution from contaminated sediment to water body. Experiments were carried out under conditions in which the elution rate was intensified artificially using compost with high concentration of organic compound and nutrient salts instead of sediments. Activated carbon (AC), modified activated carbon (MAC), P. putida immobilized activated carbon (PBAC) and effective microorganisms immobilized activated carbon (EBAC) were used as capping materials. Zeolite (ZT) and two kinds of commercially available microorganisms immobilized zeolite products (ZC, ZN) were used for comparison experiment. The elution rate of organic compound, nitrogen and phosphorus were compared with that of control experiment. The experiments were conducted for 56 days. Concentrations of chemical oxygen demand, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus were measured to use the comparison of release rate of organic compound, nitrogen and phosphorus. From the experimental results, AC based materials showed better performance to block the elution of organic compound and nitrogen than ZT based materials. Although ZT based materials were more effective than AC and PBAC to block phosphorus, MAC and EBAC showed the best performance of phosphorus elution blocking among the all candidate materials. In conclusion, EBAC is considered as the most effective capping materials, because organic compound, nitrogen and phosphorus will be degraded continuously by EM in the long term.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.107-111
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• 2008

Water quality contamination issues are of critical concern to human health, whilst pesticide release generated from irrigated land should be considered for protecting natural habitats and human health. This paper suggests new method for evaluation and analysis using the GIS technique based on integrated spatial modeling framework. The pesticide use on irrigated land is a subset of the larger spectrum of industrial chemicals used in modern society. The behavior of a pesticide is affected by the natural affinity of the chemical for one of four environmental compartments; solid matter, liquid, gaseous form, and biota. However, the major movements are a physical transport over the ground surface by rainfall-runoff and irrigation-runoff. The irrigated water carries out with the transporting sediments and makes contaminated water by pesticide. This paper focuses on risk impact identification and assessment using GIS technique. Also, generated data on pesticide residues on farmland and surface water through GIS simulation will be reflected to environmental research programs. Finally, this study indicates that GIS application is a beneficial tool for spatial pesticide impact analysis as well as environmental risk assessment.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.74-83
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• 2014

Mercury exists naturally and as a man-made contaminant. The release of processed mercury can lead to a progressive increase in the amount of atmospheric mercury, which enters the atmospheric-soil-water distribution cycles where it can remain in circulation for years. Mercury poisoning is the result of exposure to mercury or mercury compounds resulting in various toxic effects depend on its chemical form and route of exposure. The major route of human exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) is largely through eating contaminated fish, seafood, and wildlife which have been exposed to mercury through ingestion of contaminated lower organisms. MeHg toxicity is associated with nervous system damage in adults and impaired neurological development in infants and children. Ingested mercury may undergo bioaccumulation leading to progressive increases in body burdens. This review addresses the systemic pathophysiology of individual organ systems associated with mercury poisoning. Mercury has profound cellular, cardiovascular, hematological, pulmonary, renal, immunological, neurological, endocrine, reproductive, and embryonic toxicological effects.