• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.120-129
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• 2016

An industrial complex in Wonju, contaminated with trichloroethene (TCE), was one of the most problematic sites in Korea. Despite repeated remedial trials for decades, chlorinated ethenes remained as sources of down-gradient groundwater contamination. Recent efforts were being made to remove the contaminants of the area, but knowledge of the indigenous microbial communities and their dechlorination abilities were unknown. Thus, the objectives of the present study were (i) to evaluate the dechlorination abilities of indigenous microbes at the contaminated site, (ii) to characterize which microbes and reductive dehalogenase genes were responsible for the dechlorination reactions, and (iii) to develop a PCE-to-ethene dechlorinating microbial consortium. An enrichment culture that dechlorinates PCE to ethene was obtained from Wonju stream, nearby a trichloroethene (TCE)-contaminated industrial complex. The community profiling revealed that known organohalide-respiring microbes, such as Geobacter, Desulfuromonas, and Dehalococcoides grew during the incubation with chlorinated ethenes. Although Chloroflexi populations (i.e., Longilinea and Bellilinea) were the most enriched in the sediment microcosms, those were not found in the transfer cultures. Based upon the results from pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons and qPCR using TaqMan chemistry, close relatives of Dehalococcoides mccartyi strains FL2 and GT seemed to be dominant and responsible for the complete detoxification of chlorinated ethenes in the transfer cultures. This study also demonstrated that the contaminated site harbors indigenous microbes that can convert PCE to ethene, and the developed consortium can be an important resource for future bioremediation efforts.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.522-529
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• 2013

Background Despite advances in surgical techniques, sterile protocols, and perioperative antibiotic regimens, surgical site infections (SSIs) remain a significant problem. We investigated the relationship between wound classification (i.e., clean, clean/contaminated, contaminated, dirty) and SSI rates in plastic surgery. Methods We performed a retrospective review of a multi-institutional, surgical outcomes database for all patients undergoing plastic surgery procedures from 2006-2010. Patient demographics, wound classification, and 30-day outcomes were recorded and analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. Results A total of 15,289 plastic surgery cases were analyzed. The overall SSI rate was 3.00%, with superficial SSIs occurring at comparable rates across wound classes. There were similar rates of deep SSIs in the clean and clean/contaminated groups (0.64%), while rates reached over 2% in contaminated and dirty cases. Organ/space SSIs occurred in less than 1% of each wound classification. Contaminated and dirty cases were at an increased risk for deep SSIs (odds ratios, 2.81 and 2.74, respectively); however, wound classification did not appear to be a significant predictor of superficial or organ/space SSIs. Clean/contaminated, contaminated, and dirty cases were at increased risk for a postoperative complication, and contaminated and dirty cases also had higher odds of reoperation and 30-day mortality. Conclusions Analyzing a multi-center database, we found that wound classification was a significant predictor of overall complications, reoperation, and mortality, but not an adequate predictor of surgical site infections. When comparing infections for a given wound classification, plastic surgery had lower overall rates than the surgical population at large.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.38-47
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• 2013

This study was performed to identify the optimal operating conditions and to evaluate the xylene removal efficiency, applying in-situ soil flushing with the low concentrated solution of 'Tween 80' at the xylene contaminated site. The pilot scale test site ($5m{\times}5m{\times}3m$), was mainly composed of 'sandy loam', with the average hydraulic conductivity of $9.1{\times}10^{-4}cm\;s^{-1}$. The average xylene concentration of the site was 42.1 mg $kg^{-1}$, which was more than 2.5 times higher than Korea soil pollution warning limit (15 mg $kg^{-1}$). For the soil flushing, 7,800 L of 0.1~0.2% surfactant solution was injected into three injection wells at the average injection time of 9 hr $d^{-1}$ for 10 days, followed by the additional only groundwater injection of 6,000 L. The same amount of the effluent solution was extracted from three extraction wells. From the analysis for xylene concentration of all effluent at 3 extraction wells, total 166 g of xylene was removed by in-situ surfactant flushing. Even though the residual xylene concentrations of 7 soil sampling locations in the test site were different due to the soil heterogeneity, from the comparison of xylene concentration at 7 locations before/after the feasibility test, 53.9% of the initial xylene in the site was removed from three extraction wells (mainly Ext-N and Ext-M well). The results showed that the in-situ soil flushing by using low concentrated 'Tween 80' solution had a great potential to remediate the xylene contaminated site.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.33-38
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• 2014

This study was performed to evaluate the applicability of pump and treat technology as well as to identify the changes of groundwater level by continuous pumping at the petroleum contaminated site. A total of 9 monitoring wells were installed at the site and the contaminant concentrations, TPH, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene, of groundwater were measured. With the results of the groundwater monitoring, a total of 9 wells were set up for pumping contaminated groundwater in 3 locations. The waste water treatment facility with a capacity of $10m^3/hr$ was installed in the site and operated for about 1 year. The concentrations of the contaminated groundwater from the 3 pumping wells were exceeded groundwater regulation for benzene and TPH. However, the effluent concentration of benzene and TPH was under the regulation showing the maximum level of 0.011 mg/L and 1.2 mg/L during the operation periods. Groundwater levels were decreased by continuous pumping and those were not recovered during the operation period. Groundwater levels of PW-1,2, PW-3,4,5,6 and PW-7,8,9 were decreased about 5 m, 0.7 m, 2 m, respectively. The hydraulic conductivity (K) of the region of PW-1,2, PW-3,4,5,6 and PW-7,8,9 was estimated to be $6.143{\times}10^{-5}cm/sec$, $2.675{\times}10^{-5}cm/sec$, $1.198{\times}10^{-4}cm/sec$. Groundwater level was seemed to be affected not by hydraulic conductivity but by morphological effect. These results show that the pump and treat technology has high applicability for the restoration of petroleum contaminated groundwater but needs continuous monitoring to prevent rapid groundwater drawdown.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2001.04a
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• pp.85-88
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• 2001

Since mountainous area has access restrictions for field work, assessors need to establish a conceptual model of the contamination prior to the field investigation. In this study we established a conceptual model of the contamination based on site inspection and geological survey, followed by the field investigation for the petroleum spill site. In the conceptual model, we estimated that tile contamination should have spread by groundwater and topographical characteristics within the top soil layer. The spread of contamination through rock was not considered in the conceptual model due to impermeable characteristics of metasyenite. The contaminated environmental media of the petroleum spill site include soil and groundwater. According to the analysis result of the contamination, the volume of contaminated soil is estimated approximately 4, 150 cubic meters (7, 055 ton) with most contaminants existing along the groundwater flow within top soil layer.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.1-6
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• 2020

Recently, ex-situ remediation technologies has been emerging to clean up contaminated soils mainly because the in-situ techniques have limited applicability and technical difficulties in relatively small contaminated sites. Accordingly, implementation of off-site treatment and disposal have been continuously increased in soil remediation and restoration projects in Korea. However, in many cases, reclaimed soil is still not properly recycled or reused. Therefore, there is an urgent need to document the current status of soil management practices in soil remediation projects in the nation. This study presents a survey of soil contamination status and remedial approaches in Korea based on soil cleanup projects completed in 2015 - 2019, and proposes the possible options of the recycling or reusing the reclaimed soils under compliance with related regulations. The results of the soil survey showed soil contamination was most severe in gas stations, industrial facilities, and military areas. The major types of pollution were related to the petroleum-contaminated site (TPH and BTEX) with 77.0% occurrence in all the contaminated sites. The reclaimed soils were mostly reused as a ground filling-up soils in industrial facilities (60.0%) and warehouses (37.0%).

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 1998.06a
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• pp.19-21
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• 1998

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.347-355
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• 2002

As concerns on the effects of soil contamination on human health have grown, more efforts have been made to quantify the effects. One of such efforts is the development of risk assessment methodology. The fundamental objectives of this approach is to investigate the alternative options that reduce the risk of hazardous chemicals results from environmental pollution, which will eventually lead to an accomplishment of removement of identified toxicants in polluted environment. The U.S. EPA Risk Assessment guidance for the superfund (RAGS) provides a methods for assessing the health risk of contaminated soils and determining the preliminary remediation goals (PRGs). Using this approach, we assessed the health risk and preliminary remediation goals of petroleum contaminated site in Kyounggi province.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.79-87
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• 2013

An unstable yet efficient phenanthrene-degrading bacterium strain Ph-3 was isolated from a petroleum-contaminated site at the Mathura Oil Refinery, India. The strain was identified as Pseudomonas sp. using a polyphasic approach. An analysis of the intermediates and assays of the degradative enzymes from a crude extract of phenanthrene-grown cells showed a novel and previously unreported pattern of 1, 2-dihydroxy naphthalene and salicylic acid production. While strain Ph-3 lost its phenanthrene- degrading potential during successive transfers on a rich medium, it maintained this trait in oligotrophic soil conditions under the stress of the pollutant and degraded phenanthrene efficiently in soil microcosms. Although the maintenance and in vitro study of unstable phenotypes are difficult and such strains are often missed during isolation, purification, and screening, these bacteria constitute a substantial fraction of the microbial community at contaminated sites and play an important role in pollutant degradation during biostimulation or monitored natural attenuation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 1999.04a
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• pp.149-156
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• 1999

In the United States (U.S.), the monitored natural attenuation (MNA) approach has been used as an alternative remedial option for organic and inorganic compounds retained in soil and dissolved in groundwater. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines the MNA as“in-situ naturally-occurring processes include biodegradation, diffusion, dilution, sorption, volatilization, and/or chemical and biochemical stabilization of contaminants and reduce contaminant toxicity, mobility or volume to the levels that are protective of human health and the environment”. The Department of Soil Environment. National Institute Environmental Research (NIER) is in the process for demonstrating the MNA approach as a potential remedial option for the BTEX contaminated site in Uiwang City. The project is charactering the research site in terms of the nature and extend of contamination, biological degradation rate, and geochemical and hydrological properties. The microbial-degradation rate and effectiveness of nutrient and redox supplements will be determined through laboratory batch and column tests. The geochemical process will be monitored for determining the concentration changes of chemical species involved in the electron transfer processes that include methanogenesis, sulfate and iron reduction, denitrification, and aerobic respiration. Through field works, critical soil and hydrogeologic parameters will be acquired to simulate the effects of dispersion, advection, sorption, and biodegradation on the fate and transport of the dissolved-phase BTEX plume using Bioplume III model. The objectives of this multi-years research project are (1) to evaluate the MNA approach using the BTEX contaminated site in Uiwang City, (2) to establish a standard protocol for future application of the approach, (3) to investigate applicability of the passive approach as a secondary treatment remedy after active treatments. In this presentation, the overall picture and philosophy behind the MNA approach will be reviewed. Detailed discussions of the site characterization/monitoring plans and risk-based decision-making processes for the demonstration site will be included.