• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.370-385
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• 2023

Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (Cyano-HABs) are an international environmental problem that negatively affects the ecosystem as well as the safety of water resources by discharging cyanotoxins. In particular, the discharge of microcystins (MCs), a highly toxic substance, has been studied most actively, and various water treatment methods have been proposed for this purpose. In this paper, we reviewed adsorption technology, which is recognized as the most feasible, economical, and efficient method among suggested treatment methods for removing MCs. Activated carbons (AC) are widely used adsorbents for MCs removal, and excellent MCs adsorption performance has been reported. Research on alternative adsorption materials for AC such as biochar and biosorbents has been conducted, however, their performance was lower compared to activated carbon. The impacts of adsorbent properties(characteristics of pore surface chemistry) and environmental factors (solution pH, temperature, natural organic matter, and ionic strength) on the MCs adsorption performance were also discussed. In addition, toward effective control of MCs, the possibility of the direct removal of harmful cyanobacteria as well as the removal of dissolved MCs using adsorption strategy was examined. However, to fully utilize the adsorption for the removal of MCs, the application and optimization under actual environmental conditions are still required, thereby meeting the environmental and economic standards. From this study, crucial insights could be provided for the development and selection of effective adsorbent and subsequent adsorption processes for the removal of MCs from water resources.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.39-50
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• 2015

Stabilization of heavy metals such as Pb, Cd, Zn, and Cu was evaluated in contaminated soil treated with poultry manure (PM) as well as its biochars pyrolyzed at $300^{\circ}C$ (PBC300) and $700^{\circ}C$ (PBC700) at the application rates of 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 wt% along with the control, prior to 21-days incubation. After incubation, soil pH was increased from 6.94 (control) to 7.51, 7.24, and 7.88 in soils treated with PM 10 wt%, PBC300 10 wt%, and PBC700 10 wt% treatments, respectively, mainly due to alkalinity of treatments. In the soil treated with PM, the concentrations of the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP)-extractable Pb, Cd, Zn, and Cu were increased by up to 408, 77, 24, and 955%, respectively, compared to the control. These increases may possibly be associated with an increased dissolved organic carbon concentration by the PM addition. However, in the soil treated with PBC700, TCLP-extractable Pb, Cd, Zn, and Cu concentrations were reduced by up to 23, 38, 52, and 36%, respectively, compared to the control. Thermodynamic modelling using the visual MINTEQ was done to predict the precipitations of $Pb(OH)_2$, $Cu(OH)_2$ and P-containing minerals, such as chloropyromorphite [$Pb_5(PO_4)_3Cl$] and hydroxypyromorphite [$Pb_5(PO_4)_3OH$], in the PBC700 10 wt% treated soil. The SEM-elemental dot mapping analysis further confirmed the presence of Pb-phosphate species via dot mapping of PBC700 treated soil. These results indicate that the reduction of Pb concentration in the PBC700 treated soil is related to the formations of chloropyromorphite and hydroxypyromorphite which have very low solubility.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.1035-1043
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• 2007

A leachate containing an elevated concentration of organic and inorganic compounds has the potential to contaminate adjacent soils and groundwater as well as downgradient areas of the watershed. Moreover high-strength ammonium concentrations in leachate can be toxic to aquatic ecological systems as well as consuming dissolved oxygen, due to ammonium oxidation, and thereby causing eutrophication of the watershed. In response to these concerns landfill stabilization and leachate treatment are required to reduce contaminant loading sand minimize effects on the environment. Compared with other treatment technologies, leachate recirculation technology is most effective for the pre-treatment of leachate and the acceleration of waste stabilization processes in a landfill. However, leachate recirculation that accelerates the decomposition of readily degradable organic matter might also be generating high-strength ammonium in the leachate. Since most landfill leachate having high concentrations of nitrogen also contain insufficient quantities of the organic carbon required for complete denitrification, we combined a shortcut biological nitrogen removal (SBNR) technology in order to solve the problem associated with the inability to denitrify the oxidized ammonium due to the lack of carbon sources. The accumulation of nitrite was successfully achieved at a 0.8 ratio of $NO_2^{-}-N/NO_x-N$ in an on-site reactor of the sequencing batch reactor (SBR) type that had operated for six hours in an aeration phase. The $NO_x$-N ratio in leachate produced following SBR treatment was reduced in the landfill and the denitrification mechanism is implied sulfur-based autotrophic denitrification and/or heterotrophic denitrification. The combined leachate recirculation with SBNR proved an effective technology for landfill stabilization and nitrogen removal in leachate.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.171-176
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• 2000

A wastewater treatment pond system was developed for treatment and recycling of dairy cattle excreta of $5\;m^1$ per day. The wastes were diluted by the water used for clearing stalls. The system was composed of three ponds in series. A submerged gas collector for the recovery of methane was installed at the bottom of secondary pond with water depth of 2.4m. This paper deals mainly with performance of methane fermentation of secondary pond which is faclutative one. The average $BOD_5$, SS, TN, and TP concentrations of influent into secondary pond were 49.1, 53.4, 48.6, and 5.3 mg/l, and those of effluent from it were 27.9, 45.7, 30.8, 3.2 mg/l respectively. Methane fermentation of 2.4-meter-deep secondary pond bottom was well established at $16^{\circ}C$ and gas garnered from the collector at that temperature was 80% methane. Literature on methane fermentation of wastewater treatment ponds shows that methane bacteria grow well around $24^{\circ}C$, the rate of daily accumulation and decomposition of sludge is approximately equal at $19^{\circ}C$, and activities of methanogenic bacteria are ceased below $14^{\circ}C$. The good methane fermentation of the pond bottom around $16^{\circ}C$, about $3^{\circ}C$ lower than $19^{\circ}C$, results from temperature stability, anaerobic condition, and neutral pH of the bottom sludge layer. It is recommended that the depth of pond water could be 2.4m. Gas from the collector during active methane fermentation was almost 83% methane, less than 17% nitrogen. Carbon dioxide was less than 1% of the gas, which indicates that carbon dioxide produced in bottom sludges was dissolved in the overlaying water column. Thus a purified methane can be collected and used as energy source. Sludge accumulation on the pond bottom for a nine month period was 1.3cm and annual sludge depth can be estimated to be 1.7cm. Design of additional pond depth of 0.3m can lead to 15 - 20 year sludge removal.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.247-256
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• 2013

In this study, alginate beads containing birnessite (Bir-AB), a highly reactive oxidative catalyst for the transformation of phenolic compounds, was prepared and its 1-naphthol (1-NP) removal efficiency was investigated in a batch test. Based on scanning electron microscopy image, it can be inferred that the alginate gel cluster acts as a bridge which bind the birnessite particles together. Kinetic experiment with Bir-AB of different mixing ratios of birnessite to alginate (Bir : AG=0.25 : 1~1 : 1 w/w) indicate that pseudo-first order kinetic constants, $k(hr^{-1})$ for the 1-NP removals increased about 1.5 times when the birnessite mixing ratio was doubled. The removals of 1-NP was found to be dependent on solution pH and the pesudo-first order rate constants were increased from 0.331 $hr^{-1}$ at pH 10 to 0.661 $hr^{-1}$ at pH 4. The analysis of total organic carbon for the reaction solutions showed that a higher removal of dissolved organic carbon was achieved with Bir-AB as compared to birnessite. HPLC chromatographic analysis of the methanol extract after reaction of 1-NP with Bir-AB suggest that the reaction products could be removed through incorporation into the aliginate beads as a bound residue. Mn ions produced from the oxidative transformation of 1-NP by birnessite were also removed by sorption to Bir-AB. The Bir-AB was recovered quantitatively by simple filtration and was reused twice without significant loss of the initial reactivity.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.243-252
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• 2006

Influence of the increasing carbon dioxide concentration in seawater on various marine organisms is assessed in this article with regard to the impacts of anthropogenic $CO_2$ introduced into surface or deep oceans. Recent proposals to sequester $CO_2$ in deep oceans arouse the concerns of adverse effects of increased $CO_2$ concentration on deep-sea organisms. Atmospheric introduction of $CO_2$ into the ocean can also acidify the surface water, thereby the population of some sensitive organisms including coral reefs, cocolithophorids and sea urchins will be reduced considerably in near future (e.g. in 2100 unless the increasing trend of $CO_2$ emission is actively regulated). We exposed bioluminescent bacteria and benthic amphipods to varying concentrations of $CO_2$ and also pH for a short period. The ${\sim}l.5$ unit decrease of pH adversely affected test organisms. However, amphipods were not influenced by decreasing pH when HCl was used for the seawater acidification. In this article, we reviewed the biological adverse effects of $CO_2$ on various marine organisms studied so for. Theses results will be useful to predict the potential risks of the increase of $CO_2$ concentrations in seawater due to the increase of atmospheric $CO_2$ emission and/or sequestration of $CO_2$ in deep oceans.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.821-828
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• 2016

The water quality and phytoplankton presence in the ballast water (BW) of 37 vessels originating from the international ports of China were investigated to facilitate negotiations for exemptions to the Ballast Water Management Convention (BWM Convention). The shortest duration given BW spent in a vessel was $3.91{\pm}4.61days$ in area "A", which included the Bohai Sea. Total suspended solids, dissolved organic carbon, and particulate organic carbon ranged from 1.80 to $266mg\;L^{-1}$, from 1.09 to $5.79mg\;L^{-1}$, and from 0.17 to $3.65mg\;L^{-1}$, respectively. A low average concentration of nutrients was measured in BW from area "C", but the concentration of nutrients in BW from area "B" (around the Changjiang estuary) was high, which may be related to the relevant supply of freshwater. A high chlorophyll-a concentration (> $1{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$) was measured in six vessels, three of which carried BW in the area "A". High abundance of phytoplankton (> $10,000cells\;L^{-1}$) was measured in four vessels, two of which carried BW in the area "C". Vessel No. 37, originating from Hong Kong Bay in area "C", showed a high density of dinoflagellates. The results suggest that BWM Convention exemption negotiations with China should be performed cautiously.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2015

To evaluate accuracy and precision of determination of total alkalinity ($Alk_T$) and carbon dioxide ($TCO_2$) derived from present study, experiment was applied with $CO_2$ CRM (Batch 132, Scripps Institution of Oceanography; $Alk_T=2229.24{\pm}0.39{\mu}mol/kg$, $TCO_2=2032.65{\pm}0.45{\mu}mol/kg$). As the result, average concentration of $Alk_T$ and $TCO_2$ was $2354.09{\mu}mol/kg$ (~5.6% difference with $CO_2$ CRM) and $2089.60{\mu}mol/kg$ (~2.3% difference with $CO_2$ CRM), respectively. For previous method (Gran Titration) by addition $NaHCO_3$ to deionized water($Alk_T$ $2023.33{\mu}mol/kg$), average concentration was $2193.39{\mu}mol/kg$ (sd=57.15, n=7). Whereas, average concentration was $2017.02{\mu}mol/kg$ (sd=10.98, n=7) for the present study. Recovery yield experiments of total alkalinity in deionized water and seawater were implemented by addition of $NaHCO_3$. The recovery yield of deionized water in the range 0 to $4952.39{\mu}mol/kg$ was 100.8% ($R^2$=0.999), and seawater in the range 0 to $2041.32{\mu}mol/kg$ was 102.3% ($R^2$=0.999). Comparison of $pCO_2$ sensor (PSI $CO_2-Pro^{TM}$) with present method showed very meaningful correlation coefficient ($R^2$=0.977) in the range of 427 to $705{\mu}atm$ and 9.16 to $15.24{\mu}mol/kg$ throught elapsed time for two weeks. Field experiment of diurnal variation of total carbon dioxide was accomplished at Sachon harbor in the coastal waters of East Sea of Korea. Concentration of $Alk_T$ and $TCO_2$ was increased during night, and decreased during daylight hours. The results showed mirror type between $TCO_2$ and dissolved oxygen, which was attributable to photosynthesis and respiration of phytoplankton. Also, open ocean field study was performed to obtain vertical profile of $Alk_T$ and $TCO_2$ in C-C zone (Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone), Northeastern Pacific. Average concentrations of $Alk_T$ in the surface mixed layer (0~60 m) and deeper layer below 200 m were $2422.38{\mu}mol/kg$ (sd=78.73, n=20) and $2465.87{\mu}mol/kg$ (sd=57.68, n=103), respectively. And average concentrations of $TCO_2$ were $2134.47{\mu}mol/kg$ (sd=65.4, n=20) and $2431.87{\mu}mol/kg$ (sd=65.02, n=103) in the same depth ranges such as $Alk_T$. Vertical distributions of $Alk_T$ and $TCO_2$ concentrations tended to increase with depth, and analyzed concentrations showed slightly higher than those of previous studies in this area.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.53-63
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• 1986

Carbon monoxide(CO) poisoning has been one of the major environmental problems because of the tissue hypoxia, especially brain tissue hypoxia, due to the great affinity of CO with hemoglobin. Inhalation of the pure oxygen$(0_2)$ under the high atmospheric pressure has been considered as the best treatment of CO poisoning by the supply of $0_2$ to hypoxic tissues with dissolved from in plasma and also by the rapid elimination of CO from the carboxyhemoglobin(HbCO). Hydrogen peroxide $(H_2O_2)$ was rapidly decomposed to water and $0_2$ under the presence of catalase in the blood, but the intravenous administration of $H_2O_2$ is hazardous because of the formation of methemoglobin and air embolism. However, it was reported that the enema of $H_2O_2$ solution below 0.75% could be continuously supplied $0_2$ to hypoxic tissues without the hazards mentioned above. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of $H_2O_2$ enema on the elimination of CO from the HbCO in the recovery of the acute CO poisoning. Rabbits weighting about 2.0 kg were exposed to If CO gas mixture with room air for 30 minutes. After the acute CO poisoning, 30 rabbits were divided into three groups relating to the recovery period. The first group T·as exposed to the room air and the second group w·as inhalated with 100% $0_2$ under 1 atmospheric pressure. The third group was administered 10 ml of 0.5H $H_2O_2$ solution per kg weight by enema immediately after CO poisoning and exposed to the room air during the recovery period. The arterial blood was sampled before and after CO poisoning ana in 15, 30, 60 and 90 minutes of the recovery period. The blood pH, $Pco_2\;and\;Po_2$ were measured anaerobically with a Blood Gas Analyzer and the saturation percentage of HbCO was measured by the Spectrophotometric method. The effect of $H_2O_2$ enema on the recovery from the acute CO poisoning was observed and compared with the room air group and the 100% $0_2$ inhalation group. The results obtained from the experiment are as follows: The pH of arterial blood was significantly decreased after CO poisoning and until the first 15 minutes of the recovery period in all groups. Thereafter, it was slowly increased to the level of the before CO poisoning, but the recovery of pH of the $H_2O_2$ enema group was more delayed than that of the other groups during the recovery period. $Paco_2$ was significantly decreased after CO poisoning in all groups. Boring the recovery Period, $Paco_2$ of the room air group was completely recovered to the level of the before CO Poisoning, but that of the 100% $O_2$ inhalation group and the $H_2O_2$ enema group was not recovered until the 90 minutes of the recovery period. $Paco_2$ was slightly decreased after CO poisoning. During the recovery Period, it was markedly increased in the first 15 minutes and maintained the level above that before CO Poisoning in all groups. Furthermore $Paco_2$ of the $H_2O_2$ enema group was 102 to 107 mmHg and it was about 10 mmHg higher than that of the room air group during the recovery period. The saturation percentage of HbCO was increased up to the range of 54 to 72 percents after CO poisoning and in general it was generally diminished during the recovery period. However in the $H_2O_2$ enema group the diminution of the saturation percentage of HbCO was generally faster than that of the 100% $O_2$ inhalation group and the room air group, and its diminution in the 100% $O_2$ inhalation group was also slightly faster than that of the room air group at the relatively later time of the recovery period. In conclusion, the enema of 0.5% $H_2O_2$ solution is seems to facilitate the elimination of CO from the HbCO in the blood and increase $Paco_2$ simultaneously during the recovery period of the acute CO poisoning.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.413-419
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• 2011

Nanoscale zero-valent iron (NZVI) particles were tested as remediation media for groundwater contaminated by organic pollutants (e.g., TCE, trichloroethylene). The contaminated groundwater contained anions ($NO_3^-$, $Cl^-$, $SO_4^{2-}$, and $HCO_3^-$) and natural organic matter (NOM). Treatability of commercial NZVI particles (NANOFER 25, Nanoiron, Czech) was tested by using a synthetic groundwater and the field groundwater samples. More than 95% of 1.8 mM TCE was removed within 20 hours with a NZVI dosage of 25 g/L ($k=0.15hr^{-1}$). Repetitive degradation experiments revealed that the removal capacity of NANOFER 25 was 0.19 mmole TCE/g NZVI. TCE degradation reactions were not substantially affected by the presence of each anion with concentrations as high as 100 times the average field concentrations. However, when the four anions ($NO_3^-$, $Cl^-$, $SO_4^{2-}$, $HCO_3^-$) were present simultaneously. the degradation reactivity and removal capacity were decreased by 60% ($k=0.069hr^{-1}$) and 10%, respectively. The k value of TCE degradation in the presence of NZVI (25 g/L) with dissovled organic carbon of 2.5 mg/L was also decreased by 84% ($k=0.025hr^{-1}$). In the experiments with the field groundwater, more than 90% of $1.8{\mu}M$ TCE, which is the concentration of TCE at the source zone, was removed within 10 hours with a NANOFER 25 dosage of 25 g/L. The results imply that the contaminated groundwater can effectively be treated by NANOFER 25 with more information on the hydrogeology of the site.