• Resources Recycling
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.65-77
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• 2022

A study was conducted in Korea on the leaching behavior and possibility of recovery of vanadium and other valuable metals from domestic vanadium titanomagnetite (VTM) by direct acid leaching. In this study, a VTM concentrate containing 0.8% V₂O₅ was used, and the ratio of magnetite to ilmenite was calculated as 1.9:1 by using the HSC program. The leaching behavior of vanadium from the VTM was similar to that of iron, and it was affected by the concentration of sulfuric acid and temperature. Further, titanium could be leached in the form of TiOSO₄ at a temperature higher than 75℃. To improve the leaching efficiency of V, Fe, and Ti in VTM, reductive sulfuric acid and oxidative sulfuric acid leaching were performed. When Na₂SO₃ was used as a reducing agent, the leaching rate of vanadium was 80% of that in that case of leaching by sulfuric acid. Similarly, the leaching rate of titanium increased from 20% to 50%. When Na₂S₂O₈ was used as an oxidation agent, most of the vanadium was leached, and the main residue found by XRD analysis was ilmenite. In studies on the possibility of recovering valuable metals, the selective extraction of metals is hardly achieved by solvent extraction from oxidation leaching solutions; however, in this study, Cyanex 923, a solvation extractant from reductive leaching solutions, could selectively extract Ti.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.163-173
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• 2022

Climate change is a key factor that greatly influences changes in the biological seasons and geographical distribution of species. In the ecological field, the BioClimatic predictor (BioClim), which is most related to the physiological characteristics of organisms, is used for vulnerability assessment. However, BioClim values are not provided other than the future period climate average values for each GCM for the Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSPs) scenario. In this study, BioClim data suitable for domestic conditions was produced using 1 km resolution SSPs scenario detailed data produced by Rural Development Administration, and based on the data, a species distribution model was applied to mainly grow in southern, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Gangwon-do and humid regions. Appropriate habitat distributions were predicted every 30 years for the base years (1981 - 2010) and future years (2011 - 2100) of the Acer pictum subsp. mono. Acer pictum subsp. mono appearance data were collected from a total of 819 points through the national natural environment survey data. In order to improve the performance of the MaxEnt model, the parameters of the model (LQH-1.5) were optimized, and 7 detailed biolicm indices and 5 topographical indices were applied to the MaxEnt model. Drainage, Annual Precipitation (Bio12), and Slope significantly contributed to the distribution of Acer pictum subsp. mono in Korea. As a result of reflecting the growth characteristics that favor moist and fertile soil, the influence of climatic factors was not significant. Accordingly, in the base year, the suitable habitat for a high level of Acer pictum subsp. mono is 3.41% of the area of Korea, and in the near future (2011 - 2040) and far future (2071 - 2100), SSP1-2.6 accounts for 0.01% and 0.02%, gradually decreasing. However, in SSP5-8.5, it was 0.01% and 0.72%, respectively, showing a tendency to decrease in the near future compared to the base year, but to gradually increase toward the far future. This study confirms the future distribution of vegetation that is more easily adapted to climate change, and has significance as a basic study that can be used for future forest restoration of climate change-adapted species.

• Atmosphere
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.223-246
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• 2023

This paper summarized the research papers on weather extremes that occurred in the Republic of Korea, which were published in the domestic and foreign journals during 1963~2022. Weather extreme is defined as a weather phenomenon that causes serious casualty and property loss; here, it includes typhoon, heavy rain, drought, heat wave, cold surge, heavy snow, and strong gust. Based on the 2011~2020 statistics in Korea, above 80% of property loss due to all natural disasters were caused by typhoons and heavy rainfalls. However, the impact of the other weather extremes can be underestimated rather than we have actually experienced; the property loss caused by the other extremes is hard to be quantitatively counted. Particularly, as global warming becomes serious, the influence of drought and heat wave has been increasing. The damages caused by cold surges, heavy snow, and strong gust occurred over relatively local areas on short-term time scales compared to other weather hazards. In particularly, strong gust accompanied with drought may result in severe forest fires over mountainous regions. We hope that the present review paper may remind us of the importance of weather extremes that directly affect our lives.

• Clean Technology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.193-199
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• 2023

Biomass has been used to secure renewable energy certificates (REC) in domestic and overseas coal-fired power plants. In recent years, biofuel has been diversified from traditional wood pellets to non-woody biomass. Non-woody biomass has a higher content of alkaline metals such as K and Na than wood-based biomass, resulting in a lower melting point and an increase in slagging on boiler tubes, which reduces boiler efficiency. This study analyzed the effect of kaolin, an additive commonly used to increase melting points, on biomass co-firing to coal through thermochemical equilibrium calculations. In a previous experiment on biomass co-firing to coal conducted at 80 kW_th, it was interpreted that the use of kaolin actually increased the amount of fouling. In this study, analysis showed that when kaolin was added, aluminosilicate compounds were generated due to Al₂O₃, which is abundant in coal, and mullite was formed. Thus, it was confirmed that the amount of slag increased when more kaolin was used. Further analysis was conducted by increasing the biomass co-firing rate from 0% to 100% at 10% intervals, and the results showed non-linear liquid slag generation. As a result, it was found that the least amount of liquid slag was generated when the biomass co-firing rate was between 50 and 60%. The phase diagram analysis showed that high melting point compounds such as leucite and feldspar were most abundantly generated under these conditions.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.243-250
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• 2023

To explore the distribution and the resistance reaction of rice blast pathogens that may occur in North Korea, rice blast pathogens in the North Korean border regions of Dandong and Yeon-gil in China and the North Korean border region of Cheorwon in South Korea were analyzed. In addition, comparative analysis was conducted with rice blast pathogen in Suwon and Jeonju, inland regions of South Korea. Resistance reactions above average were observed in monogenic rice lines (IRBLzt-T, IRBL9-W, IRBL20-IR24, and IRBLta-CP1) in Jeonju, Suwon, and Cheorwon from 2018 to 2020. In Dandong and Yeon-gil, the monogenic lines IRBLz5-CA, IRBL12-M, and IRBL19-A consistently showed resistance reactions for three years. Notably, IRBL19-A exhibited strong resistance. Race distribution analysis in South Korea indicated a shift from KI to KJ dominance from 2018 to 2020, while in the North Korean border regions of Dandong and Yeon-gil, the KI race was dominant in 2021 and 2022. The race distribution of rice blast pathogens in China's North Korean border regions differed significantly from that in South Korea.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.85-96
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• 2023

The study involved the categorization of domestic lakes located in South Korea into three groups based on their salinity levels: upstream reservoirs with salinity less than 0.3 psu, estuarine reservoirs with salinity ranging from 0.3 to 2 psu, and brackish lagoons with salinity exceeding 2 psu. Subsequently, the research assessed variations in the concentrations of total nitrogen (T-N) and total phosphorus (T-P) in the sediment of these lakes using statistical analysis, specifically one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Additionally, a laboratory core incubation test was conducted to investigate the benthic nutrient fluxes in Songji lagoon (salinity: 11.80 psu), Ganwol reservoir (salinity: 0.73 psu), and Janggun reservoir (salinity: 0.08 psu) under both aerobic and anoxic conditions. The findings revealed statistically significant differences in the concentrations of T-N and T-P among sediments in the lakes with varying salinity levels (p<0.05). Further post-hoc analysis confirmed significant distinctions in T-N between upstream reservoirs and estuarine reservoirs (p<0.001), as well as between upstream reservoirs and brackish lagoons (p<0.01). For T-P, a significant difference was observed between upstream reservoirs and brackish lagoons (p<0.01). Regarding benthic nutrient fluxes, Ganwol Lake exhibited the highest diffusive flux of NH₄⁺-N, primarily due to its physical characteristics and the inhibition of nitrification resulting from its relatively high salinity. The flux of NO₃^--N was lower at higher salinity levels under aerobic conditions but increased under anoxic conditions, attributed to the impact of salinity on nitrification and denitrification. Additionally, the flux of PO₄^3--P was highest in Songji Lake, followed by Ganwol Lake and Janggun Reservoir, indicating that salinity promotes the diffusive flux of phosphate through anion adsorption competition. It's important to consider the influence of salinity on microbial communities, growth rates, oxidation-reduction processes, and nutrient binding forms when studying benthic diffusive nutrient fluxes from lake sediments.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.23-53
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• 2023

In this review paper, previous studies on layered double hydroxides (LDHs) published in the Korean Citation Index (KCI) were examined to investigate a research trend for LDHs in Korea. Since the first publication in 2002, 160 papers on LDHs have been published until January 2023. Among the 31 academic fields, top 5 fields appeared in the order of chemical engineering, chemistry, materials engineering, environmental engineering, and physics. The chemical engineering shows the highest record of published paper (71 papers) while around 10 papers have been published in the other four fields. All papers were reclassified into 15 research fields based on the industrial and academic purposes of using LDHs. The top 5 in these fields are in order of environmental purification materials, polymer catalyst materials, battery materials, pharmaceutical/medicinal materials, and basic physicochemical properties. These findings suggest that researches on the applications of LDH materials in the academic fields of chemical engineering and chemistry for the improvement of their functions such as environmental purification materials, polymer catalysts, and batteries have been being most actively conducted. The application of LDHs for cosmetic and agricultural purposes and for developing environmental sensors is still at the beginning of research. Considering a market-potential and high-efficiency-eco-friendly trend, however, it will deserve our attention as emerging application fields in the future. All reclassified papers were summarized in our tables and a supplementary file, including information on applied materials, key results, characteristics and synthesis methods of LDHs used. We expect that our findings of overall trends in LDH research in Korea can help design future researches with LDHs and suggest policies for resources and energies as well as environments efficiently.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.302-311
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• 2023

This study was conducted to evaluate the applicability of castor oil (CSO) as a natural wood preservative. CSO was treated into wood blocks prepared with domestic and imported wood species using a vacuum-pressure method, and then treatability, leachability and decay resistance of the CSO-treated wood blocks were examined. Although CSO was penetrated effectively into wood blocks of all wood species, the CSO-treatability was the highest in Western hemlock, followed by Japanese larch (LA), soft maple and Mongolian oak due to the difference of its anatomical structure. Except for LA, the more retained, the more leached during a saline water-immersing process for 48h. The use of ethanol added to reduce the viscosity of CSO affected negatively the treatability and leachability of wood blocks. Decay resistance, which was evaluated by the weight loss of wood blocks exposed against Fomitopsis palustris (FOP) and Trametes versicolor, of the CSO-treated/leached wood blocks was superior to that of control. Especially, most of wood blocks treated with preserving solution composed of only CSO (CSO-2) did not decayed and showed a very low weight loss against FOP. The decay resistance results from CSO retained in wood blocks after leaching. The retention of CSO could identify using the observation of X-ray microscope. Length of wood strips, which were treated with CSO-2 and then immersed in saline water for 2 weeks, hardly changed in all cutting directions. In addition, weight gain and length-swelling rate of the wood strips were extremely low compared to those of control. These results indicate that moisture resistance of the wood strips was improved by the CSO treatment. It is concluded that the treatment of CSO using a vacuum-pressure method provides the decay resistance and dimensional stability of wood, and thus CSO can be used as a natural wood preservative on various indoor and outdoor circumstances.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.135-142
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• 2023

The total arsenic and 6 arsenic species were investigated in 56 fish collagen products using ICP-MS (Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer) and HPLC-ICP-MS(High performance liquid chromatography-Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer). The mean concentrations of total arsenic and arsenic species were 40.103±81.133 ㎍/kg (N.D.~586.686) and 30.070±50.378 ㎍/kg (N.D.~313.871), respectively. The mean concentration of inorganic arsenic was 24.610±32.706 ㎍/kg (N.D.~129.331), and the As(V) (Arsenate) was the most dominant. The standards and specifications of arsenic have not been established for fish collagen products. Our study presents that arsenic levels are relatively safe compared with not only previous studies but also domestic and international standards. However, in one sample, the total arsenic concentration was 586.686 ㎍/kg, showing the inorganic was 8.119 ㎍/kg, and the DMA was 305.752 ㎍/kg, which was high than the Canadian standard for organic arsenic. In conclusion, it is necessary to monitor arsenic levels consistently and establish standards and specifications of arsenic in fish collagen products to assure consumer safety.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.145-174
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• 2017

Recently, due to the worsening global economic recession, Korea which is a small, export-oriented economy has decreased exports and the domestic economy also continues to stagnate. Therefore, for continued growth of our economy through export growth, we need to analyze the validity of export support system such as export insurance and prepare ways to expand exports. This study is to investigate the effects of Export Insurance on the exports of SMEs as well as LEs. For this purpose, this study conducted Time Series Analysis using data such as export, export insurance acquisition, export price index, exchange rate, and coincident composite index(CCI). First, as a result of the Granger Causality Test, the exports of LEs has found to have a causal relationship with the CCI, and CCI is to have a causal relationship with the short-term export insurance record. Second, the results of VAR analysis show that the export insurance acquisition result and the export price index have a positive effect on the exports of LEs, while the short - term export insurance has a negative effect on the exports of LEs. Third, as a result of variance decomposition, the export of LEs has much more influenced for mid to long term by the short-term export insurance acquisition compared to SMEs. Fourth, short-term export insurance has a positive effect on exports of SMEs. In order to activate short-term export insurance against SMEs, it is necessary to expand support for SMEs by local governments. This study aims to suggest policy implications for establishing effective export insurance policy by analyzing the effects of export insurance on the export of SMEs as well as LEs. It is necessary to carry out a time series analysis on the export results according to the insurance acquisition results by industry to measure the export support effect of export insurance more precisely.