• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.253-258
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• 2011

Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) has been issued recently in contaminated water environments because of potential impacts on ecosystem and public health. This study was aimed at investigating the possibility of ASA degradation using gamma ray irradiation. In addition, the use of sodium persulfate, hydrogen peroxide, ferrous sulfate were tested in order to examine a synergistic effect with gamma ray. The absorbed dose was ranged from 0.2 to 10 kGy and the concentration of oxidants were from 0.1 to 10 mM in this study. The concentration of ASA was gradually decreased corresponding to the increase of the absorbed dose. When soudium persulfate was simultaneously applied, most of the parent compound was completely degraded even at a low dose of 0.8 kGy. The removal efficiency of total organic carbon was 90% even at the highest dose of 10 kGy without sodium persulfate. However, the efficiency was dramatically enhanced up to 98% at the same dose by adding 10 mM of oxidants. It was suggested that hydroxyl radical ($OH{\cdot}$) and sulfate radical ($SO{_4}^-{\cdot}$) were formed in the system and made roles in degrading ASA at the same time.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.205-210
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• 2011

This study aims to assess MEE(management effectiveness evaluations) on PAs(protected areas) for forest genetic resources which play an important role in biodiversity conservation, and then to suggest better ways to manage PAs for forest genetic resources. This study applies same indicators of the MEE on PAs as the ones described in the prior study(Ryu et al. 2011). The indicators applied are composed of five elements, thirty-two indicators which all would be grouped into one element by each traits. Overall indicators belonging to the element of output and outcome are comparatively low. Especially the ones related to the change of biodiversity, degree of ecosystem health, variation of civil complaint and visitor satisfaction are ranked mostly low. The element of input shows the low rank on the number of staff and budget. The score of indicators related to the identification of the threats of PAs and local communities' supports turn out to be low in the element of Context. The element of process, however, has scored low on Staff management, Education/Awareness programs and Governance, while the law enforcement, management regulation and capacity to prevent forest disasters have made relatively high score. Meanwhile, all indicators in the element of planning have scored relatively high as compared to the indicators belonged to other elements. This study suggests to strengthen a few constructive proposals, such as facilitating efficient management framework for PAs, developing local community cooperation program, establishing survey, research and monitoring system, and registering PAs to the WDPA(World Database on Protected Areas) according to the IUCN categories.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.251-256
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• 2019

With the fast development of modern society, the interests concerned about the significance of nature and environment become major issue nowadays. Especially, threats for our health due to severe environmental pollution and fine dusts become serious problem with the fast industrialization of our society, and extra attention is focused on interests about conservation of nature and management of forest resources. Precious forest resources, however, are not properly managed and destroyed vainly due to frequent fire, damage by storms and floods, and unplanned land development. So systematic and scientific construction and management of forest resources are required in order to solve these problems efficiently. Furthermore, implementation of the forest resource information database that contains information of trees, Topography, ecosystem of the forest is urgently needed. In this paper, we design and implement the forest resource information database based on the information of location based forest resources and Topography using forest images taken by a drone, that enables us to manage forest resources efficiently, make decision for logging, and construct a future tree-planting project easily.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.399-422
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• 2020

Remediating soils contaminated with heavy metals due to urbanization and industrialization is very important not only for human health but also for ecosystem sustainability. Of the available remediation technologies for heavy metal-contaminated soils, phytoremediation is a relatively low-cost environment-friendly technology which preserves biodiversity and soil fertility. The application of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) during the phytoremediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils can enhance plant growth against heavy metal toxicity and increase heavy metal removal efficiency. In this study, the sources of heavy metals that have adverse effects on microorganisms, plants, and humans, and the plant growth-promoting traits of PGPB are addressed and the research trends of PGPB-assisted phytoremediation over the last 10 years are summarized. In addition, the effects of environmental factors and PGPB inoculation methods on the performance of PGPB-assisted phytoremediation are discussed. For the innovation of PGPB-assisted phytoremediation, it is necessary to understand the behavior of PGPB and the interactions among plant, PGPB, and indigenous microorganisms in the field.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.63-69
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• 2021

Microalgae are primary producers of aquatic ecosystems, securing biodiversity and health of the ecosystem and contributing to reducing the impact of climate change through carbon dioxide fixation. Also, they are useful biomass that can be used as biological resources for producing valuable industrial products. However, harvesting process, which is the separation of microalgal biomass from mixed liquor, is an important bottleneck in use of valorization of microalgae as a bioresource accounting for 20 to 30% of the total production cost. This study investigates the applicability of sewage sludge-derived extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) as bioflucculant for harvesting microalgae. We compared the flocculation characteristics of microalgae using EPSs extracted from sewage sludge by three methods. The flocculation efficiency of microalgae is closely related to the carbohydrate and protein concentrations of EPS. Heat-extracted EPS contains the highest carbohydrate and protein concentrations and can be a best-suited bioflocculant for microalgae recovery with 87.2% flocculation efficiency. Injection of bioflocculant improved the flocculation efficiency of all three different algal strains, Chlorella Vulgaris, Chlamydomonas Asymmetrica, Scenedesmus sp., however the improvement was more significant when it was used for flocculation of Chlamydomonas Asymmetrica with flagella.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.667-681
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• 2020

Background and objective: Recently, there has been an increasing need for relaxation and familiarity with nature in residential and living spaces faced daily by urban residents, leading to a growing social interest in urban gardens. The aim of this study was to determine how gardens in a city provide physical and social benefits, comparing cases in Korea and overseas. Methods: We used the keywords "garden" and "city" for Korea, and "urban," "garden," and "green" for overseas. We then determined the Korean and overseas research trends in urban gardens by analyzing 63 Korean and 90 overseas articles deemed suitable for this study. Results: As to the types of urban gardens, the most significant type was community gardens, both in Korea and overseas (30.2% and 48.6%, respectively), followed by rooftop gardens in Korea (22.2%) and kitchen gardens overseas (22.2%). Due to the narrow and complex urban structure in Korea, people focus on using rooftop, wall, and alley spaces, and tend to arrange container-type flexible gardens. Overseas there has been a focus on promoting health and reducing food inequality through allotment and kitchen gardens, and a tendency to use a larger area as a fixed form than Korea. In addition, it was found that gardens in urban areas had a positive effect on urban biodiversity. Conclusion: To sum up, gardens in Korea are close to living spaces, and gardens overseas influence the ecosystem with an emphasis on food production. Therefore, creating urban gardens is a method of urban regeneration with a high utility that goes beyond mere food production, both in Korea and overseas, providing comprehensive benefits for the environment (37.73%) and society (62.27%). As such, continuous research on this area of study is needed to create policy guidelines for Korea.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.185-199
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• 2023

This study aimed to predict the effects of water ecology on the supply of hydrothermal energy to model a housing complex in Eco Delta Smart Village in Busan. Based on the results, engineering measures were recommended to minimize problems due to possible temperature variations on the supply of hydrothermal energy from the river. The current distribution of fish, benthic macroinvertebrates, and phytoplankton in the Pyeonggang Stream was monitored to determine their effects on water ecology. In the research area, five species and three families of fish were observed. The dominant species was Lepomis macrochirus, and the subdominant species was Carassius auratus. Twenty-five species and 21 families of benthic macroinvertebrates were found. The distribution of aquatic insects was poor in this area. The dominant species were Chironomidae sp., Lymnaea auricularia, Appasus japonicus, and Caridina denticulata denticulata in February, May, July, and October. Dominant phytoplankton were Aulacoseira ambigua and Nitzschia palea in February and May. Microcystis sp. was dominant in July and October. The health of the ecology the Pyeonggang Stream was assessed as D (bad) according to the benthic macroinvertebrate index (BMI). Shifts in the location of the discharge point 150 m downstream from intake points and discharge through embedded rock layer after adding equal amounts of stream water as was taken at the beginning were suggested to minimize water temperature variations due to the application of hydrothermal energy. When the scenario (i.e., quantity of water intake and dilution water, 1,600 m³/d and water temp. difference ±5 ℃) was realized, variations in water temperature were assessed at -0.19 ℃ and 0.59 ℃ during cooling and heating, respectively, at a point 10 m downstream. Water temperatures recorded at -0.20 ℃ and 0.68 ℃ during cooling and heating, respectively, at a point 10 m upstream. All stream water temperatures after the application of hydrothermal energy recovered within 24 hours. Future work on the long-term monitoring of ecosystems is suggested, particularly to analyze the influence of the water environment on hydrothermal energy supply operations.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2023.05a
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• pp.168-168
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• 2023

The frequent occurrence of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CHABs) in inland waters under climate change seriously damages the ecosystem and human health and is becoming a big problem in South Korea. Satellite remote sensing is suggested for effective monitoring CHABs at a larger scale of water bodies since the traditional method based on sparse in-situ networks is limited in space. However, utilizing a standalone variable of satellite reflectances in common CHABs dual-models, which relies on both chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) and phycocyanin or cyanobacteria cells (Cyano-cell), is not fully beneficial because their seasonal variation is highly impacted by surrounding meteorological and bio-environmental factors. Along with the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI), monitoring CHABs from space with analyzing the effects of environmental factors is accessible. This study aimed to investigate the potential application of AI in the dual-model strategy (Chl-a and Cyano-cell are output parameters) for monitoring seasonal dynamics of CHABs from satellites over Korean inland waters. The Sentinel-3 satellite was selected in this study due to the variety of spectral bands and its unique band (620 nm), which is sensitive to cyanobacteria. Via the AI-based feature selection, we analyzed the relationships between two output parameters and major parameters (satellite water-leaving reflectances at different spectral bands), together with auxiliary (meteorological and bio-environmental) parameters, to select the most important ones. Several AI models were then employed for modelling Chl-a and Cyano-cell concentration from those selected important parameters. Performance evaluation of the AI models and their comparison to traditional semi-analytical models were conducted to demonstrate whether AI models (using water-leaving reflectances and environmental variables) outperform traditional models (using water-leaving reflectances only) and which AI models are superior for monitoring CHABs from Sentinel-3 satellite over a Korean inland water body.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2023.05a
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• pp.479-479
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• 2023

하천의 건천화는 물이용은 물론 수질과 수생태 측면에서 부정적인 영향을 주는 것으로 알려져 있으나, 건천화의 정의는 물론 건천화 판단기준에 대해서도 학술적인 정리가 부족한 실정이다. 국내의 하천환경을 고려할 때 대부분의 건천화는 대하천이나 하천의 본류보다는 중소하천 규모에서 발생하고 있으며, 이는 만경강유역에서도 동일할 것으로 판단된다. 건천화를 판단하기 위해서는 장기간에 걸친 신뢰할 만한 유량자료가 축적되어 있어야 하나, 중소하천 규모에서 장기측정망을 운영하기는 쉽지 않은 특성으로, 이를 보완하는 방법으로 현장에서의 유량 측정과 함께 모형을 이용하여 하천의 유황을 추정하는 것이 타당할 것으로 판단된다. 건천화된 하천의 유량확보와 관련하여 고려할 수 있는 하천유지유량 제도는 국가하천과 지방 하천을 대상으로 하고 있어 실제 건천화가 발생하는 중소하천에는 적용하기 어려울 것으로 보여, 환경생태유량 제도의 활용을 검토하는 것이 바람직할 것으로 보이지만, 중소하천이나 그 이하 규모의 소하천의 경우 유량 확보를 위한 현실적인 방안이 제한되어 있는 문제가 있다. 본 연구에서는 선행연구에서 제시한 기준유량과 건천화 평가지표를 검토하고 적용하였다. 또한 하천유역의 특성을 반영하기 위해 대조하천, 농업하천, 도시하천, 준도시하천으로 구분하고 이들 하천에 대한 현장조사와 함께 장기유출모형을 구축하여 하천의 유황을 파악하고 만경강유역의 건천화 규모를 추정하였다. 건천화 등급을 산정한 결과, 건천화율이 대부분 5등급(매우나쁨)수준으로 평가었고, 산정된 건천화 비율로 살펴봤을 때, 건천화를 개선하기 위한 유량공급이 필요한 단계로 사료된다. 이러한 연구 결과는 향후 건천화현상에 대한 원인규명과 방지대책을 강구하기 위한 기초자료로 활용가능 할 것으로 판단된다.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.473-483
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• 2023

This study was conducted to better understand the impact of marine fish farming by estimating mass balances of carbon and nitrogen. According to the results, 94.55% of carbon and 95.66% of nitrogen inputs were from the feed supplied in the farm. Of the total carbon emissions in the farm, 47.28% was due to fish respiration, which was subsequently released into seawater. Advection and diffusion in the farm contributed to 30.29% of the carbon released. In the case of nitrogen, 50.70% of the nitrogen released into the seawater was produced by fish excreta, and 31.37% was advected and diffused into the system. The sedimentary environment received 3.82% and 3.10% of the carbon and nitrogen released from the farm, respectively. The fish feed used for healthy growth contained 11.64% carbon and 9.17% nitrogen. Since the feed type was floating pellets, the load released into the sedimentary environment was relatively lower than that released into the marine environment. These findings suggest that the identification of an optimal fish feed that respects fish physiology and preserves a healthy ecology is critical for the future of aquaculture. Furthermore, ecosystem-based aquaculture systems that decrease environmental burden, while endeavoring to improve environmental health, are required.