• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.28
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• pp.7.1-7.9
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• 2013

Objectives We investigated the particle mass size distribution and chemical properties of air pollution particulate matter (PM) in the urban area and its capacity to induce cytotoxicity in human bronchial epithelial (BEAS-2B) cells. Methods To characterize the mass size distributions and chemical concentrations associated with urban PM, PM samples were collected by a 10-stage Micro-Orifice Uniform Deposit Impactor close to nearby traffic in an urban area from December 2007 to December 2009. PM samples for in vitro cytotoxicity testing were collected by a mini-volume air sampler with $PM_{10}$ and $PM_{2.5}$ inlets. Results The PM size distributions were bi-modal, peaking at 0.18 to 0.32 and 1.8 to $3.2{\mu}m$. The mass concentrations of the metals in fine particles (0.1 to $1.8{\mu}m$) accounted for 45.6 to 80.4% of the mass concentrations of metals in $PM_{10}$. The mass proportions of fine particles of the pollutants related to traffic emission, lead (80.4%), cadmium (69.0%), and chromium (63.8%) were higher than those of other metals. Iron was the dominant transition metal in the particles, accounting for 64.3% of the $PM_{10}$ mass in all the samples. We observed PM concentration-dependent cytotoxic effects on BEAS-2B cells. Conclusions We found that exposure to $PM_{2.5}$ and $PM_{10}$ from a nearby traffic area induced significant increases in protein expression of inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and IL-8). The cell death rate and release of cytokines in response to the $PM_{2.5}$ treatment were higher than those with $PM_{10}$. The combined results support the hypothesis that ultrafine particles from vehicular sources can induce inflammatory responses related to environmental respiratory injury.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.2833-2845
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• 2012

In this study, the amount of waste resource that could be recovered was analyzed. The installation and operation costs of waste resource recovery for both single- and multi-regional facility were calculated, and compared with the costs of landfill to investigate the feasibility of them. RDF(Refuse Derived Fuel) process and resource recovery by incineration process were considered as waste resource recovery facility. And, the multi-regions for cost analysis were established on the basis of the proper generation rate of municipal waste with the consideration of combustible ratio. The study results showed that single region facility for both RDF and incineration process has no economic benefit, compared with the landfill method. For the multi-regional facility, RDF process could save a large cost than the landfill method, but the incineration facility couldn't. Separate from the economic benefits, the waste resource recovery should be importantly considered when considering the depletion of fossil fuel, global warming, environmental toxicity, and the enormous expenses due to social conflict and confuse. When the CDM(Clean Development Mechanism) is vitalized in the near future, the additional economic benefits by CERs(Certified Emission Reductions) could be expected. CERs for RDF facility is corresponding to about 256.5 billion won, and CERs for incineration facility is corresponding to about 54 and 77.4 billion won for single- and multi-regional facility, respectively.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.34 no.12
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• pp.840-846
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• 2012

Global climate changes caused by $CO_2$ emissions are currently debated around the world; green sources of energy are being sought as alternatives to replace fossil fuels. The sustainable use of biogas for energy production does not contribute to $CO_2$ emission and has therefore a high potential to reduce them. Catalytic steam reforming of a model biogas ($CH_4:CO_2$ = 60%:40%) is investigated to produce $H_2$-rich synthesis gas. The biogas utilized 3D-IR matrix burner in which the surface combustion is applied. The ruthenium catalyst was used inside a reformer. Parametric screening studies were achieved as Steam/Carbon ratio, biogas component ratio, Space velocity and Reformer temperature. When the condition of Steam/Carbon ratio, $CH_4/CO_2$ ratio, Space velocity and Refomer temperature were 3.25, 60% : 40%, $14.7L/g{\cdot}hr$ and $550^{\circ}C$ respectively, the hydrogen concentration and methane conversion rate were showed maximum values. Under the condition mentioned above, $H_2$ yield, $H_2$/CO ratio, CO selectivity and energy efficiency were 0.65, 2.14, 0.59, 51.29%.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.385-395
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• 2008

This study was carried out to investigate the residue level of fluoroquinolones in hen's general eggs and specific eggs by microbiological assay method and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. HPLC separation was carried out by reversed phase chromatography on a Symmetry $C_{18}$ (250${\times}$4.6 mm, $5{\mu}m$ particle size) with a phase composed of distilled water (containing 0.4% triethylamine and phosphoric acid) : Methanol (780 : 220, v/v), pumped isocratically at a flow rate of 1.0ml/min. A fluorescence detector was utilized with an excitation wavelength of 278nm and an emission wavelength of 456nm. The calibration curves were linear $({\gamma}^2{\geq}0.999)$ over a concentration range of $0.025{\sim}0.4{\mu}g/ml$. Average recoveries of the five fluoroquinolones in whole eggs at fortified levels of $0.05{\sim}0.2{\mu}g/g$ were ranged mean $78.1{\sim}91.7%$ and low coefficient of variation was less than 10% for all analysed samples. The limits of detection and limits of quantification for whole eggs were $1.2{\sim}6.0ng/g$ and $2.3{\sim}9.1ng/g$, respectively. Only one hen's general eggfrom chicken farm in Incheon was detected with the residual fluoroquinolones (Microbiological assay method; 1 of 47 general eggs) ; the range of residual concentration enrofloxacin was 0.12ppm. Those in food stores were detected with the residual fluoroquinolones (Microbiological assay method; 4 of 88 general eggs) ; the ranges of residual concentration enrofloxacin were $0.15{\sim}2.2 ppm$, ciprofloxacin $0.01{\sim}0.06ppm$, and hen's specific eggs (40) in food stores were not detected. For the microbiological assay method of fluoroquinolones in hen's eggs, as the results of comparative analysis, the disc diffusion method with E coli may be a little highly detected for the residual fluoroquinolones.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.292-297
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• 2007

Global warming and climate changes have been major issues for decades andvarious researches have reported their impact on our environment. According to recent researches, increased carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) concentration in the atmosphere is considered as a dominant contributor to global climate changes and thus numerous researches were conducted to control $CO_2$ concentration in the atmosphere. Soil management practices, such as reducing tillage intensity, returning plant residues, and enhancing cropping system have recommended for restoring organic carbon into the soils effectively. However, few studies on soil carbon sequestration have reported for Korean paddy soils. Therefore, evaluation of soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics in the long-term single rice cropping system is essential in order to find out potential capacity of paddy field as a carbon sink source. The objective of this research was to evaluate SOC dynamics on the long-term single rice cropping system. Research was conducted in the research farm at National Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology, Rural Development Administration, Suwon. Long-term phosphorus and potassium fertilization and lime application didn't significantly affect on SOC compared to controls. We found that SOC contents were increased continually at the long-term composting plots with enhanced rate of carbon storage. In conclusion, continuous incorporation of plant residues (i.e., composting) is recommended to effectively sequester soil carbon for Korean paddy soils. This result implies that continuous composting in a paddy field may contributenot only for increasing SOC in the soils but also for mitigating global warming through reducing carbon dioxide emission into atmosphere. Therefore, we recommend that a strategy or policy measures to encourage farmers to return plant residues continuously for mitigation of global warming as well as soil fertility is being developed.

• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.263-284
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• 2017

The purpose of this research is to analyze the performance of national R&D projects and to find out measures to improve the performance indicators, focusing on energy HRD projects. The main analysis target is 86 energy manpower projects supported since 2010. The performance indicators of the energy HRD projects are related to the research capacity, the number of emission workers, industry-university linkage, job creation and so on, and analyzed by using the 11 indicators of human resource performance index called KPI index. As a result of analyzing the attainment level of the proposed target by task, the index with the highest achievement level is the corporation linkage rate, and the index with the lowest achievement level is the participating company employment. As a result of examining the effects of job creation in company - linked activities, it was found that the greater the number of participating companies in the business, the greater the employment creation effect of the number of internships. As a result of the above analysis, the following policy alternatives are proposed. First, it is necessary to consider adding indicators that can express the quality performance of the business and performance indicators that can express actual business linkages. Second, it is necessary to strengthen the management of differentiated performance indicators according to policy performance targets and major target groups. Third, it is necessary to improve information input and accumulation system along with improvement of performance index.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.1423-1436
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• 2010

The effects of meteorological and reclaiming conditions on the reduction of suspended particles are investigated using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model with the k-$\varepsilon$ turbulence closure scheme based on the renormalization group (RNG) theory. Twelve numerical experiments with different meteorological and reclaiming conditions are performed. For identifying the meteorological characteristics of the target area and providing the inflow conditions of the CFD model, the observed data from the automatic weather station (AWS) near the target area is analyzed. Complicated flow patterns such as flow distortion, horse-shoe vortex, recirculation zone, and channeling flow appeared due to the topography and buildings in the domain. Specially, the flow characteristics around the reclamation area are affected by the reclaiming height, reclaiming size and windbreak height. Reclaiming height affected the wind speed above the reclaiming area. Windbreak induces more complicated flow patterns around the reclaiming area as well as within the reclaiming area. In front of the windbreak, flow is distorted as it impinges on the windbreak. As a result, upward flow is generated there. Behind the windbreak, a secondary circulation, so called, a recirculation zone is generated and flow is reattached at the end of the recirculation zone (reattachment point). At the lower part of the recirculation zone, there is a reverse flow toward the windbreak. Flow passing to the reattachment point starts to be recovered. Total amounts of suspended particles are calculated using the frictional and threshold frictional velocities, erosion potential function, and the number of surface disturbance. In the case of a 10 m-reclaiming and northerly wind, the amount of suspended particles is largest. In the presence of 5 m windbreak, the friction velocity above the reclaiming area is largely reduced. As a result, the total amount of the suspended particles largely decreases, compared to the case with the same reclaiming and meteorological conditions except for the windbreak The calculated suspended particle amounts are used as the emission rate of the dispersion model simulations and the dispersion characteristics of the suspended particles are analyzed.

• Carbon letters
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• v.28
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• pp.31-37
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• 2018

This paper examines a simple one-step and catalyst-free method for synthesizing carbon nanoparticles from aliphatic alcohols and n-hexane with linear molecule formations by using a stable solution plasma process with a bipolar pulse and an external resistor. When the external resistor is adopted, it is observed that the current spikes are dramatically decreased, which induced production of a more stable discharge. Six aliphatic linear alcohols (methanol-hexanol) containing carbon with oxygen sources are studied as possible precursors for the massive production of carbon nanoparticles. Additional study is also carried out with the use of n-hexane containing many carbons without an oxygen source in order to enhance the formation of carbon nanoparticles and to eliminate unwanted oxygen effects. The obtained carbon nanoparticles are characterized with field emission-scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The results show that with increasing carbon ratios in alcohol content, the synthesis rate of carbon nanoparticles is increased, whereas the size of the carbon nanoparticles is decreased. Moreover, the degree of graphitization of the carbon nanoparticles synthesized from 1-hexanol and n-hexane with a high carbon (C)/oxygen (O) ratio and low or no oxygen is observed to be greater than that of the carbon nanoparticles synthesized from the corresponding materials with a low C/O ratio.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.495-502
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• 2005

Copper was plated on the tungsten substrate by use of a direct copper electroless plating. The optimum deposition conditions were found to be with a concentration of $CuSO_4$ 7.615 g/L, EDTA of 10.258 g/L, and glyoxylic acid of 7 g/L, respectively. The solution temperature was maintained at $60^{\circ}C$. The pH was varied from 11.0 to 12.8. After the deposition, the properties of the copper film were investigated with X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Field emission secondary electron microscope (FESEM), Atomic force microscope (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS), and Rutherford backscattering spectroscope (RBS). The best deposition condition was founded to be the solution pH of 11.8. In the case of 10 min deposition at the pH of 11.8, the grain shape was spherical, Cu phase was pure without impurity peak ($Cu_2O$ peak), and the surface root mean square roughness was about 11 nm. The thickness of the film turned out to be 140 nm after deposition for 12 min and the deposition rate was found to be about 12 nm/min. Increase in pH induced a formation of $Cu_2O$ phase with a long rectangular grain shape. The pH control seems to play an important role for the orientation of Cu in electroless deposition. The deposited copper concentration was 99 atomic percent according to RBS. The resulting Cu/W film yielded a good adhesive strength, because Cu/W alloy forms during electroless deposition.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.279-288
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• 2014

Nuclear energy is expected to meet the growing energy demand while avoiding CO2 emission. However, the problem of accumulating spent fuel from current nuclear power plants which is mainly composed of uranium oxides should be addressed. One of the most practical solutions is to reduce the spent oxide fuel and recycle it. Next-generation fuel cycles demand innovative features such as a reduction of the environmental load, improved safety, efficient recycling of resources, and feasible economics. Pyroprocessing based on molten salt electrolysis is one of the key technologies for reducing the amount of spent nuclear fuel and destroying toxic waste products, such as the long-life fission products. The oxide reduction process based on the electrochemical reduction in a LiCl-$Li_2O$ electrolyte has been developed for the volume reduction of PWR (Pressurized Water Reactor) spent fuels and for providing metal feeds for the electrorefining process. To speed up the electrochemical reduction process, the influences of the feed form for the cathode and the type of anode shroud on the reduction rate were investigated.