• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.691-702
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• 2013

This review paper summarizes the theory, application, and potential drawbacks of diffusive gradient in thin film (DGT) probe which is a widely used in-situ passive sampling technique for monitoring inorganic contaminants in aquatic environments. The DGT probe employs a series of layers including a filter membrane, a diffusive hydrogel, and an ionic exchange resin gel in a plastic unit. The filter side is exposed to an aquatic environment after which dissolved inorganic contaminants, such as heavy metals and nuclides, diffuse through the hydrogel and are accumulated in the resin gel. After retrieval, the contaminants in the resin gel are extracted by strong acid or base and the concentrations are determined by analytical instruments. Then aqueous concentrations of the inorganic contaminants can be estimated from a mathematical equation. The DGT has also been used to monitor nutrients, such as ${PO_4}^{3-}$, in lakes, streams, and estuaries, which might be helpful in assessing eutrophic potential in aquatic environments. DGT is a robust in-situ passive sampling techniques for investigating bioavailability, toxicity, and speciation of inorganic contaminants in aquatic environments, and can be an effective monitoring tool for risk assessment.

• Proceedings of the KSEEG Conference
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• 2002.06a
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• pp.81-100
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• 2002

While most of regulatory communities in abroad recognize ' 'natural attenuation " to include degradation, dispersion, dilution, sorption (including precipitation and transformation), and volatilization as governing Processes, regulators prefer "degradation" because this mechanism destroys the contaminant of concern. Unfortunately, true degradation only applies to organic contaminants and short- lived radionuclides, and leaves most metals and long-lived radionuclides. The natural attenuation Processes may reduce the potential risk Posed by site contaminants in three ways: (i)contaminants could be converted to a less toxic form througy destructive processes such as biodegradation or abiotic transformations; (ii) potential exposure levels may be reduced by lowering concentrations (dilution and dispersion); and (iii) contaminant mobility and bioavailability may be reduced by sorption to geomedia. In this review, authors will focus will focul on "sorption" among the natural attenuation processes of hazardous inorganic contaminants including radionuclides. Note though that sorption and transformation processes of inorganic contaminants in the natural setting could be influenced by biotic activities but our discussion would limit only to geochemical reactions involved in the natural attenuation. All of the geochemical reactions have been studied in-depth by numerous researchers for many years to understand "retardation" process of contaminants in the geomedia. The most common approach for estimating retardation is the determination of distrubution coefficiendts ($K_{d}$) of contaminants using parametric or mechanistic models. As typocally used in fate and contaminant transport calculations such as predictive models of the natural attenuation, the $K_{d}$ is defined as the ratio of the contaminant concentration in the surrounding aqueous solution when the system is at equilibrium. Unfortunately, generic or default $K_{d}$ values can result in significant error when used to predict contaminant migration rate and to select a site remediation alternative. Thus, to input the best $K_{d}$ value in the contaminant transport model, it is essential that important geochemical processes affecting the transport should be identified and understood. Precipitation/dissolution and adsorption/desorption are considered the most important geochemical processes affecting the interaction of inorganic and radionuclide contaminants with geomedia at the near and far field, respectively. Most of contaminants to be discussed in this presentation are relatively immobile, i.e., have very high $K_{d}$ values under natural geochemical environments. Unfortunately, the obvious containment in a source area may not be good enough to qualify as monitored natural attenuation site unless owner demonstrate the efficacy if institutional controls that were put in place to protect potential receptors. In this view, natural attenuation as a remedial alternative for some of sites contaminated by hazardous-inorganic components is regulatory and public acceptance issues rather than scientific issue.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.33-40
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• 2017

In typical remediation practices, separate washing systems have to be applied to clean up the soils contaminated with both oil and heavy metals. In this study, we evaluated the efficiency of successive two-stage soil washing in removal of mixed-contaminants from soil matrix. Two-stage soil washing experiments were conducted using different combinations of chemical agent: 1) persulfate oxidation, followed by organic acid washing, and 2) Fenton oxidation, followed by inorganic acid washing. Persulfate oxidation-organic acid washing efficiently removed both organic and inorganic contaminants to meet the regulatory soil quality standard. The average removal rates of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), Cu, Pb, and Zn were 88.9%, 82.2%, 77.5%, and 66.3% respectively, (S/L 1:10, reaction time 1 h, persulfate 0.5 M, persulfate:activator 3:1, citric acid 2 M). Fenton oxidation-inorganic acid washing also gave satisfactory performances to give 89%, 80.9%, 87.1%, and 67.7% removal of TPH, Cu, Pb, and Zn, respectively (S/L 1:10, reaction time 1 hr, hydrogen peroxide 0.3 M, hydrogen peroxide:activator 5:1, inorganic acid 1 M).

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.16-23
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• 2004

Recently the increased concerns about the cost reduction and environmental protection make the paper industry increase the closure level of papermaking system, which results in the buildup of organic and inorganic materials in the papermaking process water. Increase of the system closure causes deterioration of additive performance and provokes diverse problems in papermaking process and product quality. To investigate the effects of process water quality on the physical properties of fine papers handsheets were prepared with process water containing various amounts of inorganic and organic contaminants including calcium or sodium ions and oxidized or cationic starches. Inorgainc and organic materials did not show any significant effect on the physical properties of handsheets. Recycled GCC showed the same trends as inorganic and organic materials. The performance of cationic starch was deteriorated, however, in the recycled white water, which resulted in the reduction of tensile index of handsheets.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.421-431
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• 2018

Analyses of the three-storied stone pagoda at the Bulguksa temple in Gyeongju were carried out in order to identify the cause for material characteristics of inorganic contaminants and conservation treatment materials. Results indicated that foreign soil or weathering soil caused yellow discoloration of the pagoda, reddish-brown contaminants were formed by goethite (FeOOH), an iron oxide mineral, and black pollutants were formed by manganese (Mn) oxide, leading to discoloration of the rock. Among the restoration materials used in the past, cement mortar could cause whitening by reacting with the external environment. The results were used as basic standards to evaluate the material characteristics of the surface contaminants and identify a set of effective conservation treatments. Nevertheless, continuous monitoring is required, as there is a high possibility of regeneration of pollutants in the future because of the continuous exposure of the pagoda to the external environment.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.144-152
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• 2003

Laboratory experiments were carried out to investigate the influence of pore water contamination on the treatment effect of sandy soil which was solidified by Portland cement. In the experiments, setting time of hydraulic cement that was mixed with contaminated mixing water was measured using Vicat equipment and observed the tendency of setting process with the kind of contaminants, organic or inorganic components. It was shown that organic contaminants of the mixing water affect largely on the initial setting process of hydraulic cement and inorganics, expecially heavy metals, did not affect on the initial setting process, otherwise it was appeared that setting time of the sandy soil that was contaminated with inorganic components was apparently faster than the sandy soil that did not include inorganic components even though organic concentrations was relatively low level (COD=200∼300) in the mixing water. The results of unconfined compression strength test (UCST) were well consistent with the results of Vicat equipment test.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.266-272
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• 2010

The present study was carried out to assess exposure & risk for Korean by total and inorganic As intake through agricultural products. Total arsenic analysis was performed using microwave device and ICP-MS. 50% MeOH extraction and anion-exchange HPLC-ICP-MS method has been used to determine arsenic species. 329 samples covering 20 kinds of agricultural products were collected from various retail outlets and markets across Korea. The concentration of total As was in the range of 0.001~0.718 mg/kg, while inorganic and organic arsenic species in all samples was not determined. For risk assessment, probable daily intake was calculated and compared with provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI, 15 ${\mu}g$/kg b.w./week for inorganic arsenic) established by JECFA. The median daily exposure to total and inorganic As by intake of agricultural products except rice was ranged 0.0002~0.012, 0.0001~0.001 ${\mu}g$/kg b.w./day, corresponding to 0.01~0.5%, 0.002~0.1% of PTWI, respectively. The median level of total and inorganic As intake through rice was 0.603 and 0.041 ${\mu}g$/kg b.w./day, and 28.1% and 1.9% of PTWI, respectively. Therefore, the level of overall exposure to arsenic for Korean through agricultural products was below the recommended JECFA levels, indicating of least possibility of risk.

• Proceedings of the SAREK Conference
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• 2008.06a
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• pp.1225-1230
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• 2008

Recently the building material have been developed with the concept of controlling the indoor environment as well as the concept of emitting contaminants less. So, a lot of products with humidity control characteristics put it on the market. However, objective evaluation to these products doesn't work out. Thus consumers cannot obtain accurate information to these products. Therefore, we selected inorganic paint in the functionality materials and evaluated its humidity control characteristic in this research. We divided by four stages and evaluated this inorganic paint. The 1st and 2nd third experiments were executed on a natural condition and the fourth experiment was executed with humidity had been raised by using the humidifier.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.859-865
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• 1998

The analysis of groundwater quality in Kyungnam Province was conducted using monitoring results obtained during 1994. According to the analysis, most heavy metals and pesticides listed in Korean drinking water standards were not detected in Kyungnam Province groundwater, but arsonic and volatile organics such as TCE and PCE were detected. Four inorganic contaminants were detected and frequency of violating the standards was in order of $NO_3-N, F^-, As, NH_3-N$. Of organics, TCE and PCE were the only contaminants detected. TCE more frequently violated the standards than PCE. Correlation was investigated among contaminants detected in Kyungnam Province groundwater. The correlation results showed that high correlation existed among dissolved solids, hardness, and $SO_4^{2-}$.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2002.09a
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• pp.3-6
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• 2002

Electron transfer is the major natural process governing the behavior of contaminants in soils and groundwaters. Biological degradation of contaminants, i.e., microbial transformation of hazardous compounds, is a well known irreversible electron transfer process. Although it is not well defined as a separate process, abiotic electron-transfer is also an important process for mobilizing/demobilizing inorganic contaminants in soils and groundwaters. Therefore, numerous remedial technologies have been developed on the basis of electron transfer concept. Among them,