• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.67-83
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• 2022

Biochar is a carbon material produced through the pyrolysis of agricultural biomass with limited oxygen condition. It has been suggested to enhance the carbon sequestration and mineralization of soil carbon. Objective of this study was to investigate soil potential carbon mineralization and carbon dioxide(CO₂) emissions in different soils cooperated with barely straw and livestock manure biochars in the closed chamber. The incubation was conducted during 49 days using a closed chamber. The treatments consisted of 2 different biochars that were originated from barley straw and livestock manure, and application amounts were 0, 5, 10 and 20 ton ha^-1 with different soils as upland, protected cultivation, converted and reclaimed. The results indicated that the TC increased significantly in all soils after biochar application. Mineralization of soil carbon was well fitted for Kinetic first-order exponential rate model equation (P<0.001). Potential mineralization rate ranged from 8.7 to 15.5% and 8.2 to 16.5% in the barely straw biochar and livestock manure biochar treatments, respectively. The highest CO₂ emission was 81.94 mg kg^-1 in the upland soil, and it was more emitted CO₂ for barely straw biochar application than its livestock biochar regardless of their application rates. Soil amendment of biochar is suitable for barely straw biochar regardless of application rates for mitigation of CO₂ emission in the cropland.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.689-698
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• 2021

Since the mine reclamation scheme was implemented from 2007 in Korea, various remediation programs have been decontaminated the pollution associated with mining and 254 mines were managed to reclamation from 2011 to 2015. However, as the total amount of contaminated mine drainage has been increased due to the discovery of potential hazards and contaminated zone, more efficient and economical treatment technology is required. Therefore, in this study, the adsorption properties of arsenic was evaluated according to the adsorbents which were derived from water treatment sludge(Alum based adsorbent, ABA-500) and granular ferric hydroxide(GFH), already commercialized. The alum sludge and GFH adsorbents consisted of aluminum, silica materials and amorphous iron hydroxide, respectively. The point of zero charge of ABA-500 and GFH were 5.27 and 6.72, respectively. The result of the analysis of BET revealed that the specific surface area of GFH(257 m²·g^-1) was larger than ABA-500(126~136 m²·g^-1) and all the adsorbents were mesoporous materials inferred from N₂ adsorption-desorption isotherm. The adsorption capacity of adsorbents was compared with the batch experiments that were performed at different reaction times, pH, temperature and initial concentrations of arsenic. As a result of kinetic study, it was confirmed that arsenic was adsorbed rapidly in the order of GFH, ABA-500(granule) and ABA-500(3mm). The adsorption kinetics were fitted to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model for all three adsorbents. The amount of adsorbed arsenic was increased with low pH and high temperature regardless of adsorbents. When the adsorbents reacted at different initial concentrations of arsenic in an hour, ABA-500(granule) and GFH could remove the arsenic below the standard of drinking water if the concentration was below 0.2 mg·g^-1 and 1 mg·g^-1, respectively. The results suggested that the ABA-500(granule), a low-cost adsorbent, had the potential to field application at low contaminated mine drainage.

• Korean Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.101-109
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• 2022

The mobility and transport of radioactive cesium are crucial factors to consider for the safety assessment of high-level radioactive waste disposal sites in granite. The retardation of radionuclides in the fractured crystalline rock is mainly controlled by the hydrochemical condition of groundwater and surface reactions with minerals present in the fractures. This paper reports the experimental results of cesium sorption to the Wonju Granite, a typical Mesozoic granite in Korea, performed in an anaerobic chamber that mimics the anoxic environment of a deep disposal site. We measured the rates and amounts of cesium (¹³³Cs) removed by crushed granite samples in different electrolyte (NaCl, KCl, and CaCl₂) solutions and a synthetic groundwater solution, with variations in the initial cesium concentration (10^-5, 5×10^-6, 10^-6, 5×10^-7 M). The cesium sorption kinetic and isotherm data were successfully simulated by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model (r²= 0.99) and the Freundlich isotherm model (r²= 0.99), respectively. The sorption distribution coefficient of granite increased almost linearly with increasing biotite content in granite samples, indicating that biotite is an effective cesium scavenger. The cesium removal was minimal in KCl solution compared to that in NaCl or CaCl₂ solution, regardless of the ionic strength and initial cesium concentration that we examined, showing that K⁺ is the most competitive ion against cesium in sorption to granite. Because it is the main source mineral of K⁺ in fracture fluids, biotite may also hinder the sorption of cesium, which warrants further research.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.67 no.2
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• pp.81-88
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• 2023

The contribution of hydrophobic residues to the protein folding reaction was studied by using HubWA variant proteins with I and L to V mutation. Folding kinetics of all V variant proteins was observed to be satisfied by a three-state on-pathway mechanism, U ⇌ I ⇌ N, where U, I, and N represent unfolded, intermediate, and native state, respectively. Three-state folding reaction was quantitatively analyzed and the free energy of folding of each elementary reactions and overall folding reaction, ΔG^o_UI, ΔG^o_IN, and ΔG^o_UN, were obtained. From the ratio of free energy difference between the variant protein and HubWA, ΔΔG^o_UI/ΔΔG^o_UN (ΔΔG^o_UI = ΔG^o_UI (variant protein) - ΔG^o_UI (HubWA) and ΔΔG^o_UN = ΔG^o_UN (variant protein) - ΔG^o_UN(HubWA)), the contribution of hydrophobic residues to HubWA folding was analyzed. The residues which are located in the hydrophobic core between α-helix and β-sheet, I3, I13, L15, I30, L43, I61 and L67, showed ΔΔG^o_UI/ΔΔG^o_UN value of ~0.5 when each of these residues was mutated to V, indicating that these residues form relatively solid hydrophobic core in the intermediate state. Residues located at the end of secondary structures and loop, I23, L69 and I36 showed ΔΔG^o_UI/ΔΔG^o_UN value below 0.4 when each of these residues was mutated to V, indicating that the region containing these residues are loosely formed in the intermediate state. V17A, L50V and L56V showed fairly high ΔΔG^o_UI/ΔΔG^o_UN value of ~0.8. Since L50 and L56 are located in the region containing long loop (residue 46 to 62), it is suggested that the high ΔΔG^o_UI/ΔΔG^o_UN value of these residues prevents the formation of aggregate at the early stage of folding reaction.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.3-4
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• 2004

Results will be presented from two field studies that evaluated the in-situ treatment of chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAHs) using aerobic cometabolism. In the first study, a cometabolic air sparging (CAS) demonstration was conducted at McClellan Air Force Base (AFB), California, to treat chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAHs) in groundwater using propane as the cometabolic substrate. A propane-biostimulated zone was sparged with a propane/air mixture and a control zone was sparged with air alone. Propane-utilizers were effectively stimulated in the saturated zone with repeated intermediate sparging of propane and air. Propane delivery, however, was not uniform, with propane mainly observed in down-gradient observation wells. Trichloroethene (TCE), cis-1, 2-dichloroethene (c-DCE), and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration levels decreased in proportion with propane usage, with c-DCE decreasing more rapidly than TCE. The more rapid removal of c-DCE indicated biotransformation and not just physical removal by stripping. Propane utilization rates and rates of CAH removal slowed after three to four months of repeated propane additions, which coincided with tile depletion of nitrogen (as nitrate). Ammonia was then added to the propane/air mixture as a nitrogen source. After a six-month period between propane additions, rapid propane-utilization was observed. Nitrate was present due to groundwater flow into the treatment zone and/or by the oxidation of tile previously injected ammonia. In the propane-stimulated zone, c-DCE concentrations decreased below tile detection limit (1 $\mu$g/L), and TCE concentrations ranged from less than 5 $\mu$g/L to 30 $\mu$g/L, representing removals of 90 to 97%. In the air sparged control zone, TCE was removed at only two monitoring locations nearest the sparge-well, to concentrations of 15 $\mu$g/L and 60 $\mu$g/L. The responses indicate that stripping as well as biological treatment were responsible for the removal of contaminants in the biostimulated zone, with biostimulation enhancing removals to lower contaminant levels. As part of that study bacterial population shifts that occurred in the groundwater during CAS and air sparging control were evaluated by length heterogeneity polymerase chain reaction (LH-PCR) fragment analysis. The results showed that an organism(5) that had a fragment size of 385 base pairs (385 bp) was positively correlated with propane removal rates. The 385 bp fragment consisted of up to 83% of the total fragments in the analysis when propane removal rates peaked. A 16S rRNA clone library made from the bacteria sampled in propane sparged groundwater included clones of a TM7 division bacterium that had a 385bp LH-PCR fragment; no other bacterial species with this fragment size were detected. Both propane removal rates and the 385bp LH-PCR fragment decreased as nitrate levels in the groundwater decreased. In the second study the potential for bioaugmentation of a butane culture was evaluated in a series of field tests conducted at the Moffett Field Air Station in California. A butane-utilizing mixed culture that was effective in transforming 1, 1-dichloroethene (1, 1-DCE), 1, 1, 1-trichloroethane (1, 1, 1-TCA), and 1, 1-dichloroethane (1, 1-DCA) was added to the saturated zone at the test site. This mixture of contaminants was evaluated since they are often present as together as the result of 1, 1, 1-TCA contamination and the abiotic and biotic transformation of 1, 1, 1-TCA to 1, 1-DCE and 1, 1-DCA. Model simulations were performed prior to the initiation of the field study. The simulations were performed with a transport code that included processes for in-situ cometabolism, including microbial growth and decay, substrate and oxygen utilization, and the cometabolism of dual contaminants (1, 1-DCE and 1, 1, 1-TCA). Based on the results of detailed kinetic studies with the culture, cometabolic transformation kinetics were incorporated that butane mixed-inhibition on 1, 1-DCE and 1, 1, 1-TCA transformation, and competitive inhibition of 1, 1-DCE and 1, 1, 1-TCA on butane utilization. A transformation capacity term was also included in the model formation that results in cell loss due to contaminant transformation. Parameters for the model simulations were determined independently in kinetic studies with the butane-utilizing culture and through batch microcosm tests with groundwater and aquifer solids from the field test zone with the butane-utilizing culture added. In microcosm tests, the model simulated well the repetitive utilization of butane and cometabolism of 1.1, 1-TCA and 1, 1-DCE, as well as the transformation of 1, 1-DCE as it was repeatedly transformed at increased aqueous concentrations. Model simulations were then performed under the transport conditions of the field test to explore the effects of the bioaugmentation dose and the response of the system to tile biostimulation with alternating pulses of dissolved butane and oxygen in the presence of 1, 1-DCE (50 $\mu$g/L) and 1, 1, 1-TCA (250 $\mu$g/L). A uniform aquifer bioaugmentation dose of 0.5 mg/L of cells resulted in complete utilization of the butane 2-meters downgradient of the injection well within 200-hrs of bioaugmentation and butane addition. 1, 1-DCE was much more rapidly transformed than 1, 1, 1-TCA, and efficient 1, 1, 1-TCA removal occurred only after 1, 1-DCE and butane were decreased in concentration. The simulations demonstrated the strong inhibition of both 1, 1-DCE and butane on 1, 1, 1-TCA transformation, and the more rapid 1, 1-DCE transformation kinetics. Results of tile field demonstration indicated that bioaugmentation was successfully implemented; however it was difficult to maintain effective treatment for long periods of time (50 days or more). The demonstration showed that the bioaugmented experimental leg effectively transformed 1, 1-DCE and 1, 1-DCA, and was somewhat effective in transforming 1, 1, 1-TCA. The indigenous experimental leg treated in the same way as the bioaugmented leg was much less effective in treating the contaminant mixture. The best operating performance was achieved in the bioaugmented leg with about over 90%, 80%, 60 % removal for 1, 1-DCE, 1, 1-DCA, and 1, 1, 1-TCA, respectively. Molecular methods were used to track and enumerate the bioaugmented culture in the test zone. Real Time PCR analysis was used to on enumerate the bioaugmented culture. The results show higher numbers of the bioaugmented microorganisms were present in the treatment zone groundwater when the contaminants were being effective transformed. A decrease in these numbers was associated with a reduction in treatment performance. The results of the field tests indicated that although bioaugmentation can be successfully implemented, competition for the growth substrate (butane) by the indigenous microorganisms likely lead to the decrease in long-term performance.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.125-138
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• 2023

Most of previous cesium (Cs) sorbents have limitations on the treatment in the large-scale water system having low Cs concentration and high ion strength. In this study, the new Cs sorbent that is eco-friendly and has a high Cs removal efficiency was developed by improving the coal mine drainage treated sludge (hereafter 'CMDS') with the addition of Na and S. The sludge produced through the treatment process for the mine drainage originating from the abandoned coal mine was used as the primary material for developing the new Cs sorbent because of its high Ca and Fe contents. The CMDS was improved by adding Na and S during the heat treatment process (hereafter 'Na-S-CMDS' for the developed sorbent in this study). Laboratory experiments and the sorption model studies were performed to evaluate the Cs sorption capacity and to understand the Cs sorption mechanisms of the Na-S-CMDS. The physicochemical and mineralogical properties of the Na-S-CMDS were also investigated through various analyses, such as XRF, XRD, SEM/EDS, XPS, etc. From results of batch sorption experiments, the Na-S-CMDS showed the fast sorption rate (in equilibrium within few hours) and the very high Cs removal efficiency (> 90.0%) even at the low Cs concentration in solution (< 0.5 mg/L). The experimental results were well fitted to the Langmuir isotherm model, suggesting the mostly monolayer coverage sorption of the Cs on the Na-S-CMDS. The Cs sorption kinetic model studies supported that the Cs sorption tendency of the Na-S-CMDS was similar to the pseudo-second-order model curve and more complicated chemical sorption process could occur rather than the simple physical adsorption. Results of XRF and XRD analyses for the Na-S-CMDS after the Cs sorption showed that the Na content clearly decreased in the Na-S-CMDS and the erdite (NaFeS₂·2(H₂O)) was disappeared, suggesting that the active ion exchange between Na⁺ and Cs⁺ occurred on the Na-S-CMDS during the Cs sorption process. From results of the XPS analysis, the strong interaction between Cs and S in Na-S-CMDS was investigated and the high Cs sorption capacity was resulted from the binding between Cs and S (or S-complex). Results from this study supported that the Na-S-CMDS has an outstanding potential to remove the Cs from radioactive contaminated water systems such as seawater and groundwater, which have high ion strength but low Cs concentration.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.1955-1964
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• 2007

A recent report showed that analysis of CD154 expression in the presence of the secretion inhibitor Brefeldin A (Bref A) could be used to assess the entire repertoire of antigen-specific $CD4^+\;T$ helper cells. However, the capacity of intracellular CD154 expression to identify antigen-specific $CD8^+\;T$ cells has yet to be investigated. In this study, we compared the ability of intracellular CD154 expression to assess antigen-specific $CD8^+\;T$ cells with that of accepted standard assays, namely intracellular cytokine IFN-${\gamma}$ staining (ICS) and MHC class I tetramer staining. The detection of intracellular CD154 molecules in the presence of Bref A reflected the kinetic trend of antigen-specific $CD8^+\;T$ cell number, but unfortunately showed less sensitivity than ICS and tetramer staining. However, ICS levels peaked and saturated 8 h after antigenic stimulation in the presence of Bref A and then declined, whereas intracellular CD154 expression peaked by 8 h and maintained the saturated level up to 24 h post-stimulation. Moreover, intracellular CD154 expression in antigen-specific $CD8^+\;T$ cells developed in the absence of $CD4^+\;T$ cells changed little, whereas the number of IFN-${\gamma}$-producing $CD8^+\;T$ cells decreased abruptly. These results suggest that intracellular CD154 could aid the assessment of antigen-specific $CD8^+\;T$ cells, but does not have as much ability to identify heterogeneous $CD4^+\;T$ helper cells. Therefore, the combined analytical techniques of ICS and tetramer staining together with intracellular CD154 assays may be able to provide useful information on the accurate phenotype and functionality of antigen-specific $CD8^+\;T$ cells.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.58-66
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• 2014

Catalytic gasification of a low rank coal- Inner Mongolian lignite has been carried out with carbon dioxide. The gasification reactions were performed in a thermogravimetric analyzer at temperatures of $600^{\circ}C$ to $900^{\circ}C$. The kinetic parameters were evaluated using three different gas-solids reaction models and the prediction ability of each model were compared. Among the models evaluated, the modified volumetric model was found to correlate best both the non-catalytic and catalytic gasification reactions. The theoretical models, homogeneous and shrinking-core models, were found to satisfactorily correlate gasification reactions for the non-catalytic and $FeSO_4$-catalyzed reactions. In case of alkali metal catalysts, the catalytic activity was mostly pronounced at a low temperature of $600^{\circ}C$ and observed to decrease by 50% as the temperature was increased to $700^{\circ}C$, and it remained nearly constant at temperature over $800^{\circ}C$. The order of catalytic activity was found to be: $K_2CO_3$ > $Na_2CO_3$ > $K_2SO_4$ > $FeSO_4$.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.712-718
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• 2005

This research was conducted to evaluate the effect of recycled-water addition on the treatment of coar tar-contaminated soil with slurry phase bioreactor. A bench-scale slurry phase bioreactor was maintained to optimize the microbial growth. Silty loam soil was used for this research. Concentrations of coal tar and 14 target PAHs (Polyunclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons) in the soil were determined with gas chromatography. Addition of recycled-water to slurry phase bioreactor was not significantly increased the removal efficiency of 2000 mg coar tar/kg. However, it significantly increased the removal efficiency of 20000 mg coar tar/kg. In 20000 mg coar tar/kg, the first order kinetic constant and the removal efficiency of the reactor with recycled-water addition were 2.5 and 2.0 times higher than those of the reactor without recycled- water addition. Coar tar in the slurry phase bioreactor was removed in 3.8~16.0% by vaporization and biodegraded in 84.0~96.2%. Removal efficiency of 3-ring compounds was high as 92.2~99.7% in the case of recycled-water addition. However, removal efficiencies of 3 and 4-ring compounds were low as 0~30%.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.166-171
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• 2007

The adsorption behavior of $Pb^{2+}$ was compared between calcium alginate beads and capsules, which have different structures of alginate-gel core beads and liquid core alginate-membrane capsules, respectively. In terms of adsorption kinetics and isotherms, adsorption characteristics depending on pH and hardening time were compared for both adsorbents and also released calcium ion during the adsorption process was monitored. The adsorption of $Pb^{2+}$ on both adsorbents was caused by surface complexation and ion exchange mechanisms, both of which have similar effects on adsorption process regardless of the amount of adsorbed $Pb^{2+}$. The dependence of $Pb^{2+}$ adsorption upon pH was also similar for both adsorbents indicating the existence of similar functional groups on the surface of adsorbents. However, a different $Pb^{2+}$ adsorption behavior was observed considering the adsorption kinetics. The adsorption kinetic of $Pb^{2+}$ on alginate beads was slower than on alginate capsules and the maximum adsorption loading ($Q_{max}$) onto alginate beads was also less than onto alginate capsules by 49%. This drawback of alginate beads compared to capsules were ascribed to a diffusion limitation due to solid gel-core structure of alginate beads.