• Title/Summary/Keyword: Mercury

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Transgenic Tobacco Plant Expressing Environmental E. coli merA Gene for Enhanced Volatilization of Ionic Mercury

  • Haque, Shafiul;Zeyaullah, Md.;Nabi, Gowher;Srivastava, P.S.;Ali, Arif
    • Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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    • v.20 no.5
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    • pp.917-924
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    • 2010
  • The practicability of transgenic tobacco engineered to express bacterial native mercuric reductase (MerA), responsible for the transport of $Hg^{2+}$ ions into the cell and their reduction to elemental mercury ($Hg^0$), without any codon modification, for phytoremediation of mercury pollution was evaluated. Transgenic tobacco plants reduce mercury ions to the metallic form; take up metallic mercury through their roots; and evolve the less toxic elemental mercury. Transformed tobacco produced a large amount of merA protein in leaves and showed a relatively higher resistance phenotype to $HgCl_2$ than wild type. Results suggest that the integrated merA gene, encoding mercuric reductase, a key enzyme of the bacterial mer operon, was stably integrated into the tobacco genome and translated to active MerA, which catalyzes the bioconversion of toxic $Hg^{2+}$ to the least toxic elemental $Hg^0$, and suggest that MerA is capable of reducing the $Hg^{2+}$, probably via NADPH as an electron donor. The transgenic tobacco expressing merA volatilized significantly more mercury than wild-type plants. This is first time we are reporting the expression of a bacterial native merA gene via the nuclear genome of Nicotiana tabacum, and enhanced mercury volatilization from tobacco transgenics. The study clearly indicates that transgenic tobacco plants are reasonable candidates for the remediation of mercurycontaminated areas.

Association between Amalgam Tooth Fillings and Blood Mercury Levels in Children

  • SaKong, Joon;Choi, Youn-Hee;Chung, Sun-Young;Kwon, Ho-Jang;Karmaus, Wilfried;Merchant, Anwar T.;Ha, Mi-Na;Hong, Yun-Chul;Kang, Dong-Mug;Song, Keun-Bae
    • International Journal of Oral Biology
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    • v.36 no.3
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    • pp.123-128
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    • 2011
  • The notion that dental amalgam is a potential source of mercury exposure remains a controversial issue. However, there are few epidemiological analyses that have addressed whether this occurs in children. We aimed in our current study to identify the relationship between dental amalgam filling surfaces and the blood mercury levels in a cohort of 711 South Korean children aged between 8-9 years. Oral examinations were conducted to detect the number of amalgam filling surfaces on the teeth of these individuals. Blood samples were also taken from these children to assess the levels of mercury accumulation in the body. The amalgam filling surfaces were classified into four groups based on their number: 0 (n = 368), 1-5 (n = 219), 6-10 (n = 89), and 11+ (n = 35). The blood mercury levels in the children with more than 10 amalgam surfaces was 0.47 ${\mu}g$/L higher on average than those with no amalgam surfaces after adjusting for the frequency of fish or seafood consumption, age, and gender (P < 0.05). We found from our data that a higher number of dental amalgam fillings correlated with a higher blood mercury level in Korean children. Further studies are needed to investigate whether these elevated mercury levels exert neurotoxic or nephrotoxic effects.

The Multi-layer Fabrication and Characteristic Performance for Dark Current Reduction of Mercury Iodide (Hgl2의 누설전류 저감을 위한 다층구조 제작 및 특성 평가)

  • Kim, Kyung-Jin;Park, Ji-Koon;Kang, Sang-Sik;Cha, Byung-Youl;Cho, Sung-Ho;Kim, Jin-Yung;Mun, Chi-Ung;Nam, Sang-Hee
    • Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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    • 2005.07a
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    • pp.388-389
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    • 2005
  • In this paper, the electric properties of mercury Iodide multi-layer samples has been investigated. We measured and analyzed their performance parameters such as the X-ray sensitivity and dark-current for a mercury Iodide multi-layer X-ray detector with a dielectric layer. The digital X-ray image detector can be constructed by integrating photoconduction multi-layer that dielectric layer has characteristics of low dark-current, high X-ray sensitivity. However this process has found to have complexity on the performance of the sample. We have investigate dielectric layer that it substitute dielectric layer for HgO(Mercury Oxide). We have employed two approaches for producing the mercury Iodide sample : 1) Physical Vapor Deposition(PVD) and 2) Particle-In-Binder(PIB). In this paper fabricated by PIB Method with thicknesses ranging from approximately 180um to 240um and we could produce high-quality samples for each technique particular application. As results, the dielectric materials such as HgO between the dielectric layer and the top electrode may reduce the dark-current of the samples. Mercury Iodide multi-layer having HgO has characteristics of low dark-current, high X-ray sensitivity and simple processing. So we can acquired a enhanced signal to noise ratio. In this paper offer the method can reduce the dark-current in the X-ray detector.

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A review of elemental mercury removal processing

  • Bae, Kyong-Min;Kim, Byung-Joo;Park, Soo-Jin
    • Carbon letters
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    • v.12 no.3
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    • pp.121-130
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    • 2011
  • Public concern has recently increased over the potential risk of toxic elements emitted from anthropogenic sources. Among these, mercury has drawn special attention owing to its increasing level of bioaccumulation in the environment and in the food chain, with potential risks for human health. This paper presents an overview of research related to mercury control technology and identifies areas requiring additional research and development. It critically reviews measured mercury emissions progress in the development of promising control technologies, including catalytic oxidation, sorbent injection, photochemistry oxidation, and air pollution control devices.

A Study of the Optimum Pore Structure for Mercury Vapor Adsorption

  • Kim, Byung-Joo;Bae, Kyong-Min;Park, Soo-Jin
    • Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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    • v.32 no.5
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    • pp.1507-1510
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    • 2011
  • In this study, mercury vapor adsorption behaviors for some kinds of porous materials having various pore structures were investigated. The specific surface area and pore structures were studied by BET and D-R plot methods from $N_2$/77 K adsorption isotherms. It was found that the micropore materials (activated carbons, ACs) showed the highest mercury adsorption capacity. In a comparative study of mesoporous materials (SBA-15 and MCM-41), the adsorption capacity of the SBA-15 was higher than that of MCM-41. From the pore structure analysis, it was found that SBA-15 has a higher micropore fraction compared to MCM-41. This result indicates that the mercury vapor adsorptions can be determined by two factors. The first factor is the specific surface area of the adsorbent, and the second is the micropore fraction when the specific surface areas of the adsorbent are similar.

Role of Electron Acceptor-donor on Elemental Mercury Removal Using Nano-silver-plated Activated Carbons Complexes

  • Lee, Hyo In;Yim, Yoon-Ji;Bae, Kyong-Min;Park, Soo-Jin
    • Composites Research
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    • v.31 no.2
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    • pp.76-81
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    • 2018
  • In this study, the elemental mercury removal behaviors of silver-plated porous carbons materials were investigated. The pore structures and total pore volumes of the hybrid materials were analyzed by $N_2$ adsorption/desorption analysis at 77 K. The pore structures and surface morphologies of the hybrid materials were characterized by XRD and SEM, respectively. The elemental mercury adsorption capacities of all silver-plated porous carbons hybrid materials were higher than those of the as-received samples, despite the fact that the specific surface areas and total pore volumes decreased with increasing metal loading time. It was found that silver nanoparticles showed excellent elemental mercury removal behaviors in carbonaceous hybrid materials.

Studies of the Exchange Processes of Mercury Across Air-soil Boundary (대기-토양 경계면간 수은의 교환현상에 대한 연구)

  • Kim, Ki-Hyun
    • Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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    • v.26 no.2
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    • pp.107-117
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    • 2010
  • The atmospheric geochemistry of mercury is generalls represented by gaseous elemental phase that exhibits the high environmental mobility and relatively long atmospheric residence time (c.a., 1 year) with its high chemical stability. In the recognition of the environmental significance of its global cycling, enormous efforts have been devoted to the measurements of Hg exchange across air-soil boundary. To be able to describe the fundamental aspects on this subject, the current development in the measurements of atmospheric exchange rates of mercury has been summarized using the current database reported worldwide. As a first step, different techniques commonly employed in its measurements are introduced with the discussions on their merits and disadvantages. Then, the results derived from various field measurement campaigns are also compared and discussed. The direction for the future study of mercury is presented at last.

Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer in a Super high-Pressure Mercury Lamp using CFD

  • Jang, Dong Sig;Lee, Yeon Won;Li, Kui Ming;Parthasarathy, Nanjundan;Choi, Yoon Hwan
    • International Journal of Safety
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    • v.11 no.2
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    • pp.5-9
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    • 2012
  • The discharge properties of super high-pressure mercury lamp are due to resistance heating for energy input, and results in temperature increase. The cooling equilibrium state is reached by the heat conduction, convection and radiation. In order to predict the fluid flow and heat transfer in and around the mercury lamp accurately, its visualization is of utmost importance. Such visualization is carried out by CFD program in this study. We focus on Anode shape to calculate four cases, namely AA, AB, AC and AD separately, and compare the temperature distribution and velocity vector in each case to predict cooling capacity and fluid flow properties. It can be concluded that the shape of anode plays an important role that affects the fluid flow and heat transfer in a mercury lamp.

Chemically Modified Submicron Silica Particulate Extractants for Preconcentration of Mercury(II)

  • Kaur, Anupreet;Gupta, Usha
    • Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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    • v.29 no.10
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    • pp.1932-1936
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    • 2008
  • A new analytical method using 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol modified $SiO_2$ nanoparticles as solid-phase extractant has been developed for the preconcentration of trace amounts of mercury(II) in different water samples. Conditions of the analysis such as preconcentration time, effect of pH, sample volumes, shaking time, elution conditions and effects of interfering ions for the recovery of analyte were investigated. The adsorption capacity of nanometer $SiO_2$-PAN was found to be 260 ${\mu}molg^{-1}$ at optimum pH and the detection limit (3$\sigma$) was 0.48 ${\mu}gL^{-1}$. The extractant showed rapid kinetic sorption. The adsorption equilibrium of mercury(II) on nanometer $SiO_2$-PAN was achieved just in 5 mins. Adsorbed mercury(II) was easily eluted with 5 mL of 6 M hydrochloric acid. The maximum preconcentration factor was 50. The method was applied for the determination of trace amounts of mercury(II) in various water samples and industrial effluents.