• 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 the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.278-286
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• 2007

As a part of enhancing the performance of wood-plastic composites (WPC), polypropylene (PP)/ nanoclay (NC)/ wood flour (WF) nanocomposites were prepared using melt blending and injection molding process to evaluate their thermal stability. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was employed to investigate thermal degradation kinetics of the nanocomposites both dynamic and isothermal conditions. Dynamic scans of the TGA showed an increased thermal stability of the nanocomposites at moderate wood flour concentrations (up to 20 phr, percentage based on hundred percent resin) while it decreased with the addition of 30 phr wood flour. The activation energy $(E_a)$ of thermal degradation of nanocomposites increased when nanoclay was added and the concentration of wood flour increased. Different equations were used to evaluate isothermal degradation kinetics using the rate of thermal degradation of the composites, expressed as weight loss (%) from their isothermal TGA curves. Degradation occurred at faster rate in the initial stages of about 60 min., and then proceeded in a gradual manner. However, nanocomposites with wood flour of 30 phr heated at $300^{\circ}C$ showed a drastic difference in their degradation behavior, and reached almost a complete decomposition after 40 min. of the isothermal heating. The degree of decomposition was greater at higher temperatures, and the residual weight of isothermal degradation of nanocomposites greatly varied from about 10 to 90%, depending on isothermal temperatures. The isothermal degradation of nanocomposites also increased their thermal stability with the addition of 1 phr nanoclay and of wood flour up to 20 phr. But, the degradation of PP100/NC1/MAPP3/WF30 nanocomposites with 30 phr wood flour occurs at a faster rate compared to those of the others, indicating a decrease in their thermal stability.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.737-752
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• 2000

Wood-rotting basidiomycetous fungi are the most efficient degraders of lignin on earth. The white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium has been used as a model microorganism in the study of enzymology and its application. Because of the ability of the white-rot fungus to degrade lignin, which has an irregular structure and large molecular mass, this fungus has also been studied in relation to degrading and mineralizing many environmental pollutants. The fungus includes an array of enzymes, such as lignin peroxidase (LiP), manganese-dependent peroxidase (MnP), cellobiose:quinone oxidoreductase, and $H_2O_2$-producing enzymes and also produces many other components of the ligninolytic system, such as veratryl alcohol (VA) and oxalate. In addition, the fungus has mechanisms for the reduction of degradation intermediates. The ligninolytic systems have been proved to provide reductive reactions as well as oxidative reactions, both of which are essential for the degradation of lignin and organopollutants. Further study on the white-rot fungus may provide many tools to both utilize lignin, the most abundant aromatic polymer, and bioremediate many recalcitrant organopollutants.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.489-492
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• 2000

The eventual goal of this study is to elucidate roles of plant terpenoids (e.g., cymene, limonene and others) as natural substrates in the cometabolic biodegradation of PCBs and to develop an effective PCB bioremediation technology. The aim of this study was to examine how plant terpenoids, as natural substrates or inducers would affect the biodegradation of PCB congeners. Various PCB degraders that could grow on biphenyl and several terpenoids were tested for their PCB degradation capabilities. The PCB congener degradation activities were first monitored through resting cell assay technique that could detect degradation products of the substrate. The congener removal was also confirmed by concommitant GC analysis. The PCB degraders, Pseudononas sp. P166 and Caynebacterium sp. T104 were found to grow on both biphenyl and terpenoids ((S)-(-) limonene, p-cymene and ${\alpha}-terpinene$) whereas Arthrobacter B1B could not grow on the terpenoids as a sole carbon source. The strain B1B grown on biphenyl showed a good degradation activity for 4,4'-dichlorobiphenyl (DCBp) while strains P166 and T104 gave about 25% of B1B activity. Induction of degradation by cymene, limonene and terpine was hardly detected by the resting cell assay technique. This appeared to be due to relatively lower induction effect of these terpenoids compared with biphenyl. However, a subsequent GC analysis showed that the congener could be removed up to 30% by the resting cells of T104 grown on the terpenoids. This indicates that terpenoids, widely distributed in nature, could be utilized as both growth and/or inducer substrate for PCB biodegradation.

• Journal of Korean Tunnelling and Underground Space Association
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.389-399
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• 2016

Efficiency for estimation of subsea tunnel safety can be increased through reflecting back analysis algorithm to displacement measurements besides other measurement information such as stress, water pressure and ground stiffness degradation. In this study, the finite difference code FLAC3D built-in FISH language is used. In addition, the stability of the tunnel lining will be evaluated from the development of displacement-based algorithm and its expanded algorithm with conformity of several parameters such as stress measurements, water pressure measurements, tunnel lining degradation measurements and ground stiffness degradation measurements. By using additional measurement information to assess the stability of subsea tunnel, it was confirmed that the error rate is reduced to the tunnel back analysis.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.138-143
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• 2005

Laboratory batch experiments were conducted to evaluate the Fenton degradation rates of phenanthrene. Fenton reactions for the degradation of phenanthrene were carried out with aqueous and slurry phase, to investigate the effects of sorption of phenanthrene onto solid phase. Various types of surfactants and electrolyte solutions were used to evaluate the effects on the phenanthrene degradation rates by Fenton's reaction. A maximum 90% removal of phenanthrene was achieved in aqueous phase with 0.9% of $H_2O_2$ and 300 mg/L of $Fe^{2+}$ at pH 3. In aqueous phase reaction, inhibitory effects of synthetic surfactants on the removal of phenanthrene were observed, implying that surfactant molecules acted as strong scavenger of hydroxyl radicals. However, use of $carboxymethyl-{\beta}-cyclodextrin$ (CMCD), natural surfactant, showed a slight enhancement in the degradation of phenanthrene. It was considered that reactive radicals formed at ternary complex were located in close proximity to phenanthrene partitioned into CMCD cavities. It was also show that Fenton degradation of phenanthrene were greatly enhanced by addition of NaCl, indicating that potent radical ion ($OCI^-$) played an important role in the phenanthrene degradation, although chloride ion might be acted as scavenger of radicals at low concentrations. Phenanthrene in slurry phase was resistant to Fenton degradation. It might be due to the fact that free radicals were mostly reacting with dissolved species rather than with sorbed phenanthrene. Even though synthetic surfactants were added to increase the phenanthrene concentration in dissolved phase, low degradation efficiency was obtained because of the scavenging of radicals by surfactants molecules. However, use of CMCD in slurry phase, showed a slight enhancement in the phenanthrene degradation. As an alternative, use of Fenton reaction with CMCD could be considered to increase the degradation rates of phenanthrene desorbed from solid phase.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.5 s.133
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• pp.76-85
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• 2005

The degradation of pentachlorophenol (PCP) by lignin degrading fungi was performed. Several fungi, Abortiporus biennis, Cerrena unicolor and Trametes versicolor, were tested to evaluate the inhibitory effect of PCP on their growth. At the extremal concentration of PCP $(500\;{\mu}M)$, only C. unicolor showed relatively fast growth (60% within 14 days) in the comparison to the control culture. In the case of A. biennis and C. unicolor, when initial PCP concentration was $50\;{\mu}M$, about 88.2% and 79.5% of PCP degradation were achieved within 3 days, respectively. When 2,5-xylidine (0.2 mM) was added to the C. unicolor culture, as high as 98% of PCP degradation was achieved within just an hour after its addition. A. biennis removed 44% of PCP at the same condition. PCP was completely disappeared when laccase activities reached to maximum.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.527-536
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• 2020

An elastic-plastic solution for cavity expansion problem considering strength degradation, undrained condition and initial anisotropic in-situ stress is established based on the Tresca yield criterion and cavity expansion theory. Assumptions of large-strain for plastic region and small-strain for elastic region are adopted, respectively. The initial in-situ stress state of natural soil mass may be anisotropic caused by consolidation history, and the strength degradation of soil mass is caused by structural damage of soil mass in the process of loading analysis (cavity expansion process). Finally, the published solutions are conducted to verify the suitability of this elastic-plastic solution, and the parametric studies are investigated in order to the significance of this study for in-situ soil test.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.1258-1266
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• 2005

The present study was carried out in order to assess the protective effects of calycosin-7-O-$\beta$-D-glucopyranoside, isolated from Astragali radix (AR), on hyaluronidase (HAase) and the recombinant human interleukin-$1\beta$ (IL-$1\beta$)-induced matrix degradation in human articular cartilage and chondrocytes. We isolated the active component from the n-butanol soluble fraction of AR (ARBu) as the HAase inhibitor and structurally identified as calycosin-7-O-$\beta$-D-glucopyranoside by LC-MS, IR, ${1}^H$ NMR, and ${13}^C$ NMR analyses. The $IC_{50}$ of this component on HAase was found to be 3.7 mg/ml by in vitro agarose plate assay. The protective effect of ARBu on the matrix gene expression of immortalized chondrocyte cell line C28/I2 treated with HAase was investigated using a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and its effect on HAase and IL-$1\beta$-induced matrix degradation in human articular cartilage was determined by a staining method and calculating the amount of degraded glycosaminoglycan (GAG) from the cultured media. Pretreatment with calycosin-7-O-$\beta$-D-glucopyranoside effectively protected human chondrocytes and articular cartilage from matrix degradation. Therefore, calycosin-7-O-$\beta$-D-glucopyranoside from AR appears to be a potential natural ant-inflammatory or antii-osteoarthritis agent and can be effectively used to protect from proteoglycan (PG) degradation.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.91-96
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• 2011

Limited information is available on the degradation of volatile hydrocarbons determined via the use of plate-inserted photocatalytic reactors. This has led to the evaluation of surface areas of cylindrical continuous-flow photocatalytic reactors for the degradation of three selected aromatic hydrocarbons. Three types of reactors were prepared: a double cylinder-type, a single cylindrical-type without plates and a single cylindrical-type with inserted glass tubes. According to diffuse reflectance, FTIR and X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy, the surface characteristics of a coated photocatalyst were very similar to those of raw $TiO_2$, thereby suggesting that the coated photocatalyst exhibited the same photocatalytic activity as the raw $TiO_2$. The photocatalytic degradation efficiencies were significantly or slightly higher for the single cylinder-type reactor than for the double cylinder-type reactor which had a greater catalytic surface area. However, for all target compounds, the degradation efficiencies increased gradually when the number of plates was increased. Accordingly, it was suggested that the surface area being enhanced for the plate-inserted reactor would elevate the photocatalytic degradation efficiency effectively. In addition, this study confirmed that both initial concentrations of target compounds and flow rates were important parameters for the photocatalytic removal mechanism of these plate-inserted photocatalytic reactors.