• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.32-38
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• 2016

BACKGROUND: Our study aims to investigate the impact of temperature on the abundance and structure of soil microbial community in a temperature gradient tunnel.METHODS AND RESULTS: To investigate the interaction between temperature and input of C and N, rice straw and urea were applied to the study plots, respectively. We also studied the impact of plants by comparing plots cultivated with rice and unplanted plots. Soil microbial response was measured using the phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis. Soil chemical properties, including pH and ammonia and phosphate concentrations were influenced by warming and material addition. Microbial PLFA was partially influenced by material inputs, and actinomycetes PLFA was decreased by warming. In cultivated rice plots, an increase in the carbon to nitrogen ratio illustrated the effect of plant on microbiota caused by carbon addition through the root residues. Results from the principal component analysis of PLFA data showed that warmed and control plots applied with rice straw could be separated by principal component analysis.CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that plant influence both the microbial community structure and abundance, and temperature change has a minimal impact on soil microorganisms in flooded soil.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2008

The seasonal variations of water quality and periphyton were investigated in an artificial stream (the Cheonggyecheon Stream) flowing through the Seoul City. TP showed a longitudinal gradient: 10 to $59{\mu}gP\;L^{-1}$ in the upper stream sites, and 15 to $90{\mu}gP\;L^{-1}$ in downstream sites. POP was a major form of TP in the water, occupying over 60%, while the proportion of DIP was less than 10% except for St. 4. N/P atomic ratio ranged from 78 to 554, which implies phosphorus would limit algal growth more than nitrogen. The biomass of periphyton did not show much difference among sites, and it was relatively higher in spring and fall season $(10\sim20{\mu}gChl\;{\alpha}cm^{-2})$ and lower in August $(<5{\mu}gChl\;{\alpha}cm^{-2})$, possibly because biofilms were washed off during spates of summer monsoon. Cyanobacteria was the dominant taxon in the periphyton community throughout the year. The periphyton standing crop can be classified as a nuisance level. It seems that phosphorus level is sufficiently high even though the input water is treated chemically, and modest water velocity $(20\sim90cm\;sec^{-1})$ and rocky bottom provide optimal conditions for periphyton growth.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.796-803
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• 2013

Property changes and bacterial characterizations by polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) were investigated during the fermentation of Makgeollies by 5 isolated yeast strains. Changes of pH were large between day 0 (pH 6) and day 2 (pH 3) and showed less variation after then. ANOVA analyses revealed that pHs were statistically different with fermentation times (p<0.001), while strains (p=0.60) did not. Acidities were changed from 0.19 to 1.04% and showed rather high increase from day 2, and fermentation times (p<0.001) and strains (p=0.006) represented statistical differences. All strains showed less than 0.150% at amino-type nitrogen contents except S strain showed 0.442% at day 8, and there were no statistical differences with fermentation times (p=0.4558) and strains (p=0.3513). Saccharinities of C strain were higher from day 4, and fermentation times (p<0.0001) and strains (p=0.007) showed statistical differences. Large variation of alcohol concentrations (%) were observed between day 0 (0%) and day 2 (10%) and showed less variation after day 2, and there was no statistical difference with strains. Dominant prokaryotes were Lactobacillus fermentum and Pediococcus pentosaceus, which producing acids and functional materials. Dominant eukaryote was Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which might be resulted from addition of yeasts.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.51-55
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• 2015

The present research is focused on the effect of porous graphite what is influenced on the 4H-SiC crystal growth by PVT method. We expect that it produces more C-rich and a change of temperature gradient for polytype stability of 4H-SiC crystal as adding the porous graphite in the growth cell. The SiC seeds and high purity SiC source materials were placed on opposite side in a sealed graphite crucible which was surrounded by graphite insulator. The growth temperature was around $2100{\sim}2300^{\circ}C$ and the growth pressure was 10~30 Torr of an argon pressure with 5~15 % nitrogen. 2 inch $4^{\circ}$ off-axis 4H-SiC with C-face (000-1) was used as a seed material. The porous graphite plate was inserted on SiC powder source to produce a more C-rich for polytype stability of 4H-SiC crystal and uniform radial temperature gradient. While in case of the conventional crucible, various polytypes such as 6H-, 15R-SiC were observed on SiC wafers, only 4H-SiC polytype was observed on SiC wafers prepared in porous graphite inserted crucible. The defect level such as MP and EP density of SiC crystal grown in the conventional crucible was observed to be higher than that of porous graphite inserted crucible. The better crystal quality of SiC grown using porous graphite plate was also confirmed by rocking curve measurement and Raman spectra analysis.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.67-75
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• 2012

Carbon-dioxide capture and storage (CCS) process is consisted by capturing carbon-dioxide from large point source such as power plant and steel works, transporting and sequestrating captured $CO_2$ in a stable geological structure. During CCS process, it is inevitable of introducing impurities from combustion, capture and purification process into $CO_2$ stream. Impurities such as $SO_2$, $H_2O$, CO, $N_2$, Ar, $O_2$, $H_2$, can influence on process efficiency, capital expenditure, operation expense of CCS process. In this study, experimental apparatus is built to simulate the behavior of $CO_2$ transport under various impurity composition and process pressure condition. With this apparatus, $N_2$ impurity effect on $CO_2$ mixture transportation was experimentally evaluated. The result showed that as $N_2$ ratio increased pressure drop per mass flow and specific volume of $CO_2-N_2$ mixture also increased. In 120 and 100 bar condition the mixture was in single phase supercritical condition, and as $N_2$ ratio increased gradient of specific volume change and pressure drop per mass flow did not change largely compared to low pressure condition. In 70 bar condition the mixture phase changed from single phase liquid to single phase vapor through liquid-vapor two phase region, and it showed that the gradient of specific volume change and pressure drop per mass flow varied in each phase.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.378-391
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• 2012

The objective of this study was to determine temporal patterns and longitudinal gradients of water chemistry at eight artificial reservoirs and ten streams within the Han-River watershed along the main axis of the headwaters to the downstreams during 2009~2010. Also, we evaluated chemical relations and their variations among major trophic variables such as total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and chlorophyll-a (CHL-a) and determined intense summer monsoon and annual precipitation effects on algal growth using empirical regression model. Stream water quality of TN, TP, and other parameters degradated toward the downstreams, and especially was largely impacted by point-sources of wastewater disposal plants near Jungrang Stream. In contrast, summer river runoff and rainwater improved the stream water quality of TP, TN, and ionic contents, measured as conductivity (EC) in the downstream reach. Empirical linear regression models of log-transformed CHL-a against log-transformed TN, TP, and TN : TP mass ratios in five reservoirs indicated that the variation of TP accounted 33.8% ($R^2$=0.338, p<0.001, slope=0.710) in the variation of CHL and the variation of TN accounted only 21.4% ($R^2$=0.214, p<0.001) in the CHL-a. Overall, our study suggests that, primary productions, estimated as CHL-a, were more determined by ambient phosphorus loading rather than nitrogen in the lentic systems of artificial reservoirs, and the stream water quality as lotic ecosystems were more influenced by a point-source locations of tributary streams and intense seasonal rainfall rather than a presence of artificial dam reservoirs along the main axis of the watershed.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.48-59
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• 2018

This study was conducted to suggest the effective management and recycling processes of coffee waste, which can be easily obtained from coffee shops and coffee-related products industries. Prior to the fabrication of pellets, the potential of coffee waste as a raw material of pellet was investigated through the examination of its chemical compositions and fuel characteristics. Major gradient included in coffee waste was holocellulose, followed by fat/oil and protein. Coffee waste contained a small quantity of ash (0.7%), such as calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium. Interestingly, coffee waste was easily dried probably due to its porous structure. Pellets fabricated with coffee waste and larch sawdust showed good fuel characteristics, such as moisture content, ash content, density and durability. The pellets exceed greatly the minimum requirements of $1^{st}$-grade wood pellet standard designated by National Institute of Forest Science (NIFOS). Particularly, the high calorific value of coffee waste showed the potential as a raw material of pellet. However, owing to high nitrogen and sulfur contents, coffee waste is like to be used as a raw material of wood pellet for combined heat and power plants equipped with a reduction system of $NO_x$ and $SO_x$ gases. On the other hand, 91 wt% larch sawdust and 9 wt% coffee waste are required to fabricate the $1^{st}$-grade wood pellets designated by NIFOS. Pellets fabricated with the conditions are estimated to have nitrogen content of 0.298% and sulfur content of 0.03%. Lastly, if amounts of coffee waste and sawdust in the production of wood pellets are adequately adjusted according to its purchasing price, the manufacturing cost of pellet can effectively be reduced. In addition, it is expected tp prepare the effective recycling process of waste and to relieve the environmental burden with the reduction of waste from the commercialization of coffee waste/larch pellets.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.456-463
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• 1996

The purpose of the present study is to estimate the regional and seasonal variations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) flux across the sediment-water interface of the inner and central areas of Hiroshima Bay from August 1994 to May 1995. In addition it compares the measured methods and estimates the effect of DIN released from sediment to the primary production of Hiroshima Bay. One method used in this study is to calculate DIN flux from a concentration gradient between sediment porewaters and the overlying water, and the other method is to measure DIN flux from the sediment-core experiment. The fluxes of $NH_{4}^{+}-N\;and\;NO_{2}^{+}\;+\;NO_{3}^{-}-N$ in the inner area were higher than those in central area, all of which showed seasonal variation. $NH_{4}^{+}-N$ flux was maximum in August, while $NO_{2}^{-}\;+\;NO_{3}^{-}-N$ flux was high in January compared with the other seasons. The calculated $NH_{4}^{+}-N\;and\;NO_{2}^{-}+NO_{3}^{-}-N$ fluxes from sediments were $18.2\~60.8\;{\mu}g-at/m^2{\cdot}hr\;and\;0.24\~18.2\;{\mu}g-at/m^2{\cdot}hr$, respectively. The measured $NH_{4}^{+}-N\;and\;NO_{2}^{-}+NO_{3}^{-}-N$ fluxes across the sediment-water interface were $2.00\~111\;{\mu}g-at/m^2{\cdot}hr\;and\;-265\~82.9\;{\mu}g-at/m^2{\cdot}hr$, respectively. The former was lower than the tatter. The calculated $NH_{4}^{+}-N$ flux showed closer relation to environmental factors (dissolved of gen in the overlying water, temperature and redox condition of the sediments) than the measured one did. On the other hand, in the case of $NO_{2}^{-}+NO_{3}^{-}-N$ flux both the calculated and the measured showed little relation to environmental factors, while they turned out to have stronger relation with their concentration in sediments. DIN released from the sediment is expected to support about $25\%\~67\%$ of the primary production in Hiroshima Bay.

• 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.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.428-436
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• 2010

This study was to evaluate water quality characteristics and ecological health using a mulimetric fish model in Taehwa-River watershed during May~September 2009. The ecological health assessments were based on the Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) using fish community and the multimetric model of Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI). For the study, the models of IBI and QHEI were modified as 8 and 11 metric attributes, respectively. We also analyzed spatial patterns of chemical water quality over the period of 2000~2009, using the water chemistry dataset, obtained from the Ministry of Environment, Korea. Values of BOD and COD averaged $1.7\;mg\;L^{-1}$ (scope: $0.1{\sim}31.8\;mg\;L^{-1}$) and $3.6\;mg\;L^{-1}$ (scope: $0.4{\sim}33\;mg\;L^{-1}$), respectively during the study. Total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) averaged $2.8\;mg\;L^{-1}$ and $96.8\;{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$, respectively, indicating an eutrophic-hypertrophic state. Also, TN and TP showed longitudinal increases toward the downriver reach. In the watershed, QHEI values varied from 67.5 (fair condition) to 164.5 (good condition) by the criteria of US EPA (1993). There was a abruptly decreasing tendency from T9 site in the QHEI values. According to 1st and 2nd surveys of Taewha River, multimetric model values of IBI was averaged 26.1 (n=14) with "good" condition (B) and the spatial variation was evident. Our results suggest that the mainstream sites was getting worse health condition along the river gradient due to inputs of the point and non-point sources from the urban (Ulsan city). Overall, dataset of IBI, QHEI, and water chemistry indicated that the ecological river health showed a downriver decline and the pattern was closely associated with habitat degradations and chemical pollutions as the waters pass through the urban region.