• Journal of Environmental Policy
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.49-70
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• 2011

The numerous efforts have been made in understanding generation and transportation mechanism of nonpoint source pollutants from agricultural areas. Also, the water quality degradation has been exacerbated over the years in many parts of Korea as well as other countries. Nonpoint source pollutants are transported into waterbodies with direct runoff and baseflow. It has been generally thought that groundwater quality is not that severe compared with surface water quality. However its impacts on groundwater in the vicinity of stream quality is not negligible in agricultural areas. The SWAT model has been widely used in hydrology and water quality studies worldwide because of its flexibilities and accuracies. The spatial property of each HRU, which is the basic computational element, is not presented. Thus, the SWAT HRU mapping module was developed in this study and was applied to the study watershed to evaluate recharge rate and $NO_3-N$ loads in groundwater. The $NO_3-N$ loads in groundwater on agricultural fields were higher than on forests because of commercial fertilizers and manure applied in agricultural fields. The $NO_3-N$ loads were different among various crops because of differences in crop nutrient uptake, amount of fertilizer applied, soil properties in the field. As shown in this study, the SWAT HRU mapping module can be efficiently used to evaluate the pollutant contribution via baseflow in agricultural watershed.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.611-622
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• 2000

To investigate the exchange rates of mercury(Hg) across soil-air boundary, we undertook the measurements of Hg flux using gradient technique from a major waste reclamation site, Nan-Ji-Do. Based on these measurement data, we attempted to provide insights into various aspects of Hg exchange in a strongly polluted soil environment. According to our analysis, the study site turned out to be not only a major emission source area but also a major sink area. When these data were compared on hourly basis over a full day scale, large fluxes of emission and deposition centered on daytime periods relative to nighttime periods. However, when comparison of frequency with which emission or deposition occurs was made, there emerged a very contrasting pattern. While emission was dominant during nighttime periods, deposition was most favored during daytime periods. When similar comparison was made as a function of wind direction, it was noticed that there may be a major Hg source at easterly direction to bring out significant deposition of Hg in the study area. To account for the environmental conditions controlling the vertical direction of Hg exchange, we compared environmental conditions for both the whole data group and those observed from the wind direction of strong deposition events. Results of this analysis indicated that the concentrations of pollutant species varied sensitively enough to reflect the environmental conditions for each direction of exchange. When correlation analysis was applied to our data, results indicated that windspeed and ozone concentrations best reflected changes in the magnitudes of emission/deposition fluxes. The results of factor analysis also indicated the possibility that Hg emission of study area is temperature-driven process, while that of deposition is affected by a mixed effects of various factors including temperature, ozone, and non-methane HCs. If the computed emission rate is extrapolated to the whole study area we estimate that annual emission of Hg from the study area can amount to approximately 6kg.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.19-30
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• 2019

Objective of this study was to develop an organic fertilizer utilizing domestic livestock horn meal and to investigate the application effect of rice and eggplant. The possibility of utilization of livestock horn meal as an organic resource to replace imported expeller cake fertilizer was examined. In order to select domestic organic resources with high nitrogen content, 8 kinds of organic matter such as chicken manure, fish meal, soybean meal, sesame meal, perilla meal, blood meal, livestock horn meal, and beer sludge were analyzed and organic resources with high nitrogen content were selected. In addition, the conditions for the production of organic fertilizers that can be used in organic agriculture were established by mixing of the rice husk biochar and the rice bran as the supplements with the raw materials for mixing ratios. The content of total nitrogen (T-N) in the livestock horn meal was 12.0 %, which was the next low in 13.5 % blood meal. The content of total nitrogen was 5.9 ~ 7.9 % in fish meal and oil cakes. Total nitrogen content of non-antibiotic chicken manure for organic farming was 3 % and nitrogen content in beer sludge was 3.5 %. Organic fertilizer was produced by using biochar, rice bran as a main ingredient of non-antibiotic chicken manure, livestock horn meal and beer sludge. Compared to nitrogen content (4.0 to 4.2 %) of imported expeller cake fertilizer (ECF), the nitrogen content of organic fertilizer utilizing domestic livestock horn meal is as high as 7.5 %. The developed organic fertilizer is met as Zn 400 mg/kg, Cu 120 mg/kg the quality of organic agricultural materials such as or less. To investigate the effect of fertilizer application on the crops, prototypes of developed organic fertilizer were used for the experiment under selected conditions. As a result of application the developed organic livestock horn meal fertilizer (LHMF) for cultivation of the rice and eggplant, the application quantity of the developed organic LHMF 100 % was decreased by 40 % compared to that of the mixed expeller cake fertilizer (MECF). The application of LHMF, which refers to the application rate corresponding to the nitrogen fertilization recommended by the soil test, was reduced by 40% compared to the application rate of MECF, but the same results were obtained in crop growth and yield. The selection of a new high concentration nitrogen source utilizing domestic organic resources and the development of organic fertilizer is the starting point of the research for substitution of imported ECF using domestic local resources at the present time that the spread of eco-friendly agriculture is becoming increasingly important. If it is expanded in the future, it is expected to contribute to the stable production of eco-friendly agricultural products.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.318-327
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• 2012

BACKGROUND: For Non-Point Source(NPS) loads reduction, pollutant loads need to be quantified for major farming methods. The objective of this study was to evaluate impacts of farming methods on NPS pollutant loads from a paddy rice field during the growing season. METHODS AND RESULTS: The height of drainage outlet, amount of fertilizer, irrigation water quality were considered as farming factors for scenarios development. The control was derived from conventional farming methods and four different scenarios were developed based combination of farming factors. A field scale model, CREAMS-PADDY(Chemicals, Runoff, and Erosion from Agricultural Management Systems for PADDY), was used to calculate pollutant nutrient loads. The data collected from an experimental plot located downstream of the Idong reservoir were used for model calibration and validation. The simulation results agreed well with observed values during the calibration and validation periods. The calibrated model was used to evaluate farming scenarios in terms of NPS loads. Pollutant loads for T-N, T-P were reduced by 5~62%, 8~37% with increasing the height of drainage outlet from 100 mm of 100 mm, respectively. When amount of fertilizer was changed from standard to conventional, T-N, T-P pollutant loads were reduced by 0~22%, 0~24%. Irrigation water quality below water criteria IV of reservoir increased T-N of 9~65%, T-P of 9~47% in comparison with conventional. CONCLUSION(S): The results indicated that applying increased the height of drainage after midsummer drainage, standard fertilization level during non-rainy seasons, irrigation water quality below water criteria IV of reservoir were effective farming methods to reduce NPS pollutant loads from paddy in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.162-169
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• 1998

This study was carried out to assess the roles of soil and vegetation on the nutrient cycling in paddy ecosystem where excessive amounts of animal wastes were flowed in due to the rain. Experimental sites included one abandoned and four cropping paddy fields which were moderately terraced under a small farm village raising 90 milk cows and 35 deer under open-air condition. The watershed covered 4 ha with every 50% of uptown and fodder crops. Concentrations of $NH_4-N$ and $P_2O_5$ in waste water flowed into the abandoned paddy field, enforced by the rain of $56.4mm\;day^{-1}$, were $8.3mg\;{\ell}^{-1}$ and $1.8mg\;{\ell}^{-1}$, respectively. Total mass of rainfall inflow to abandoned field during rice growing period (1 May to 30 Sept.) was $20,900Mg\;ha^{-1}$. Total amounts of $NH_4-N$ and $P_2O_5$ contained in that inflow were estimated as 173 kg and 38 kg, respectively. Concentrations in the outflow water through one abandoned and four rice paddy fields were reduced by 92% for $NH_4-N$ and 95% for $P_2O_5$, as compared to those in the inflows. The reserved portions of nutrients in the abandoned paddy field ecosystem, which were the summation of the uptake by weed and residues in soil, were 29% of the inflow amount for $NH_4-N$ and 30% for $P_2O_5$. These results demonstrated that soil and vegetation in paddy field ecosystem reduced the excessive nutrients from the animal waste inflow to the extents that might be suitable not only for the better growth of rice plant, located at the lower paddy fields, but also for preservation of the downstream from eutrophication.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.274-281
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• 2015

BACKGROUND: A lasting release of low levels of persistence chemicals including pesticides and pharmaceuticals into river has a bad influence on aquatic ecosystems and humans. The present study monitored pesticide residues in the Yeongsan and Seomjin river basins and their tributaries as a fundamental study for water quality standard of pesticides.METHODS AND RESULTS: Nine pesticides(aldicarb, carbaryl, carbofuran, chlorpyrifos, 2,4-D, MCPA, methomyl, metolachlor, and molinate) were determined from water samples using SPE-Oasis HLB(pH 2) and LC/MS/MS. Validation of the method was conducted through matrix-matched internal calibration curve, method detection limit(MDL), limit of quantification(LOQ), accuracy, precision, and recovery. MDLs of all pesticides satisfied the GV/10 values. Linearity(r²) was 0.9965- 0.9999, and a percentage of accuracy, precision, and recovery was 89.4-113.6%, 3.1-14.0%, and 90.8-106.2%, respectively. All pesticides exclusive of aldicarb were determined in the river samples, and there was a connection between the positive monitoring results and agricultural use of the pesticides.CONCLUSION: Monitoring outcomes of the present study implied that pesticides were a possible non-point pollutant source in the Yeongsan and Seomjin river basins and tributaries. Therefore, it is required to produce and accumulate more monitoring results on pesticides in river waters to set water quality standards, finally to preserve aquatic ecosystems.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.21 no.spc
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• pp.98-106
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• 2019

The coefficient and exponent of the MUSLE(Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation) runoff factor in the SWAT(Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model are 11.8 and 0.56 respectively, which are equally applied to the estimation of soil erosion regardless of land use. they could derive overestimation or underestimation of soil erosion, which can cause problems in the selection of soil erosion-vulnerable area and evaluation of reduction management. However, there are no studies about the estimation of coefficients and exponent for the MUSLE runoff factor by land use and their applicability to the SWAT model. Thus, in order to predict soil erosion and sediment behavior accurately through SWAT model, it is necessary to estimate the coefficient and exponent of the MUSLE runoff factor by land use and evaluate its applicability. In this study, the coefficient and exponent of MUSLE runoff factor by land use were estimated for Gaa-cheon Watershed, and the differences in soil erosion and sediment from SWAT model were analyzed. The coefficient and exponent of runoff factor estimated by this study well reflected the characteristics of soil erosion in domestic highland watershed. Therefore, in order to apply the MUSLE which developed based on observed data of US agricultural basin to the domestic watershed, it is considered that a sufficient modification and supplementation process for the coefficient and exponent of the MUSLE runoff factor depending on land use is necessary. The results of this study can be used as a basic data for selecting soil erosion vulnerable area in the non-point source management areas and establishing and evaluating soil erosion reduction management.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.41 no.11
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• pp.1079-1094
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• 2008

This study is to evaluate the impact of varying spatial resolutions on the uncertainty of Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) predicted streamflow, non-point source (NPS) pollution loads transport in a small agricultural watershed (1.21 $km^2$) for three cases of model input; Case A is the combination of 2 m DEM, QuickBird land use, Case B is the combination of 10 m DEM, 1/25,000 land use, and Case C is the combination of 30 m DEM, Landsat land use, soil data is used 1/25,000 for three cases respectively. The model was calibrated for 2 years (1999-2000) using daily streamflow and monthly water quality records, and verified for another 2 years (2001-2002). The average Nash and Sutcliffe model efficiency was 0.59 for streamflow and RMSE were 2.08, 4.30 and 0.70 tons/yr for sediment, T-N and T-P respectively. The model was run for a small agricultural watershed with three cases of spatial input data. The hydrological results showed that output uncertainty was biggest by spatial resolution of land use. Streamflow increase the watershed average CN value of QucikBird land use was 0.4 and 1.8 higher than those of 1/25,000 and Landsat land use caused increase of streamflow. On the other hand, The NPS loadings from the model prediction showed that the sediment, T-N and T-P of QuickBird land use (Case A) showed 23.7 %, 43.3 % and 48.4 % higher value than 1/25,000 land use (Case B) and 50.6 %, 50.8 % and 56.9 % higher value than Landsat land use (Case C) respectively.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.45 no.8
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• pp.795-804
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• 2012

Recently, changes in rainfall intensity and patterns have been causing increasing soil loss worldwide. As a result, the water ecosystem becomes worse and crops yield are reduced with soil loss and nutrient loss with it. Many studies have been proposed to estimate runoff and soil loss to predict or decrease non-point source pollution. Although the USLE has been used for many years in estimating soil losses, the USLE cannot reflect effects on soil loss of changes in rainfall intensity and patterns. The WEPP, physically based model, is capable of predicting soil loss and runoff using various rainfall intensity. In this study, the WEPP model was simulated for sediment yield, runoff and peak runoff using data of 5, 10, 30, 60 minute term rainfall, Huff's method and design rainfall. In case of rainfall interval of 5 minutes and 60 minutes, the sediment and runoff values decreased by 24% and 19%, respectively. The peak rate runoff values decreased by 16% when rainfall interval changed from 5 minutes to 60 minutes, indicating the peak rate runoff values are affected by rainfall intensity to some degrees. As a result of simulating using Huff's method, all values (sediment yield, runoff, peak runoff) were found to be the greatest at third quartile. According to the analysis under various design rainfall conditions (2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 30, 50, 100, 200, 300 years frequency), sediment yield, runoff, and peak runoff of 906.2%, 249.4% and 183.9% were estimated using 2 year to 300 year frequency rainfall data.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.23-40
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• 2022

Many constructed wetlands have been installed in dam reservoirs nationwide for ecological purification of watershed pollutants, but aging and reduced efficiency are becoming issues. To improve the management of constructed wetlands, an objective evaluation of structural suitability is required. This study evaluated 39 constructed wetlands of 15 dams. First, through fogus group interview(FGI), survey analysis, and analytic hierarchy process(AHP), eight evaluation items in the physical and vegetative aspects were selected and the evaluation criteria applied with weights were prepared. Second, as a result of the structural suitability evaluation, the average score of the overall constructed wetlands was 80.8, with 10 sites rated as 'good grade(91~100)', 22 sites rated as 'normal grade(71~90)' and 7 sites rated as 'poor grade(70 or less)'. The average score of physical structure evaluation was 52.6, with 14 sites rated as 'good', 21 sites as 'normal' and 4 sites as 'poor'. The suitability of location was good level in most constructed wetlands, but the water supply system, depth of water, ratio of length-to-width, and slope of flow channel were evaluated as 'normal' or less in constructed wetlands of 50% or more. Therefore, it was found that overall improvement was necessary for stable flow supply and flow improvement in the constructed wetland. The average score of vegetative structure evaluation was 28.2, and about 84% of them were identified as 'normal' or lower. As a result of analyzing the Spearman's correlation coefficient between the physical structure evaluation score and the vegetation structure evaluation score, there was a significant correlation(r = 0.728, p < 0.001), and it was found that each evaluation factor also influences each other. As a result of the case review of 6 constructed wetlands, the appropriateness of the evaluation results was confirmed, and it was found that the location, flow rate supply, and type of wetland had a great influence on the efficiency and operation of the wetland. Through this study, it will be possible to derive structural weaknesses of constructed wetlands in dam reservoirs as a nature-based solution, to prepare types and practical alternatives for improved management of each constructed wetland in the future, and to contribute to enhancing various environmental functions.