• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.151-158
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• 2000

Considerable interest has been shown in recent years towards utilizing $TiO_2$ particles as a photocatalyst in the degradation of harmful organic contaminants. In this study, photocatalytic degradation of diazinon which is extensively used as a pesticide in the agriculture field, has been investigated with UV-illuminated $TiO_2$ weight, UV wavelength, pH of the solution. Photodegradation rate increased with decreasing initial concentration of diazinon and with increasing pH of the solution. Photodegradation rate increased with increasing $TiO_2$ weight, but was nearly the same at $TiO_2$ weight of 1g/$\ell$, 2 g/$\ell$, i.e., for initial diazinon concentratin of 5 mg/$\ell$. UV wavelength affecting on the degradation rate of diazinon decreased in the order of 254 nm>312 nm> 365 nm. For $TiO_2$ weight of 1 g/$\ell$and initial diazinon concentration of 5 mg/$\ell$, the photodegradation removal of diazinon was 100% after 130 min in the case of 254 nm, but 95% in the case of 312 nm, and 84% in the case of 365nm, after 180 min. The photodegradation of diazinon followed a first order or a pseudo - first order reaction rate. For initial diazinon concentration of 5 mg/$\ell$, the rate constants(k) in UV and $TiO_2$(1 g/$\ell$)/UV system were $0.006 min^{-1} and 0.0252 min^{-1} at 254 nm, 0.0055 min^{-1} and 0.0104 min^{-1} at 312 nm, and 0.004 min^{-1}$ at 365 nm respectively.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.205-211
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• 2004

Concern that some chemicals in our environment may affect human health by disrupt-ing normal endocrine function has prompted a research on interactions of environmental contaminants with steroid hormone receptor. Toxaphene and chlordane are among the 12 persistent organic pollutants identified by the United Nations Environment Programme as requiring urgent attention. We compared the estrogenic activity of two organochlorine pesticides, toxaphene and chlordane, at estrogen receptor a (ER$\alpha$) and estrogen receptor $\beta$ (ER$\beta$). Human hepatoma cells (HepG2) were transiently transfected with rat ER$\alpha$ or ER$\beta$ plus an estrogen-responsive complement C3-luciferase (C3-Luc) reporter gene. After transfection, cells were treated with various concentrations of toxaphene and chlordane to investigate agonism or antagonism of these chemicals. Both toxaphene and chlordane were potent agonists in HepG2 cells for ER$\alpha$. In contrast, these chemicals had a minimal agonist activity with ER$\beta$ and almost abolished 17$\beta$-estradiol-induced ER$\beta$-mediated activity. Therefore, toxaphene and chlordane behaved as an ER$\alpha$ agonist and an ER$\beta$ antagonist with estrogen-responsive reporter plasmid C3-Luc, and exposure to these organochlorine pesticides could have a crictical effect on normal endocrine function.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.1162-1174
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• 2010

Excavated gold brocade, often shows signs of serious damage and contamination from environmental factors such as exposure to soil or human remains. Therefore, most of the conservation procedures are focused on the consolidation of the gold thread and on cleaning with water or organic solvents. Indiscreet cleaning using solvents could damage the gold leaf, which identifies the features of fabric. There is a need to develop cleaning protocols appropriate for relics through the careful analysis of the condition of the relics. This study finds the appropriate cleaning method for the excavated gold brocade. Four different cleaning methods, vacuum cleaning, kneaded rubber eraser cleaning, immersion wet cleaning, and absorption wet cleaning were applied to the excavated gold brocade. The degree of cleaning and damage were examined depending on the cleaning methods, changes to the physical condition (before and after cleaning) were also analyzed through the surface observation. Although immersion cleaning showed the best cleaning result, this method had a risk of damage to the gold thread. Absorption wet cleaning safely eliminated the various soluble contaminants and the rotten smell of relics. Kneaded rubber eraser was suitable for the excavated gold brocade fabric because it can be applied to selective parts, intentionally excluding some sensitive parts such as the gold thread. The vacuum cleaning method required special attention because of a possibility of suctioning off loosely attached gold leaf. Dual cleaning, the kneaded rubber eraser cleaning, followed by the absorption cleaning was the most effective method to preserve and clean excavated gold brocade.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.34 no.4 s.96
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• pp.342-348
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• 2001

The present work is to introduce the preliminary experimental results for a primary hydrocyclones process in lake sediment thickening. A few cyclones based on the Rietema standard geometry were prepared. The test particles were sediments from a local lake and waste coal fly ash for a reference test. As a result of the chemical analysis, organic contaminants were abundantly found in smaller particles in overflow. Experimental results showed that the physical characteristics of particles, configuration of the cyclone and operating variables including feed solids concentration and volumetric flow rate could affect the separation efficiency. The limiting feeding velocity for the separation and enrichment of particles was 1.5 m/s, higher separation efficiency, in general, was obtained under the high velocity with the small cyclones.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.331-337
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• 2008

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) derived from leakage of fossil fuels and incomplete combustion of organic materials have been considered as harmful contaminants in environments. This study evaluated the effect of benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkF), one of the PAHs, using the multiple biomarkers and applied the integration model with those biomarker responses. After 10 days of the exposure at the measured concentrations of BkF (6, 25, and 45 ${\mu}g\;L^{-1}$), the changes of the four biomarkers, that is, 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD), DNA single-strand breaks (Comet), acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and vitellogenin (VTG) in the common carp (Cyprinus carpio) were observed. The standardized values of four biomarker responses were computed and integrated as star plots, representing Integrated Biomarker Respnse (IBR) values. DNA damage was induced in a dose-dependent manner, and increased significantly compared with that in the control. EROD and VTG levels were significantly elevated at low concentrations of BkF. On the other hand, AChE activities were not altered by BkF. IBR values increased as the exposure concentrations increased. Thus, the metabolic, endocrine and genetic changes of the biomarker responses in the common carp exposed to BkF should be considered in the case of the ecological risk assessment of the BkF in fish and it can be used as a biomonitoring tool in aquatic ecosystems. In addition, star plots can be used as a useful analysis tool in multibiomarker integration approach.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society for Energy Engineering kosee Conference
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• 1993.05a
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• pp.33-41
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• 1993

The objectives of this experiment performed were to determine the potential using of solar radiation to destroy organic contaminants in water by photolysis and to develop the process and improve its performance. We used lab, scale of recirculation photoreactor with 30, 50, 80ppm initial concentration of TCE and Ti $O_2$ anatase, respectively. Adsorption constant, reaction constant were obtained and compared using the Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetics equation. Ti $O_2$ anatase demonstrated the highest conversion ratio co TCE among Ti $O_2$ anatase, ZnO and F $e_2$ $O_3$ in this experiment. It was shown that in case of two component system, TCE+ phenol, as the concentration of phenol increased in the feed solution, TCE decomposition rate decreased.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.590-598
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• 2006

In-situ Air sparging (IAS) is a groundwater remediation technique, in which organic contaminants volatilize into air form the saturated to vadose zone. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of sludge and soil microbial community structure on air sparging of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) contaminated groundwater soils. In the laboratory, diesel (10,000 mg TPH/kg) contaminated saturated soil. The Air was injected in intermittent (Q=1500 mL/min, 10 minute injection and 10 minute idle) modes. For Terminal-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of eubacterial communities in sludge of wastewater treatment plants and soil of experiment site, the 16S rDNA was amplified by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) from the sludge and the soil. The obtained 16S rDNA fragments were digested with Msp I and separated by electrophoresis gel. We found various sequence types for experiment with sludge soil samples that were closely related to Agrococcus, Flavobacterium, Thermoanaerobacter, Flexibacter and Shewanella, etc, in the clone library. The results of the present study suggests that T-RFLP method may be applied as a useful tool for the monitoring in the TPH contaminated soil the fate of microorganisms in natural microbial community.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.61-70
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• 2002

Direct electron beam irradiation experiments on artificially contaminated soil by polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were performed to evaluate applicability of direct electron beam irradiation process for contaminated soil remediation. The removal efficiency of PAHs was about 97 % at 600 kGy and PCBs about 70 % at 800 kGy. PAHs were removed 27 % more, compared to PCBs although the absorbed dose was as low as 200 kGy. The contaminants decomposition was due predominantly to direct interaction of high-energy electrons and the target compounds rather than due to oxidation/reduction reaction by reactive intermediates. Radiolysis of electron beam may be able to decontaminate contaminated soil by toxic and recalcitrant organic compounds like as PAHs and PCBs effectively, but it may be economically uncompetitive. Thus, developments of post-treatment process of conventional site remediation technologies may be more practical and economical than direct radiolysis.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.50-57
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• 2013

For the last couple of decades, the Fenton (-like) systems have been extensively studied for oxidation of organic contaminants in water. Recently, zero-valent iron (ZVI) has received attention as a Fenton catalyst as well as a reducing agent capable of producing reactive oxidants from oxygen. In this study, the ZVI-based Fenton reaction was assessed for the oxidative degradation of phenol using $ZVI/O_2$, $ZVI/H_2O_2$, ZVI/Oxalate/$O_2$ and hv/ZVI/Oxalate/$O_2$ systems. Reaction parameters such as pH and reagent dose (e.g., ZVI, $H_2O_2$, and oxalate) were examined. In the presence of oxalate (ZVI/Oxalate/$O_2$ and hv/ZVI/Oxalate/$O_2$ systems), the degradation of phenol was greatly enhanced at neutral pH values. It was found that ZVI accelerates the Fenton reaction by reducing Fe(III) into Fe(II). The conversion of Fe(III) into Fe(II) by ZVI was more stimulated at acidic pH than at near-neutral pH values.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.93-101
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• 2007

Concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) were determined in marine sediments from Mokpo coastal water of Korea. Total and toxic equivalent (TEQ) concentrations of PCDD/Fs ranged from 19.4 to 175pg/g dry weight and ranged from 0.195 to 2.87 pg WHO-TEQ/g dry weight, respectively. These PCDD/F concentrations were below the safety sediment value (20 pg TEQ/g dry weight) of chronic toxicity. A highly significant correlation between the concentrations of PCDD/Fs and total organic carbon (TOC) in marine sediments was observed. Overall PCDD/F concentrations in the sediments were elevated in rivers and at inner locations close to harbors, indicating that these contaminants derived from local discharges of human activities. PCDD/F concentrations measured in our study were lower than those in several industrialized areas in Korea. Nonparametric multidimensional scaling (MDS) ordination showed that combustion processes from industrial complexes are the major source of PCDD/Fs in Mokpo coastal water.