• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2002

The present study is focused on the granite weathering and soil formation, and the heavy metal contamination in soils in the Onsan industrial area. For profile study, soil sampling was conducted on each depth and experimental analyses have been conducted on those samples. X-ray diffraction analyses show that clay minerals consist mainly of kaolin minerals, vermiculite, and minor illite. Most of kaolin minerals in the lower kiwi of the profile consist of halloysite as confirmed by formamide intercalation, but the content of halloysite decreases gradually toward the surface since it has been transformed to kaolinite in the upper part of the profile. Thermal treatment by heating at $110^{\circ}C,\;300^{\circ}C,\;and\;550^{\circ}C$ shows a diffuse and broad peak the between 10 and $14\;{\AA}$ region in X-ray diffractograms. This suggests the possible existence of the hydroxy-Al interlayerecl vermiculite. Na-citrate extraction method reaconfirms this result showing transition of $14\;{\AA}$ peak to $10\;{\AA}$ In by removing the interlayer materials and restoring the vermiculite to its original state. The occurrence of hydroxy-Al interlayered vermiculite is also supported by soil pH distribution room 3.9 In the lower part to 3.6 in the upper part of the profile. Sequential extraction experiment was conducted to investigate the states of heavy metals in soils. The experiment shows that relatively high amounts of heavy metals are concentrated in the upper part of the profile and that most of them are bound to Fe/Mn oxides and organic matters while less concentration in clay minerals. The result indicates that most of heavy metal pollutants are concentrated in the surface soil and that the low concentrations of heavy metals in clays are mainly due to the low adsorption capacities of clay minerals such as kaolin minerals and hydroxy-Al interlayered vermiculite in acidified soil condition.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.33-41
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• 2020

Wet precipitation samples were collected in Jeju City and Mt. Halla-1100 site (a site at an altitude of 1100 m on Mt. Halla) during 2011-2013, and their major ionic species were analyzed to examine the chemical composition and characteristics. A comparison of ion balance, electric conductivity, and acid fraction of precipitation revealed correlation coefficients in the range of r = 0.950~0.991, thereby implying the high quality of analytical data. Volume-weighted mean pH and electric conductivity corresponded to 4.86 and 25.5 µS/cm for Jeju City, and 4.98 and 15.1 µS/cm for Mt. Halla-1100 site, respectively. Ionic strengths of the wet precipitation in Jeju City and Mt. Halla-1100 site corresponded 0.3 ± 0.5 and 0.2 ± 0.2 mM, respectively, thereby indicating that more than 30 % of total precipitation was within a pure precipitation criteria. The precipitation with a pH range of 4.5 - 5.0 corresponded to 40.8 % in Jeju City, while the precipitation with a pH range of 5.0 - 5.5 corresponded to 56.9 % in Mt. Halla-1100 site, thereby indicating slightly more weak acidity than that in Jeju city. The volume-weighted mean concentration (µeq/L) of ionic species was in the order of Na⁺ > Cl^- > nss-SO₄^2- > NO₃^- > Mg²⁺ > NH₄⁺ > H⁺ > nss-Ca²⁺ > PO₄^3- > K⁺ > CH₃COO^- > HCOO^- > NO₂^- > F^- > HCO₃^- > CH₃SO₃^- at Jeju City area, while it corresponded to Na⁺ > Cl^- > nss-SO₄^2- > NO₃^- > NH₄⁺ > H⁺ > Mg²⁺ > nss-Ca²⁺ > PO₄^3- > CH₃COO^- > K⁺ > HCOO^- > NO₂^- > F^- > HCO₃^- > CH₃SO₃^- at Mt. Halla-1100 site. The compositions of sea salts (Na⁺, Cl^-, Mg²⁺) and secondary pollutants (NH₄⁺, nss-SO₄^2-, NO₃^-) corresponded to 66.1 % and 21.8 %, respectively, in Jeju City and, 49.9 % and 31.5 %, respectively, in Mt. Halla-1100 site. The acidity contributions in Jeju City and Mt. Halla-1100 site by inorganic acids, i.e., sulfuric acid and nitric acid, corresponded to 93.9 % and 91.4 %, respectively, and the acidity contributions by organic acids corresponded to 6.1 % and 8.6 %, respectively. The neutralization factors in Jeju City and Mt. Halla1100 site by ammonia corresponded to 29.8 % and 30.1 %, respectively, whereas the neutralization factors by calcium carbonate corresponded to 20.5 % and 25.2 %, respectively. From the clustered back trajectory analysis, the concentrations of most ionic components were higher when the airflow pathways were moved from the continent to Jeju area.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.183-200
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• 2003

In order to assess the ecological changes induced by organic pollutants of the Shihwa Lake, BPI (Benthic Pollution Index) based on the benthic faunal community was employed. It was modified from Infaunal Trophic Index (ITI), and recommended as a pollution detecting method for the environmental assessment. The BPI values were calculated from the benthos data, which were collected for three terms: in 1980, before the Shihwa Lake was built up; in 1994-1997, which the Shihwa Lake was completely isolated from the outer seawater; in 1997-1999, after inflow of the outer seawater. Since the Shihwa Dike was constructed in February 1994, the pollution intensity of the lake had been increased from the narrow and inner part of the former Gyeonggi Bay and spread fast along the coast line of the Shihwa Lake. Then, in 1996 it showed the very high BPI levels all around the Lake. This serious polluted condition had been lasted till 1997, when the inflow of the seawater was begun. In 1998, from the nearest part of the Shihwa Gate, the BPI levels gradually became low in most area of the Lake, except its inner and narrow part. These greatly lowered BPI levels mean that the seawater inflow could be assumed to affect positively in the lake. Furthermore, BPI gave the same results from the other environmental assessment based on the abundance and the species richness of macrobenthic community. It shows that BPI could be useful as an effective method to assess the marine environment and evaluate the status of environmental conditions.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.64-72
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• 1980

Industrial wastes from pulp and food plants were treated with microorganisms to clarify organic waste-water and to produce cells as animal feed, and results were summarized as follows. (1) Waste-water from pulp, beer, bread yeast, and ethanol distillation plants contained $1.4{\sim}1.5%$ of total sugar, $0.25{\sim}0.35%$ nitrogen, and biological oxygen demand (BOD) was $400{\sim}25,000$, chemical oxygen demand (COD), $500{\sim}28,000$, and pH, $3.8{\sim}7.0$. The BOD and COD were highest in waste-water from ethanol distillation plants among others. (2) Bacterial and yeast counts were $4{\times}10^4-1{\times}10^9,\;2{\times}10^2-7{\times}10^4/ml$ in waste-water. (3) Bacteria grew better in pulp waste and yeasts in beer, bread yeast, and ethanol distillation waste. (4) Saccharomyces cerevisiae SAFM 1008 and Candida curvata SAFM 70 were the most suitable microorganisms for clarification of ethanol distillation waste. (5) When liquid and solid waste from ethanol distillation were treated with microbial cellulase, xylanase, and pectinase, solid waste was reduced by 36%, soluble waste was increased, and recuding sugar content was increased by 1.3 times which provided better medium than untreated waste for cultivation of yeasts. (6) Optimum growth conditions of the two species of yeast in ethanol distillation waste were pH 5.0, $30^{\circ}C$, and addition of 0.2% of urea, 0.1% of $KH_2PO_4$ and 0.02% of $MgSO_4$. (7) Minimum number of yeast for proper propagation was $1.8{\times}10^5/ml$. (8) C. curvata70 was better than cerevisae for the production of yeast cells from ethanol distillation waste treated with microbial enzymes. (9) S. cerevisiae produced 16 g of dried cell per 1,000ml of ethanol distillation waste and reduced BOD by 46%. C. curvata produced 17.6g of dried cell and reduced BOD by 52% at the same condition. (10) Yeast cells produced from the ethanol distillation waste contained 46-52% protein indicating suitability as a protein source for animal feed.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.185-193
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• 1992

To investigate differences in lead content in soils and paddy rices, affected by air pollutants from the Janghang Smelter, soil samples at the different directions, distances, and depths, surface(0-15cm depth) and subsurface(15-30cm depth) in 1982 and 1990, and rice plants at soil sampling sites in 1990 were separately collected at the Janghang Smelter area affected by combustible waste gas from the smelter chimney. Soil samples were extracted with $4M-HNO_3$ and plant samples were digested with mixture of $HNO_3$ and $HCIO_4$ for analyzing by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The Pb contents in soils ranged from 10.3 to 644.8mg $kg^{-1}$. The average content in 1990 was higher than that in 1982. The Pb content in soils at sites nearer the center of the smelter was higher than that at sites farther from the center. The highest lead content was found at the east direction, and was low in order of east>north-north east>north east > north. The variation of Pb level in soils at east sites was more considerable than other directions. The Pb level in surface soils was higher than that in subsurface soils. The contaminated radius of Pb was until 3km all at east, north-north east and north east. A significant correlation was found between Pb content in surface soils of 1982 and that in surface soils of 1990, between Pb content in soils and contents of Cd and Zn in soils, and between Pb content in soils and soil properties as organic matter, available silicate, cation exchange capacity, exchangeable $Ca^{++}$, $Mg^{++}$ and $Na^+$. Pb content in brown rice was low in the panicle axis, and brown rice, and Pb content in stem was 3.26 times of that in brown rice. Pb content in brown rice ranged from 2.2 to 9.0 mg $kg^{-1}$.

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 1996

Soil pollution indices (SPI) were designed for estimating quality of soil polluted with arsenic and heavy metals. Applying the quality reference value of soil based on its multifunctional purpose was a key step. For considereing multifunctions of soil, soil was classified into 4 groups-agricultural land, residential area, recreational area, factorial site. Then, each concentration of arsenic and each of five heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, Zn) in soils grouped was transformed to a mathematical value based on the soil quality reference value which may stand for ecological impact. Soil pollution score (SPS) was the addition of the 6 values transformed, and the range of the SPS was divided into 4 Soil Pollution Classes (SPC). The SPC 1, 2, 3, and 4 were SPS <100, SPS 100-200, SPS >200-300, and SPS >300, repectively. SPS and SPC were evaluated with the results of the data from employing the Soil Network of 1994. Based on the soil quality reference values, SPS and SPC of the Soil Network's data were transformed and classified, respectively. Then, SPS and SPC were compared with arsenic and the 5 heavy metal contents of their reference values resulted from the Soil Network's. From this method, soil quality of most of the Soil Network area was estimated to be healthy. However, ca. 3.0~4.0% of the Soil Network area was determined in a range of slightly and heavily polluted. As the mean value of SPS of the Soil Network's was 66.2 which indicates most of soil evaluated was healthy. When the SPSs of the data were divided into 4 groups of SPC, Class 1 (Good quality of soil), Class 2 (Need to be checked area 1), Class 3 (Need to be checked area 2) and Class 4 (Polluted area) were 87.0, 9.4, 2.4, 1.2%, respectively. Using SPI were comparable to those of heavy metal contents in soils, and would be comprehenve to determine the status of soil qulity. Methodology of the developing SPI would be applicable to the other soil pollutants such as organic and inorganics than arsenic and 5 heavy metals used here.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.185-195
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• 2012

Due to the high reduction and sorption capacity as well as the large specific surface area, nanosized mackinawite (FeS) is useful in reductively transforming chlorinated organic pollutants and sequestering toxic metals and metalloids. Due to the dynamic nature in its colloid stability, however, nanosized FeS may be washed out with the groundwater flow or result in aquifer clogging via particle aggregation. Thus, these nanoparticles should be modified such as to be built into permeable reactive barriers. This study employed coating methods in efforts to facilitate the installation of permeable reactive barriers of nanosized mackinawite. In applying the methods, nanosized mackinawite was coated on non-treated silica sand (NTS) and chemically treated silica sand (CTS). For both silica sands, the maximum coating of mackinawite occurred around pH 5.4, the condition of which was governed by (1) the solubility of mackinawite and (2) the surface charge of both silica and mackinawite. Under this pH condition, the maximum coating by NTS and CTS were found to be 0.101 mmol FeS/g and 0.043 mmol FeS/g respectively, with such elevated coatings by NTS likely linked with impurities (e.g., iron oxides) on its surface. Arsenite sorption experiments were performed under anoxic conditions using uncoated silica sands and those coated with mackinawite at the optimal pH to compare their reactivity. At pH 7, the relative sorption efficiency between uncoated NTS and coated NTS changed with the initial concentration of arsenite. At the lower initial concentration, uncoated NTS showed the higher sorption efficiency, whereas at the higher concentration, coated NTS exhibited the higher sorption efficiency. This could be attributed to different sorption mechanisms as a function of arsenite concentration: the surface complexation of arsenite with the iron oxide impurity on silica sand at the low concentration and the precipitation as arsenic sulfides by reaction with mackinawite coating at the high concentration. Compared to coated NTS, coated CTS showed the lower arsenite removal at pH 7 due to its relatively lower mackinawite coating. Taken together, our results indicate that NTS is a more effective material than CTS for the coating of nanosized mackinawite.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.425-437
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• 2007

Flow distribution of water and sedimentation rate were investigated to understand the hydrodynamics and settling characteristics of particulate materials in a constructed wetland for treatment of non-point sources pollutants, the Sihwa constructed wetland, Korea. The Sihwa constructed wetland is divided into three sub-wetlands(the Banwol, the Donghwa and the Samhwa wetlands) to treat the polluted water from three streams, the Banwol stream, the Donghwa stream and the Samhwa stream. From the results of water flow experiment using dye(Rhodamine 50WT Red), it was found that the water flow in the wetland was prevailing at the waterway and open water. Dye was spread slowly in the closed water area planted by plants. The mean hydraulic retention time(HRT) at the upper area of high wetland and lower wetland of Banwol, was found to be 34.1 hr at the upper area and 74.6 hr at the lower area respectively, totaling approximately 108.7 hr(4.5 days). The sedimentation rate was higher at lower area(sites of B, C and D) of the wetland than upper area(site of A which is settling zone). Based on the forecast for 20 years as to the amount of sediment that can be deposited in the open water in the future, the sediment depth of each area would be like this: A: 6.3 cm, B: 8.3 cm, C: 7.0 cm, D: 9.5 cm. The contents of organic materials in the sediment deposited within the sediment trap were found to be higher overly in the first investigation period which had much rainfall, and B, C and D areas were found to have an increased COD accumulation than A area. Also, nitrogen and phosphorus were found to increase in the down-stream of the wetland. The results of this study suggest that a sustainable research and management for the characteristics of water flow pattern and sedimentation changeable as time passes is needs to maintain or improve the efficiency of water treatment in the constructed wetland.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 1994

To investigate differences in Cu contents in paddy soils and rices, being affected by air pollutants from the Janghang Smelter, soil samples at the different directions and surface (0-15cm) and subsurface (15-30cm) were collected in 1982 and 1990, and rice plants at the soil corresponding sampling sites in 1990 were also at separately collected from the Janghang Smelter area. Soil samples were extracted with $4M-HNO_3$ and plant samples were digested with a mixture of $HNO_3$ and $HClO_4$ for analyzing Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The Cu contents in soils ranged from 5.1 to 391.0 mg $kg^{-1}$. The average content of Cu in 1990 was higher than that in 1982. The Cu content in soils nearer to the center of the smelter was higher than that farther from the center. The Cu content was highest at the east direction, and was in order of east > north-north east = north east > north. The variation of Cu levels in soil at east sites was more considerable than other directions. The Cu level in surface soils was higher than that in subsurface soils. The Cu contaminated area was within 5 km at east, and 3 km at north-north east and north east. A significant correlation was found between Cu content in surface soils of 1982 and that in surface and subsurface soils of 1990, and between Cu content in soils and soil properties such as organic matter(OM), available phosphate, available silicate, exchangeable $Ca^{++}$ and $Na^+$ in 1982. The Cu content in brown rice ranged from 0.4 to 3.6 mg $kg^{-1}$, and was the lowest in parts of rice plant, and Cu content in a part of plant was 13.75 times higher than that in brown rice. The Cu content of leaf sheath, stem and brown rice was correlated with the levels of Cd, Zn, Cu and Pb in soils. The Cu content in soil regardless of years and soil depths was correlated with Zn and Pb in soil in the area affected by waste gas.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.625-639
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• 2019

Microplastics are one of the substances threatening the marine ecosystem. Here, we summarize the status of research on the effect of microplastics on marine life and suggest future research directions. Microplastics are synthetic polymeric compounds smaller than 5 mm and these materials released into the environment are not only physically small but do not decompose over time. Thus, they accumulate extensively on land, from the coast to the sea, and from the surface to the deep sea. Microplastic can be ingested and accumulated in marine life. Furthermore, the elution of chemicals added to plastic represents another risk. Microplastics accumulated in the ocean affect the growth, development, behavior, reproduction, and death of marine life. However, the properties of microplastics vary widely in size, material, shape, and other aspects and toxicity tests conducted on several properties of microplastics cannot represent the hazards of all other microplastics. It is necessary to evaluate the risks according to the types of microplastic, but due to their variety and the lack of uniformity in research results, it is difficult to compare and analyze the results of previous studies. Therefore, it is necessary to derive a standard test method to estimate the biological risk from different types of microplastics. In addition, while most of the previous studies were conducted mostly on spheres for the convenience of the experiments, they do not properly reflect the reality that fibers and fragments are the main forms of microplastics in the marine environment and in fish and shellfish. Furthermore, studies have been conducted on additives and POPs (persistent organic pollutants) in plastics, but little is known about their toxic effects on the body. The effects of microplastics on the marine ecosystems and humans could be identified in more detail if standard testing methods are developed, microplastics in the form of fibers and fragments rather than spheres are tested, and additives and POPs are analyzed. These investigations will allow us to identify the impact of microplastics on marine ecosystems and humans in more detail.