• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.39-47
• /
• 2009

The METRO-K is a model for a radiological dose assessment due to a radioactive contamination in the Korean urban environment. The model has been taken part in the Urban Remediation Working Group within the IAEA's (International Atomic Energy Agency) EMRAS (${\mathbf{\underline{E}}}nvironmental$ ${\mathbf{\underline{M}}}odeling$ for ${\mathbf{\underline{RA}}}diation$ ${\mathbf{\underline{S}}}afety$) program. The Working Croup designed for the intercomparison of radioactive contamination to be resulted from the explosion of a radiological dispersal device in a hypothetical city. This paper dealt intensively with a part among a lot of predictive results which had been performed in the EMRAS program. The predictive results of three different models (METRO-K, RESRAD-RDD, CPHR) were submitted to the Working Group. The gap of predictive results was due to the difference of mathemathical modeling approaches, parameter values, understanding of assessors. Even if final results (for example, dose rates from contamintaed surfaces which might affect to a receptor) are similar, the understanding on the contribution of contaminated surfaces showed a great difference. Judging from the authors, it is due to the lack of understanding and information on radioactive terrors as well as the social and cultural gaps which assessors have been experienced. Therefore, it can be known that the experience of assessors and their subjective judgements might be important factors to get reliable results. If the acquisition of a little additional information is possible, it was identified that the METRO-K might be a useful tool for decision support against contamination resulting from radioactive terrors by improving the existing model.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.27 no.10
• /
• pp.1129-1135
• /
• 2005

In this study. the applicability of a rotating reactor for the oxidative removal of aqueous humic substances extracted from the Han River in Seoul, Korea was investigated. As air blowing for proper mixing of $TiO_2$ photocatalyst could inhibit UV-irradiation between a UV lamp and photocatalyst by air bubbles, a rotating reactor with some baffles was used for better UV-irradiation effect in this study. Han River humic substances are different from the other commercial humic substances(e.g., from Aldrich and International Humic Substance Society). Their characteristics were investigated with structural and spectroscopic analyses using FT-IR(Fourier transform-infrared), and $^{13}C$-NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance). The humic substances were extracted by XAD-7HP and treated with $TiO_2$-coated hollow beads under UV-A and UV-C irradiation in order to solve problems of separation and recovery of photocatalyst after reaction. At approximately 5 mg/L of initial TOC concentration, pH 3 and $2.0\;g-TiO_2/L$ dose, photocatalytic oxidation of Han River humic substances showed the optimum removal efficiency. Also, UV-C and UV-A lamps showed similar TOC removal efficiency. However, under UV-C irradiation, Han River humic substances were degraded to smaller compounds and increased the proportion of low molecular weight fractions compared to UV-A.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.240-246
• /
• 2005

Humic substances HS) from process waters at advanced water treatment plant consisted of GAC and Ozone/GAC processes were isolated and extracted by physicochemical fractionation methods to investigate their characteristics. They are characterized for their functionality, chemical composition, spectroscopic characteristics using FT-IR and $^1H$-NMR spectroscopy. Humic fraction gradually decreased from 36.3% to 24.2% from 0.45 to 0.30 mgC/L) through ozonation and carbon adsorption. The humic fraction was isolated into the phenolic and carboxylic groups using A-21 resin, and the concentration of phenolic groups gradually decreased from 38.4% to 23.5% (from 4.9 to $3.2\;{\mu}M/L$ as phenolic-OH) through ozonation and carbon adsorption. In the case of carboxylic groups, the concentration decreased from 61.6% to 43.3% (from 7.8 to $5.8\;{\mu}M/L$ as COOH) through the water treatment processes. On the other hand, concentrations of those roups decreased from 38.4% to 24.0% and 61.6% to 44.9% through carbon adsorption without ozonation, respectively. The structural changes of HS identified from FT-IR and $^1H$-NMR were consistent with the results from the isolation of functional groups in HS.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.54-61
• /
• 2008

Permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) technology has been focused in contaminated groundwater remediation. It is necessary to select adequate reactive material according to characteristics of contaminant in groundwater. In this research, the reaction between reactive material and heavy metal contaminants was estimated through column test. Reactive material was slag, which has been produced in Gwangyang power plant, and heavy metal contaminants were cadmium, lead and copper. Column test was performed in the condition of 1) single and multi contaminated solution and 2) different initial concentration of cadmium. Retardation factor of cadmium is 3.94 in multi contamination. But that of copper is 40.3 in single and 25 in multi. The difference of retardation between cadmium and copper is due to affinity, resulted from the difference of electronegativity. In multi-contamination, copper effluent concentration was above initial copper concentration and at the same time lead effluent concentration was decreased. This phenomenon was considered that lead extract copper sorbed in slag and then lead was sorbed to the vacant sorption site instead. And as the initial concentration was increased, the retardation factor of cadmium became decreased.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.78-85
• /
• 2014

BACKGROUND: Recent studies using various industrial wastes for heavy metal stabilization in soil were conducted in order to find out new alternative amendments. The acid mine drainage sludge(AMDS) contains lots of metal oxides(hydroxides) that may be useful for heavy metal stabilization not only waste water treatment but also soil remediation. The aim of this study was to investigate the applicability of acid mine drainage sludge for heavy metals stabilization in soils METHODS AND RESULTS: Alkali soil contaminated with heavy metals was collected from the agricultural soils affected by the abandoned mine sites nearby. Three different amounts(1%, 3%, 5%) of AMDS were applied into control soil and contaminated soil. For determining the changes in the extractable heavy metals, $CaCl_2$ and Mehlich-3 were applied as chemical assessments for metal stabilization. For biological assessments, lettuce(Lactuca sativa L.) and chinese cabbage(Brassica rapa var. glabra) were cultivated and accumulation of heavy metals on each plant were determined. It was revealed that AMDS reduced heavy metal mobility and bioavailability in soil, which resulted in the decreases in the accumulation of As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn in each plant. CONCLUSION: Though the high level of heavy metal concentrations in AMDS, any considerable increase in the heavy metal availability was not observed with control and contaminated soil. In conclusion, these results indicated that AMDS could be applied to heavy metal contaminated soil as an alternative amendments for reducing heavy metal mobility and bioavailability.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.76-85
• /
• 2012

Geochemical and ecological properties of remediated soil and gas exhausted from a low-temperature thermal desorption (LTTD) process were analyzed to assess the environmental impact of LTTD treatment. Soil characteristics were examined with regard to the chemical (EC, CEC, and organic matter) and the ecological (dehydrogenase activity, germination rate of Brassica juncea, and growth of Eisenia andrei) properties. The exhaust gases were analyzed based on the Air Quality Act in Korea as well as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and mixed odor. Level of organic Organic matter of the soil treated by LTTD process was slightly decreased compared to that of the original soil because the heating temperature ($200^{\circ}C$) and retention time (less than 15 minutes) were neither high nor long enough for the oxidation of organic matter. The LTTD process results in reducing TPH of the contaminated soil from $5,133{\pm}508$ mg/kg to $272{\pm}107$ mg/kg while preserving soil properties. Analysis results of the exhaust gases from the LTTD process satisfied discharge standard of Air Quality Law in Korea. Concentration of VOCs including acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, butyraldehyde and valeraldehyde in circulation gas volatilized from contaminated soil were effectively reduced in the regenerative thermal oxidizer and all satisfied the legal standards. Showing ecologically improved properties of contaminated soil after LTTD process and environmentally tolerable impact of the exhaust gas, LTTD treatment of TPH-contaminated soil is an environmentally acceptable technology.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.293-304
• /
• 2013

Because the present groundwater law broadly regulates a simple and impractical guideline ignoring aquifer characters and geology, general purpose facilities for protection of groundwater contamination is still considered unsatisfactory to ensure groundwater resources. In recent, there have been growing attempts in the packer development as crucial techniques and devices for groundwater protection. This study investigated the application of packer grouting techniques to contaminated groundwaters of two well sites in the Andong and Yeongi areas, both of which revealed a satisfactory effect with improved water quality: 94% decrease in turbidity at the Andong area and 60% decrease in $NO_3$-N, respectively. Based on aquifer characters including geology, weathering depth, fracture pattern, hydraulic gradient, and the flow path of contaminants, the integrated properties of groundwater contamination should be evaluated and treated with the help of accurate analyses such as bore hole imaging and monitoring data. Packer grouting and casing on well to ensure the useful aquifer free of contaminant are expected to play important role in inhibiting the inflow of contaminants when adequately applied. Therefore it is concluded that these can serve as reliable tools in remediation and protection of contaminated groundwater as well as efficient utilization of groundwater.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.39 no.3
• /
• pp.301-307
• /
• 2011

Oil pollution was world-wide prevalent treat to the environment, and the physic-chemical remediation technology of the TPH (total petroleum hydrocarbon) contaminated soil had the weakness that its rate was very slow and not economical. Bioremediation of the contaminated soil is a useful method if the concentrations are moderate and non-biological techniques are not economical. The aim of this research is to investigate the influence of additives on TPH degradation in a diesel contaminated soil environment. Six experimental conditions were conduced; (i) diesel contaminated soil, (ii) diesel contaminated soil treated with microbial additives, (iii) diesel contaminated soil treated with microbial additives and the mixture was titrated to the end point of pH 7 with NaOH, (iv) diesel contaminated soil treated with microbial additives and accelerating agents and (v) diesel contaminated soil treated with microbial additives and accelerating agents, and the mixture was titrated to the end point of pH 7 with NaOH. After 10 days, significant TPH degradation (67%) was observed in the DSP-1 soil sample. The removal of TPH in the soil sample where microbial additives were supplemented was 38% higher than the control soil sample during the first ten days. The microbial additives were effective in both the initial removal rate and relative removal efficiency of TPH compared with the control group. However, various environmental factors, such as pH and temperature, also affected the activities of microbes lived in the additives, so the pH calibration of the oil-contaminated soil would help the initial reduction efficiency in the early periods.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.27 no.5
• /
• pp.525-534
• /
• 2005

A column experiment was performed to investigate the influence of the sludge cake development on the riverbed and the hydraulic gradient imposed by the drawdown at the well on the filtrate quality in order to offer a guideline in the design and operation of the riverbed filtration. Results show that the sludge cake on the riverbed plays an important role in the removal of the organic matter. Under the conditions of this study the COD removal rate increased from 17% to 50% along with the sludge cake development, which was equivalent to the BCOD removal of 22% and 67%, respectively. The active removal of the organic matter took place in the sludge cake and the upper 40 cm of the riverbed. As the flow rate increased owing to the increase in the head difference imposed on the column, the slope of the COD profile near the column inlet decreased, however, the profiles converged in about 40 cm from the inlet. In 10 days of sludge cake formation the dissolved oxygen was depleted at the depth of 70 cm, which suggests the denitrification can take place beyond the depth. This depth was further reduced to $20{\sim}40\; cm$ as the sludge cake developed. From this study the removal of organic matter can be expected through the riverbed filtration even with the depth of as shallow as 3 m, which is frequently met in Korea, while the removal of nitrogen through denitrification is not expected to be active under the condition.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.39 no.2
• /
• pp.51-58
• /
• 2017

We investigated the efficiency of natural zeolite with different cation exchange capacity (CEC) as capping material for the remediation of marine sediments contaminated with heavy metals. Three different zeolite with high CEC (HCzeo, 163.74 cmolc/kg), medium CEC (MCzeo, 127.20 cmolc/kg), and low CEC (LCzeo, 70.62 cmolc/kg) were used. The surface area of the zeolite was in decreasing order: HCzeo ($59.43m^2/g$) > MCzeo ($52.10m^2/g$) > LCzeo ($10.12m^2/g$). The results of mineralogical composition obtained from X-ray diffraction (XRD) show that LCzeo was mainly composed of quartz and albite. In the XRD result of MCzeo and HCzeo, the peaks of clinoptilolite, heulandite, and mordenite were also observed along with that of quartz and albite. Sorption equilibrium onto the HCzeo, MCzeo, and LCzeo was reached in 6 h at initial concentration of 10 mg/L and 100 mg/L. Higher adsorption of Cd and Zn onto the zeolite with higher CEC were achieved but adsorption of Cu and Ni were not dependent on the CEC of zeolite. It can be concluded that the zeolite with high cation exchange ability is recommended for the contaminated sediments with Cd and Zn but the inexpensive zeolite with low CEC for Cu and Ni.