• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.221-229
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• 2023

Extracted from the metropolitan area, the Paldang Lake, which supplies approximately 8 million tons of water, has achieved a BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) of 1.1 mg/L as a result of water quality preservation policies. However, concerning the COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) component that encompasses refractory organic matter, there has been an observable upward trend in concentration. The introduction of refractory organic matter into the water source of Paldang Lake brings potential increments in BOD, generates off-putting tastes and odors in tap water, increases THM (Trihalomethane) formation, and triggers algae proliferation. Moreover, if residual hazardous refractory pollutants persist in aquatic environments, they may induce endocrine disruption and phenomena such as antibiotic resistance. In this study, a monitoring campaign was executed to discern the concentration of refractory organic matter emissions from point and non-point sources within Paldang Lake and its upstream region, with the aim of managing refractory organic matter in Paldang Lake. By comparing refractory organic matter emission concentrations across monitored areas, the elimination efficiency at wastewater treatment plants was assessed. Additionally, employing the Pearson correlation correlation analysis technique, correlations among refractory organic matter indices, antecedent wet days, and antecedent dry days were explored. The concentrations of refractory organic matter in rivers and Paldang Lake exhibited a similar pattern. Wastewater treatment plant effluents exhibited higher concentrations compared to rivers and Paldang Lake. The assessment of refractory organic matter removal at wastewater treatment plants indicated a removal efficiency of 65.73%. However, no significant correlation emerged between refractory organic matter emission concentration and antecedent wet days or priory antecedent dry days. This absence of correlation is attributed to data scarcity, underscoring the need for long-term monitoring and data accumulation.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.109-114
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• 1998

Radiological safety for the conventional operation of Demonstration-Scale Incineration Plant (DSIP) was assessed on the basis of the results of trial burns using the simulated and real radioactive wastes. Radiation dose assessments for routine releases on an annual basis as well a several severe accidental releases on a short-term basis (2h) revealed that there would be no significant environmental impact when low-level waste Is incinerated in DSIP. For semivolatile radioactive cesium species, expected emission concentrations slightly exceeded 10% of maximum permissible concentration. Removal characteristics of the bag filter for condensed-phase cesium species was investigated by the trial burns of simulated waste with inactive cesium tracer. In the off-gas before passing through bag filter, distributions of condensed cesium species in the transition size ranging between the diffusional and inertial region are less than 5%. The overall collection efficiency of the bag filter for cesium species was higher than 99.9%, showing enough decontamination capability as a primary filter for the low-temperature dry off-gas system in radwaste incineration plant.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.203-210
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• 2016

In this study, nine heavy metals were analyzed in seaweeds collected from market and laver culture farm of Korea and a food safety assessment were also carried out for these heavy metals. The level of heavy metal concentrations in seaweeds was in the following order: Fe>As>Zn>Cu>Cd>Pb>Cr>Ni>Hg. Except for zinc and cadmium, seven heavy metals were significantly higher in cultured laver than in processed laver. Significant correlation was observed Cr-Fe in cultured laver and Cu-Zn, Cd-Cu, Cd-Zn and Pb-Ni in processed laver and Cu-Cr, Cu-Zn, Cd-Cr and Ni-Fe in sea tangle and Zn-Fe, Cr-Fe, Cr-Zn, Cd-Ni, Cu-Cd and Cu-Pb in processed sea mustard. Considering differences in heavy metal concentration between processed laver and cultured laver and in correlation among heavy metals, removal efficiency of heavy metals may be attributed to seaweed treatment process. The average weekly intakes of Cu, Cd, Zn, Fe and Hg via seaweeds consumption were about 0.1~7.6% of PTWI (Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intakes). Therefore, it was found that heavy metals in the seaweeds were very safe for consumption.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.37 no.12
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• pp.696-704
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• 2015

This study was carried out to evaluate the optimum operational condition of Semi-continuously Fed and Mixed Reactor (SCFMR) to treat the dairy cow manure and saw dust mixture. Step-wise increase in organic loading rates (OLRs) or decrease in hydraulic retention times (HRTs) were utilized until the biogas volume became significantly decreased at mesophilic temperature ($35^{\circ}C$). The optimum operating condition of the SCFMR fed with TS 13% dairy cow manure and saw dust mixture was found to be an HRTs of 25 days and its corresponding OLRs of $4.45kg\;VS/m^3-day$. At this condition the biogas and methane production rates were 1.44 v/v-d and 1.12 v/v-d (volume of biogas per volume of reactor per day), respectively and the TVS removal efficiency of 37% was achieved. The successful operation with such a high OLR was due to the high reactor alkalinity concentration of 14,500~15,600 mg/L as $CaCO_3$ as a result of the characteristic of the original substrate, dairy cow manure and saw dust mixture whose alkalinity was more than 8,000 mg/L as $CaCO_3$. The parameters for the reactor stability, the ratios of volatile acids and alkalinity concentrations (V/A) and the ratio of propionic acid and acetic acid concentrations (P/A) appeared to be 0.11 and 0.43, respectively, that were greatly stable in operation. Free ammonia toxicity was not experienced due to the long term acclimation by the reactor TS content ranged 7.2~10.4% during the entire operational period.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.37-45
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• 2005

Higher requirement of advanced building design code and the development of construction technique have resulted in more thermal and air tight buildings. This has caused the sick building syndrome in a indoor air quality has been relatively getting worse. A new concept with a solar fresh air heating and electrostatic precipitator or called as STCC(Solar Transpired Collector and Cyclone) has been proposed to solve this IAQ issue. This paper describes the assessment study of STCC system under different outdoor airflow rates. The experiment was carried out under real condition with 30CMM STCC system test facility. Incense smoke was used to study the particle concentration decay trends under outdoor airflow rates 0CMM, 10CMM, 20CMM, 30CMM, with applied voltages of 5kV and 15kV for collecting and discharging electrodes of an Electrostatic Precipitator. Result shows that the particle decay increases by increasing the outdoor airflow rates. The collection efficiency, dust cleaning effectiveness(P) and application area calculation result comparisons have also been studied. This factors could be used to estimate how a dust of indoor air quality(IAQ) and removed for a building space with a STCC system.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.657-668
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• 2014

Under Korea's Enforcement Decree of the Framework Act on Environmental Policy amended in 2013, total organic carbon (TOC) is newly added as water quality parameter to assess organic pollution in water and aquatic ecosystem. To meet the TOC requirement and improve quality of effluent discharged into public watershed, it is also necessary to develop standards for TOC in effluent from public sewage treatment works (PSTWs). In this study, we reviewed the characteristics and removal efficiency of TOC in influent and effluent of PSTWs. The study found that phosphorus treatment process removed not only soluble phosphorus but also a portion of TOC remaining after the secondary treatment process. TOC concentration in effluent from PSTWs operated in tandem with industrial wastewater treatment work was higher due to influx of insoluble substances from the industrial wastewater treatment work. In order to lay a foundation for the management of TOC from PSTWs, it is necessary to carry out research on TOC from different perspectives. For example, studies on the generation mechanism of TOC and the impact of TOC on drinking water resources, assessment of effluent qualities through monitoring, and development of measures to control TOC for the preservation of aquatic ecosystem are needed.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.521-528
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• 2019

Electrochemical method was used for the fracturing flow-back fluid treatment in Guangyuan oilfield. After performing electrolysis, we found that the amount of $H_2$ gas produced by electrode was closely related to the combination mode of electrodes and electrode materials. Using an aluminium electrode resulted in a large $H_2$ production of each electrode combination, whereas inert anode and cathode materials resulted in low $H_2$ production. Then, the relationship between the gas production of $H_2$ and the treatment efficiency of fracturing flow-back fluid in Guangyuan oilfield was studied. Results showed that the turbidity removal and decolourisation rates of fracturing flow-back fluid were high when $H_2$ production was high. If the $H_2$ production of inert electrode was large, the energy consumption of this inert electrode was also high. However, energy consumption when an aluminium anode material was used was lower than that when the inert electrode was used, whereas the corresponding electrode combination production of $H_2$ was larger than that of the inert electrode combination. When the inert electrode was used as anode, the gas production type was mainly $O_2$, and $Cl_2$ was also produced and dissolved in water to form $ClO^-$. $H_2$ production at the cathode was reduced because $ClO^-$ obtained electrons.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.13-20
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• 2010

Acid mine drainage (AMD) from abandoned mine sites typically has low pH and contains high level of various heavy metals, aggravating ground- and surface water qualities and neighboring environments. This study investigated removal of heavy metals in a biological treatment system, mainly focusing on the removal by adsorption on a substrate material. Bench-scale batch experiments were performed with a mushroom compost to evaluate the adsorption characteristics of heavy metals leached out from a mine tailing sample and the role of SRB in the overall removal process. In addition, adsorption experiments were perform using an artificial AMD sample containing $Cd^{2+}$, $Cu^{2+}$, $Pb^{2+}$ and $Zn^{2+}$ to assess adsorption capacity of the mushroom compost. The results indicated Mn leached out from mine tailing was not subject to microbial stabilization or adsorption onto mushroom compost while microbially mediated stabilization played an important role in the removal of Zn. Fe leaching significantly increased in the presence of microbes as compared to autoclaved samples, and this was attributed to dissolution of Fe minerals in the mine tailing in a response to the depletion of $Fe^{3+}$ by iron reduction bacteria. Measurement of oxidation reduction potential (ORP) and pH indicated the reactive mixture maintained reducing condition and moderate pH during the reaction. The results of the adsorption experiments involving artificial AMD sample indicated adsorption removal efficiency was greater than 90% at pH 6 condition, but it decreased at pH 3 condition.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.424-431
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• 2018

Stormwater runoff containing considerable amounts of pollutants such as particulates, organics, nutrients, and heavy metals contaminate natural bodies of water. At present, best management practices (BMP) intended to reduce the volume and treat pollutants from stormwater runoff were devised to serve as cost-effective measures of stormwater management. However, improper design and lack of proper maintenance can lead to degradation of the facility, making it unable to perform its intended function. This study evaluated an infiltration trench (IT) that went through a series of maintenance operations. 41 monitored rainfall events from 2009 to 2016 were used to evaluate the pollutant removal capabilities of the IT. Assessment of the water quality and hydrological data revealed that the inflow volume was the most relative factor affecting the unit pollutant loads (UPL) entering the facility. Seasonal variations also affected the pollutant removal capabilities of the IT. During the summer season, the increased rainfall depths and runoff volumes diminished the pollutant removal efficiency (RE) of the facility due to increased volumes that washed off larger pollutant loads and caused the IT to overflow. Moreover, the system also exhibited reduced pollutant RE for the winter season due to frozen media layers and chemical-related mechanisms impacted by the low winter temperature. Maintenance operations also posed considerable effects of the performance of the IT. During the first two years of operation, the IT exhibited a decrease in pollutant RE due to aging and lack of proper maintenance. However, some events also showed reduced pollutant RE succeeding the maintenance as a result of disturbed sediments that were not removed from the geotextile. Ultimately, the presented effects of maintenance operations in relation to the pollutant RE of the system may lead to the optimization of maintenance schedules and procedures for BMP of same structure.