• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.1043-1050
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• 2020

Radioactive aerosols are produced during the cutting of contaminated and activated metals. They must be collected and removed by a high-performing filtration system before releasing to the environment from the decommissioning workplace. The filtration system requires regular replacement to ensure the sufficient removal of radioactive aerosols because its filtration efficiency gradually decreases. This study evaluates the efficiency and lifetime of filters while cutting metals by using a plasma arc cutter. Particularly, this study considers the aerodynamic diameter distribution of number and mass concentrations for aerosols from 6 nm to 10 ㎛ when evaluating the performance of filters. After 20 time reuses for cutting operation performed in a cutting chamber, the removal efficiency is reduced from over 99 to below 93% at 2 ㎛. The results are used to analyze the lifetime of filters, the frequencies of their replacements, and impact on internal radiation dose.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.815-821
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• 2011

This study aims to estimate the biological decomposition capacity of MPC(Microorganism Porous-Concrete). MPC has specific surface area formed by inside pores, and bio compound was added to those pores to reduce pollutants loading. To evaluate the water purification capacity of MPC, we carried out the comparative studies using different media types [GPC(General Porous-concrete), CPC(Compound porous-concrete), LPC(Lightweight aggregate porous-concrete)] under the condition of CFSTR, and different retention times (30, 60 and 120 min). We also estimated the purification capacity of MPC under different concentrations of pollutant loadings. The MPC showed higher efficiency in water purification function than other conventional porous concretes with efficient decrease rates of SS, BOD, COD, and nutrient concentrations. In the comparison experiment for different retention times, MPC showed the highest removal efficiency for all tested pollutants in the longest retention time(120 min). In the long period test, the removal efficiencies of MPC concrete were high until 100 days after the set up of the operation, but began to decrease. Outflow flux was invariable compared with inflow flux so that extra detention time for media fouling such as back washing is not needed. But the results suggested that appropriate management is necessary for long-term operation of MPC. As the final outcome, MPC using bio organisms is considered to be efficient for stream water purification when they used as substrates for artificial river structure.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.325-331
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• 2015

Due to urbanization and increase in impervious area, changes in natural water circulation system have become a cause of groundwater recharge reduction, streamflow depletion and other hydrological problems. Therefore, this study developed the infiltration planter techniques applied in an LID facility treating roof stormwater runoff such as, performance of small decentralized retention and infiltration through the reproduction of natural water circulation system and use of landscape for cleaning water. Assessment of an infiltration planter was performed through rainfall monitoring to analyze the water balance and pollutant removal efficiency. Hydrologic assessment of an infiltration planter, showed a delay in time of effluent for roof runoff for about 3 hours and on average, 79% of facilities had a runoff reduction through retention and infiltration. Based on the analysis, pollutant removal efficiency generated in the catchment area showed an average of 97% for the particulate matter, 94% for the organic matter and 86-96% and 92-93% for the nutrients and heavy metals were treated, respectively. Comparative results with other LID facilities were made. For this study, facilities compared the SA/CA to high pollutant removal efficiency for the determination to of the effectiveness of the facility when applied in an urban area.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.549-555
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to ensure optimal operating conditions for improving the removal efficiency of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) that are the causative agents of eutrophication by utilizing functional media. The main ingredients of the functional media used in this study are Si, Al, and Fe, SiO₂, KAlSiO₃O₈, Al₂O₂·2SiO₂O, H₃Al₂Si₂O₉, Fe₃O₄O), and berylite. To identify the maximum efficiency of the filtration process, the processing efficiency experiment was carried out according to flow method, velocity, and thickness of residual media. The flow method carried out two experiments, 50 m/day, 100 m/day, 150 m/day, 200 m/day, 250 m/day, and 20 cm, 40 cm, 50 cm, 60 cm, 80 cm of lead depth. Experiments have shown that SS, T-N, and T-P all showed higher elimination efficiency of the upflow current conditions than the downflow current conditions, and that the processing efficiency of the linearity is the highest at SS 50 m/day, T-N 150 m/day and T-P 100 m/day. In addition, the analysis of the removal efficiency according to the residual thickness showed that SS, T-N, and T-P all showed the highest efficiency at 60 cm. In addition, the analysis of the removal efficiency according to the residual thickness showed that SS, T-N, and T-P all showed the highest efficiency at 60 cm. It is considered desirable to set the top-down flow conditions and residual thickness of 60 cm and adjust the velocity of the line according to the target media for removal.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2020.06a
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• pp.231-231
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• 2020

Unlike conventional treatment technologies, the performance of nature-based facilities were susceptible to seasonal changes and climatological variabilities. This study evaluated the effects of seasonal variables on the treatment performance of constructed wetlands (CWs). Two CWs treating runoff and discharge from agricultural and livestock areas were monitored to determine the efficiency of the systems in reducing particulates, organics, and nutrients in the influent. For all four seasons, the mean effluent suspended solids concentration in the agricultural CW (ACW) increased by -2% to -39%. The occurrence of algal blooms in the system during summer and fall seasons resulted to the greatest increase in the amount of suspended materials in the overlying water. unlike ACW, the livestock CW (LCW) performed efficiently throughout the year, with mean suspended solids removal amounting to 61% to 68%. Algal blooms were still present in LCW seasonally; however, the constant inflow in the system limited the proliferation of phytoplankton through continuous flushing. The total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) removal efficiencies in ACW were higher during the summer (21% to 25%) and fall (8% to 21%) seasons since phytoplankton utilize nitrogen and phosphorus during the early stages of phytoplankton blooms. In the case of LCW, the most efficient reduction in TN (24%) and TP (54%) concentrations were also noted in summer, which can be attributed to the favorable environmental conditions for microbial activities. The mean removal of organics in ACW was lowest during summer season (-52% to 35%), wherein the onset of algal decay triggered a relative increase in organic matter and stimulate bacterial growth. The removal of organics in LCW was highest (54 % to 55%) during the fall and winter seasons since low water temperatures may limit the persistence of various algal species. Variations in environmental conditions due to seasonal changes can greatly affect the performance of CW systems. This study effectively established the contributory factors affecting the feasibility of utilizing CW systems for treating agricultural and livestock discharges and runoff.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.237-242
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• 2011

In this study, three pilot-scale plants with the capacity 30 $m^3$/day were designed and set up to treat reservoir water for the production of drinking water. Three treatment processes were compared in the pilot testing: process 1 (coagulation- flocculation- sedimentationsand filtration- ozone- BAC); process 2 (coagulation- flocculation- sedimentation- microfiltration-ozone- BAC); and process 3 (coagulation- flocculation- sedimentation- sand filtration- GAC). The quality of water has been evaluated on the basis of selected parameters such as turbidity, color, consumption of $KMnO_4$, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP), geosmin and 2-MIB. A detailed assessment of performance was carried out during a five months operation. Process 2 was found to have better removal efficiency of DOC, THMFP, geosmin and 2-MIB than process 1 and process 3 under identical conditions, although the removal rate of color was found to be the same in the three cases.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2008

Non-point pollution is caused by many diffusive sources, unlike a point pollution derived from industrial wastewater treatment plants or sewage treatment plants. Runoff of non-point pollutants is originated from rainfall or thawing in short period of time moving over and through the a ground surface. They cause ill effect on the quality of neighboring aquatic environment. To prevent effectively the wash off from non-point pollutant, it should be immediately reduced at the source or be treated after gathering of runoff water. This study has been carried out for the best width of riparian buffer zone. So we implemented the experiment in terms of its depth, width and kind of vegetations and calculated the reduction of pollutants loading. The experimental zone encompasses the watershed of Namhan River (Kyunggido Yangpyunggun Byungsanri). The region was divided into 5 land cover sectors : grass, reed, pussy willow, mixed(grass+pussy willow) and natural zone to compare effectiveness of vegetation. Water samples from four points have been collected in different depths. And the pollutant removal efficiency by sectors with different plant species was yielded through influent with one of each sample. And we obtained the correlation between the width of riparian buffer zone and the removal efficiency of pollutants. Using correlation result, the width of riparian buffer zones which needs to improve the water quality of river could be derived.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.213-223
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• 2008

The increasing area of abandoned rice fields could provide new opportunities for wetland restoration in Asia. However, it is unknown how quickly or completely abandoned rice fields will recover from agricultural disturbances. We assessed water quality and plant community succession in abandoned rice fields with different hydrology in a mountain valley to understand the effects of hydrological regime on recovery. Water level, soil redox potential, water quality, plant composition, and primary production were measured. The sites, coded as D6, N13, and N16, had been recovering for 6, 13, and 16 years by 2006. N13 and N16 have been recovering naturally whereas D6 has been drained with a nearby dike and was tilled in 2001. The typical hydroperiods of D6, N13, and N16 were no surface water, permanently flooded, and seasonally flooded, respectively. The major change in vegetation structure of both D6 and N13 was the replacement of herbaceous species by woody species. Drawdown accelerated this change because Salix koreensis grew better in damp conditions than in flooded conditions. Phragmites japonica reduced plot-level plant species richness. The removal efficiency of $NH_4-N$, $NO_3-N$, and $PO_4-P$ from water varied seasonally, ranging between -78.8 to 44.3%, 0 to 97.5%, and -26.0 to 44.4%, respectively. In summary, abandoned rice fields quickly became suitable habitat for native wetland plant species and improved regional water quality. Variation among our sites indicates that it is likely possible to manage abandoned rice fields, mostly through controlling hydrology, to achieve site-specific restoration goals.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.78-88
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• 2023

Background: Exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can have acute and chronic health effects on human beings in general and in working environments. In particular, VOCs are often emitted in large quantities in industrial settings. In such circumstances, there is a need to improve the indoor air quality at workplaces. Objectives: The purposes of this study were to verify the effectiveness of air cleaning devices in workplaces and provide alternative solutions for improving working environments. Methods: Personal exposure and area level of VOCs for workers were evaluated in a car-part adhesive process before and after installing an air cleaning device with a TiO₂-coated filter. Passive samplers and direct reading instruments were used to collect and analyze the VOCs, and the removal efficiency and improvement of air quality were evaluated. We also calculated the exposure index (EI) to assess the risk level in the workplace. Results: The removal efficiency for VOCs through the installation of the air cleaning device was approximately 26.9~69.0% as determined by the concentration levels before and after installation. The measured substances did not exceed the exposure limits for the work environment and the EI was less than 1. However, carcinogenic substances such as benzene, formaldehyde, carbon tetrachloride, and trichloroethylene were detected. Conclusions: The application of an air cleaning device can be a solution for controlling the indoor air quality in a workplace, particularly in cases where ventilation systems cannot be installed due to process limitations.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.111-120
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• 2014

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to investigate the levels of pesticide residues in fruits and to assess their risk to human health. METHODS AND RESULTS: Monitoring of 215 samples of fruits collected from local markets in incheon during 2013 was performed. 259 pesticides were analyzed by multi-residue method and Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and safe/Mass/Mass(QuEChERS/MS/MS) method using Gas Chromatography-Electron Capture Detector/Nitrogen Phosphorus Detector(GC-ECD/NPD), GC-MS, LC(Liquid Chromatography-Mass/Mass(LC-MS/MS) and High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Photodiode Array/Fluorescence Detector(HPLC-PDA/FLD). In 56.3% of the samples detected pesticide residues and were not found to exceed Maximum Residue Limits(MRL). The highest detected samples were found in citrus fruits(83.9%). Among the detected compounds, carbendazim(13.1%), imazalil (11.7%), thiabendazole(10.7%) and fludioxonil(9.8%) were frequently found in fruits. A risk assessment of pesticide residues in fruits was performed by calculating Estimated Daily Intake(EDI) and Acceptable Daily Intake(ADI). Also, we were evaluated removal efficiency of pesticide residues by washing and peeling. The removal efficiency of pesticide residues in citrus and tropical fruits by peeling processes were 91.6%. After the washing process, the removal rates were 43.1%(Cherry, Grape, Blueberry). CONCLUSION: The level of pesticide residues in fruits was within the MRL. The range of %ADI values was from 0.00011 to 0.98795%. The process of washing or peeling reduces the level of pesticide residues. The results of this research concluded that the detected pesticides are not harmful to human being.