• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.99-111
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• 2018

In this study three target radionuclides ($^{60}Co$, $^{137}Cs$, and $^{125}Sb$) were reacted with solid samples collected from the nuclear facility sites to investigate their sorption and mobility behaviors for preparing unexpected nuclear accidents. The highest sorption distribution coefficients ($K_{ds}$) of target radionuclides ($^{60}Co=947mL/g$, $^{137}Cs=2105mL/g$, $^{125}Sb=81.3mL/g$) were found in topsoil layer under groundwater condition, and the $K_d$ values of three radionuclides decreased in the order of fractured rock and bedrock samples under the same groundwater condition. High $K_d$ values of $^{60}Co$ in topsoil layer and fracture rock resulted from the clay minerals present, and the $K_d$ values decreased 58-69 % under seawater condition due to high ionic strength. $^{137}Cs$ sorption was controlled by the ion exchange reaction with $K^+$ on flayed edge sites (FES) of mica. The $^{137}Cs$ sorption was the most affected by seawater (89-97 % decrease), while $^{125}Sb$ sorption was not much affected by seawater. As the results of column and batch experiments, the retardation factors (R) of $^{137}Cs$, $^{60}Co$, and $^{125}Sb$ were determined about 5400-7400, 2000-2500, and 250-415, respectively, indicating no significant transport for these radionuclides even in fractured zone with groundwater. These results suggest that even in the case of severe nuclear accident at the nuclear facilities the mobility of released radionuclides ($^{60}Co$, $^{137}Cs$, and $^{125}Sb$) can be significantly retarded by the topsoil layer and fractured rock. In addition, the results of this study will be used for the safety and environmental performance assessment of nuclear facilities.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.411-429
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• 2018

Daeyoung mine (also called "Daema mine") produced gold and silver from mainly gold- and silver-bearing quartz veins. The mine tailings are a waste hazard, but most of the tailings were swept away or dispersed throughout the area around the mine long before the tailing dump areas were transformed into agricultural land. Soil liner and protection facilities, such as retaining walls, were constructed in the mine area to prevent the loss of tailings. The content of the tailings is 3,424.41~3,803.61 mg/kg, which exceeds the safety standard by a factor of 45. In addition, contamination was detected near agricultural areas and in the sediments in downstream drainage channels. A high level of As contamination was concentrated near the waste tailings yard; comparaable levels were detected in agricultural areas close to streams that ran through the waste dump yard, whereas the levels were much lower in areas far from the streams. The contamination in stream sediments showed a gradual decrease with distance from the mine waste yard. Based on these contamination patterns, we concluded that there are two main paths that affect the spread of contaminants: (1) loss of mine waste, and (2) the introduction of mine waste into agricultural areas by floods after transportation by streams. The agricultural areas contaminated by mass inflow of mine waste can act as contamination sources themselves, affecting other agricultural areas through the diffusion of contaminants. At present, although the measured effect in minimal, sediments in streams are contaminated by exposed mine waste and surface liners. It is possible for contaminants to diffuse or spread into nearby areas if heavy elements trapped in soil grains in contaminated agricultural areas leach out as soil solution or contaminant particles during diffusion into the water supply.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.57-64
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• 2016

Many phthalic acid esters (PAEs), including DMP, DEP, DBP, BBP, and DEHP, as well as DEHA are widely used as plasticizers in plastics. An analytical method was developed and used to analyze these compounds at 41 industrial facilities. The coefficient of determination (R²) for each constructed curve was higher than 0.98. The method detection limit (MDL) values were 0.4–0.7 μg/L for PAEs and 0.6 μg/L for DEHA. In addition, the recovery rate was shown to be 77.0–92.3%, while the relative standard deviation was shown to be in the range of 5.8-10.5%. DMP (n = 3), DEP (n = 2), DBP (n = 2), BBP (n = 2), and DEHA (n = 3) were detected in the range of 2.2-11.1% in the influent. DEHP was a predominant compound and was detected at > MDL in both the influent (n = 16, 35.6%) and the effluent (n = 4, 10.0%) at a high removal efficiency (92–100%). The highest levels of residue in industrial wastewater influent were 137.4 μg/L of DEHP at plastic products manufacturing facility, 12.5 μg/L of DEHA at a chemical manufacturing facility, and 14.0 μg/L of DEP at an electronics facility. The highest concentration of effluent was 12.5 μg/L of DEHP at a chemical manufacturing facility, which indicated that the effluent was below the allowable concentration (800 μg/L). Therefore, the levels of PAEs and DEHA that are discharged into nearby streams could not influence the health of the ecosystem.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.263-272
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• 2012

Carbon dioxide, emitted by human activities since the industrial revolution, is regarded as a major contributor of global warming. There are many efforts to mitigate climate change, and carbon dioxide capture and geological storage (CCS) is recognized as one of key technologies because it can reduce carbon dioxide emissions from large point sources such as a power station or other industrial installation. The inclusion of CCS as clean development mechanism (CDM) project activities has been considered at UNFCCC as financial incentive mechanisms for those developing countries that may wish to deploy the CCS. Although the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the UNFCCC's Kyoto Protocol (CMP), at Cancun in December 2010, decided that CCS is eligible as CDM project activities, the issues identified in decision 2/CMP.5 should be addressed and resolved in a satisfactory manner. Major issues regarding modalities and procedure are 1) Site selection, 2) Monitoring, 3) Modeling, 4) Boundaries, 5) Seepage Measuring and Accounting, 6) Trans-Boundary Effects, 7) Accounting of Associated Project Emissions (Leakage), 8) Risk and Safety Assessment, and 9) Liability Under the CDM Scheme. The CMP, by its decision 7/CMP.6, invited Parties to submit their views to the secretariat of Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA), SBSTA prepared a draft modalities and procedure by exchanging views of Parties through workshop held in Abu Dhabi, UAE (September 2011). The 7th CMP (Durban, December 2011) finally adopted the modalities and procedures for CCS as CDM project activities (CMP[2011], Decision-/CMP.7). The inclusion of CCS as CDM project activities means that CCS is officially accredited as one of $CO_2$ reducing technologies in global carbon market. Consequently, it will affect relevant technologies and industry as well as law and policy in Korea and aboard countries. This paper presents a progress made on discussion and challenges regarding the issue, and aims to suggest some considerations to policy makers in Korea in order to demonstrate and deploy the CCS project in the near future. According to the adopted modalities and procedures for CCS as CDM project activities, it is possible to implement relevant CCS projects in Non-Annex I countries, including Korea, as long as legal and regulatory frameworks are established. Though Korea enacted 'Framework Act on Low Carbon, Green Growth', the details are too inadequate to content the requirements of modalities and procedures for CCS as CDM project. Therefore, it is required not only to amend the existing laws related with capture, transport, and storage of $CO_2$ for paving the way of an prompt deployment of CCS CDM activities in Korea as a short-term approach, but also to establish the united framework as a long-term approach.

• Korean Security Journal
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• no.34
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• pp.89-113
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• 2013

Travel by airplane using airport in globalized modern society is familiar to our life but such airport can be a target of terrorists who would threaten our safety. However, aviation terrorism which is represented by 9.11 terror gives horror beyond our imagination to modern people. Since the first airplane hijacking in Peru in 1931 happened, security organization in each nation has taken various prevention measures to block aviation terrorism. The most realistic measures to prevent aviation terrorism would be security check activity to control approach of terrorist that passengers on airplane and cargos are checked to find out dangerous article like explosive etc. But security check activity in Korea shifted to security check activity focused on private security for efficiency of airport operation differently from security check activity in advanced countries where public interests is strengthened according to risk of terror after 9.11 system. That is, since Incheon airport opened in March 2001, security check system focused on the police was changed. Now Incheon international airport Corporation instructs and supervises security check job and private security personnel are in charge of actual security check activity. But this check system has limitation in blocking terror activity by terrorists which is systematized and intelligent as time passes due to deteriorated job satisfaction of private security personnel and confusing supervising system. Accordingly, it is suggested to introduce risk management skill which is one of management strategy of private corporation for security check activity to prevent terror activity. With this skill, risk factors of aviation terror are identified and analyzed regularly, and each process such as setting of priority, activity to reduce risk, and assessment of security is carried out. And it would be necessary to do efforts, for example, to properly change level of security check according to threat of terror such as to place policeman at airport security in case threat of terror is severe. On the other hand, it is necessary to establish national police organization for good communication of security check activity in field and supervising function, which can encourage systematization and specialization of aviation security job.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.246-250
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• 2003

In order to preserve the soundness of agro-ecosystem and products safety in agriculture, this study was evaluated environmental impact in relation to the INM (Integrated Nutrient Management) and IPM (Integrated Pest Management) at paddy fields at Ok-Chun and Yang-Pyung region. By introduction of INM with the application of BB(bulk-blanded) fertilizer based on soil analysis and IPM, the application rate of fertilizer was reduced to about $28.6{\sim}39.4%$ and the yield of brown rice was increased to about $3{\sim}10%$ compared to conventional practices. The concentrations of COD, $NH_4-N$, and $NO_3-N$ in irrigation water flowed to the environmental-friendly agriculture practices were 15.0, 0.67, and 1.39 mg/L, respectively. The concentrations of COD, $NH_4-N$, and $NO_3-N$ from paddy fields in drainage water were 12.4, 0.29, and 2.42 mg/L, respectively. The total number of the freshwater invertebrates was higher in field treated with fertilization by prescription with soil testing. Also, the population density of aquatic insects was higher than the other fields at both demonstration villages. In conclusion, it was possible to reduce the amount of fertilizer and agricultural chemicals application, and increase the yield of rice by application of the environmental-friendly agriculture practices.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.135-147
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• 2015

Recent underground common utility tunnels are underground facilities for jointly accommodating more than 2 kinds of air-conditioning and heating facilities, vacuum dust collector, information processing cables as well as electricity, telecommunications, waterworks, city gas, sewerage system required when citizens live their daily lives and facilities responsible for the central function of the country but it is difficult to cope with fire accidents quickly and hard to enter into common utility tunnels to extinguish a fire due to toxic gases and smoke generated when various cables are burnt. Thus, in the event of a fire, not only the nerve center of the country is paralyzed such as significant property damage and loss of communication etc. but citizen inconveniences are caused. Therefore, noticing that most fires break out by a short circuit due to electrical works and degradation contact due to combustible cables as the main causes of fires in domestic and foreign common utility tunnels fire cases that have occurred so far, the purpose of this paper is to scientifically analyze the behavior of a fire by producing the model of actual common utility tunnels and reproducing the fire. A fire experiment was conducted in a state that line type fixed temperature detector, fire door, connection deluge set and ventilation equipment are installed in underground common utility tunnels and transmission power distribution cables are coated with fire proof paints in a certain section and heating pipes are fire proof covered. As a result, in the case of Type II, the maximum temperature was measured as $932^{\circ}C$ and line type fixed temperature detector displayed the fire location exactly in the receiver at a constant temperature. And transmission power distribution cables painted with fire proof paints in a certain section, the case of Type III, were found not to be fire resistant and fire proof covered heating pipes to be fire resistant for about 30 minutes. Also, fire simulation was carried out by entering fire load during a real fire test and as a result, the maximum temperature is $943^{\circ}C$, almost identical with $932^{\circ}C$ during a real fire test. Therefore, it is considered that fire behaviour can be predicted by conducting fire simulation only with common utility tunnels fire load and result values of heat release rate, height of the smoke layer, concentration of O2, CO, CO2 etc. obtained by simulation are determined to be applied as the values during a real fire experiment. In the future, it is expected that more reliable information on domestic underground common utility tunnels fire accidents can be provided and it will contribute to construction and maintenance repair effectively and systematically by analyzing and accumulating experimental data on domestic underground common utility tunnels fire accidents built in this study and fire cases continuously every year and complementing laws and regulations and administration manuals etc.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.309-318
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• 2004

Acute toxicity test and chronic toxicity test were conducted with killifish (Oryzias latipes, Medaka) to evaluate toxicity effect of pesticides. Acute toxicity test was investigated mortality in 48 hours and 96 hours after treatment, chronic toxicity test was examined with the early life stage of 30 days after hatching be started embryos of Medaka. The test substances were two pesticides, Carbosulfan and Phenthoate, applied to the paddy rice plant and well-known to the high fish toxicity. As the result of acute toxicity test, median concentration $(LC_{50})$ at 96 hours in Medata was Carbosulfan 0.102 mg/L and Phenthoate 0.167 mg/L, and Fish early life stage toxicity test was conducted on basis of the result of acute toxicity test and concluded from the investigation of hatching success, period of hatching, survival post hatching, length and weight of surviving fishes and abnormal fish. The results of early life stage toxicity test were represented by no observed effect concentration (NOEC), lowest observed effect concentration (LOEC) and maximum acceptable toxicant concentration (MATC). NOEC was Carbosulfan 0.0067ppm and Phenthoate 0.011ppm, LOEC of PCP-Na, Carbosulfan and Phenthoate were 0.017ppm and 0.029ppm, MATC of Carbosulfan and Phenthoate were 0.011ppm and 0.018ppm. These studies will be expected to supply more varied chronic toxicity effects at lower concentration than acute toxicity test. Therefore, evaluation data will be more realistic and the risk assessment of pesticide will be leveled up.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.91-98
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• 2016

The growth area of living modified (LM) cotton has steadily increased every year, since its first commercialization in 1996. Development of environmental risk assessment tools and techniques for LM cotton is required for ecosystem safety. We therefore developed multiplex PCR assays for simultaneous detection of two (MON15985, MON531) and four (GHB614, LLCOTTON25, MON88913 and MON1445) LM cotton events approved in Korea, with event specific primer pairs. The PCR reactions were optimized by using event specific primers of six LM cottons at various concentrations. The reactions allows amplification of estimated amplicons of MON15985 (214 bp), MON531 (270 bp), GHB614 (119 bp), LLCOTTON25 (164 bp), MON88913 (276 bp), and MON1445 (389 bp) from multiplex PCR reactions. The multiplex PCR assay developed allowed that two annealing steps (15 cycles at $55^{\circ}C$ and 25 cycles at $60^{\circ}C$) were performed for amplification of distinguished two LM cottons, and only one annealing step (50 cycles at $60^{\circ}C$) was necessary for tetraplex PCR. Primer extension step of all PCR reactions was skipped for time-effective amplification. Our methods suggest that two multiplex PCR assays can be cost-effective and a rapid diagnostic tool for environmental LMO monitoring of six LM cottons.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.376-381
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• 2013

In this study, we monitored total mercury and methylmercury concentrations in tuna, billfish, and deep-sea fish distributed in Seoul city. With the acquired data, we carried out statistical analysis and an exposure assessment for intake. The mean concentrations (mg/kg) of total mercury and methylmercury were $0.32{\pm}0.31/0.20{\pm}0.20$ for tuna, $0.43{\pm}0.48/0.20{\pm}0.17$ for patagonian toothfish, $0.99{\pm}0.72/0.51{\pm}0.40$ for billfish and $1.20{\pm}0.70/0.95{\pm}0.51$ for sharks, respectively. We found that sharks, billfish, patagonian toothfish, and tuna were more contaminated with total mercury and methylmercury, in sequence, and that 66% of the total mercury concentration consisted of methylmercury, on average. Although the estimated weekly intakes of methylmercury from commercial deep-sea fish were lower than the weekly intakes recommended by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), we identified that the total mercury and methylmercury concentrations in tuna, billfish, and deep-sea fish continued to increase with the passage of time. Therefore, we confirmed the necessity of continuous monitoring and comprehensive analysis for general safety.