• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.38 no.5 s.174
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• pp.547-561
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• 2005

General characteristics of groundwater contamination by As were reviewed with several recent researches, and its occurrence in groundwater of Korea was investigated based on a ffw previous studies and a groundwater quality survey in Nonsan and Geumsan areas. In Bangladesh, which has been known as the most serious arsenic calamity country, about $28\%$ of the shallow groundwaters exceeded the Bangladesh drinking water standard, $50{\mu}g/L$, and it was estimated that about 28 million people were exposed to concentrations greater than the standard. Groundwater was characterized by circum-neutral pH with a moderate to strong reducing conditions. Low concentrations of $SO_4^{2-}$ and $NO_3^-$, and high contents of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and $NH_4^+$ were typical chemical characteristics. Total As concentrations were enriched in the Holocene alluvial aquifers with a dominance of As(III) species. It was generally agreed that reductive dissolution of Fe oxyhydroxides was the main mechanism for the release of As into groundwater coupling with the presence of organic matters and microbial activities as principal factors. A new model has also been suggested to explain how arsenic can naturally contaminate groundwaters far from the ultimate source with transport of As by active tectonic uplift and glaciatiion during Pleistocene, chemical weathering and deposition, and microbial reaction processes. In Korea, it has not been reported to be so serious As contamination, and from the national groundwater quality monitoring survey, only about $1\%$ of grounwaters have concentrations higher than $10{\mu}g/:L.$ However, it was revealed that $19.3\%$ of mineral waters, and $7\%$ of tube-well waters from Nonsan and Geumsan areas contained As concentrations above $10{\mu}g/:L.$. Also, percentages exceeding this value during detailed groundwater quality surveys were $36\%\;and\;22\%$ from Jeonnam and Ulsan areas, respectively, indicating As enrichment possibly by geological factors and local mineralization. Further systematic researches need to proceed in areas potential to As contamination such as mineralized, metasedimentary rock-based, alluvial, and acid sulfate soil areas. Prior to that, it is required to understand various geochemical and microbial processes, and groundwater flow characteristics affecting the behavior of As.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.17-29
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• 2012

To investigate the characteristics of shear strength and soil deformation in soft grounds, in which various vertical drains were placed, two hundreds field monitoring data of embankments performed in thirteen road construction sites at west and south coastal areas of the Korean Peninsula were collected. At first, the relationship between settlement and lateral displacement was investigated into three stages, in which embankment construction works were divided into initial filling stage, final filling stage and stage after complete filling. And then, the relationship of surcharge pressures and embankment heights with undrained shear strength of soft grounds were investigated. The investigation on settlement and lateral displacement illustrated that the increment of lateral flow to the increment of settlement was low during initial filling stage, but increased gradually with filling and showed largest during final filling stage. After complete filling, the lateral displacement was converged, even though the settlement was increased continuously. Therefore, most of lateral flow was occurred during embankment filling. The ratio of the lateral displacement increment to the settlement increment was 20% for initial filling stage, which coincided with the one presented by Tavenas et al.(1979), but became 50% for final filling stage, which was half of the one presented by Tavenas et al.(1979). However, the ratio reduced to 1% to 9%, which was quite lower than the one presented by Tavenas et al.(1979). Shear deformations, even shear failures, were predicted in soft grounds under initial undrained shear strength, since the design heights of embankments were higher than the yield height in all the sites. However, embankment construction would be possible since the yield height became higher than the design height due to improvement of shear strength of soft grounds with application of the vertical drains. In order to perform safely embankments for road constructions, the embankment loads should be designed not to be exceed 5.14 times the initial undrained shear strength of soft grounds and to be less than 3.0 times the undrained shear strength improved with application of vertical drains in soft grounds.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.53 no.10
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• pp.845-859
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• 2020

Climate change and recent heat waves have drawn public attention toward other environmental issues, such as water pollution in the form of algal blooms, chemical leaks, and oil spills. Water pollution by the leakage of chemicals may severely affect human health as well as contaminate the air, water, and soil and cause discoloration or death of crops that come in contact with these chemicals. Chemicals that may spill into water streams are often colorless and water-soluble, which makes it difficult to determine whether the water is polluted using the naked eye. When a chemical spill occurs, it is usually detected through a simple contact detection device by installing sensors at locations where leakage is likely to occur. The drawback with the approach using contact detection sensors is that it relies heavily on the skill of field workers. Moreover, these sensors are installed at a limited number of locations, so spill detection is not possible in areas where they are not installed. Recently hyperspectral images have been used to identify land cover and vegetation and to determine water quality by analyzing the inherent spectral characteristics of these materials. While hyperspectral sensors can potentially be used to detect chemical substances, there is currently a lack of research on the detection of chemicals in water streams using hyperspectral sensors. Therefore, this study utilized remote sensing techniques and the latest sensor technology to overcome the limitations of contact detection technology in detecting the leakage of hazardous chemical into aquatic systems. In this study, we aimed to determine whether 18 types of hazardous chemicals could be individually classified using hyperspectral image. To this end, we obtained hyperspectral images of each chemical to establish a spectral library. We expect that future studies will expand the spectral library database for hazardous chemicals and that verification of its application in water streams will be conducted so that it can be applied to real-time monitoring to facilitate rapid detection and response when a chemical spill has occurred.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.176-185
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• 2014

There are no population ecological research on the natural monument (No. 191) Jeju Cymbidium kanran in South Korea. In this study, we analyzed the population structure and fine-scale habitat affinity of C. kanran in Sanghyo-dong, Jejudo Island from Oct. 2013 to Feb. 2014. We observed total of 1,237 individuals (4,341 pseudobulbs) of C. kanran (989.6 population $ha^{-1}$) within (1.25 ha) and only 17 (1.4%) individuals were inflorescent. In 60.9% of the entire populations, disease symptoms such as spots and blight leaves were observed. C. kanran populaton exhibited reverse-J shaped size distribution based on leaf area classes as individual size parameter. The three size related attributes of C. kanran (no. of pseudobulb $r_s$=-0.159, no. of leaves $r_s$=-0.148 and leaf arera $r_s$=-0.114) and soil temperature revealed a negative relationship (p<0.0001). Most of C. kanran (95.4%) were grown under Castamopsis cuspidata and spatially, C. kanran were strongly clumped at all distances. Population characteristics of C. kanran in the study area were likely originated from species habitat affinity and successional environment. Through this study, base line data for C. kanran's habitat monitoring was established and conservation measures based on population characteristics were discussed.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.200-211
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• 2009

A mathematical modeling program called Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) developed by USDA was applied to Kyongan stream watershed. It was run under BASINS (Better Assessment Science for Integrating point and Non-point Sources) program, and the model was calibrated and validated using KTMDL monitoring data of 2004${\sim}$2008. The model efficiency of flow ranged from very good to fair in comparison between simulated and observed data and it was good in the water quality parameters like flow range. The model reliability and performance were within the expectation considering complexity of the watershed and pollutant sources. The results of pollutant loads estimation as yearly (2004${\sim}$2008), pollutant loadings from 2006 were higher than rest of year caused by high precipitation and flow. Average non-point source (NPS) pollution rates were 30.4%, 45.3%, 28.1% for SS, TN and TP respectably. The NPS pollutant loading for SS, TN and TP during the monsoon rainy season (June to September) was about 61.8${\sim}$88.7% of total NPS pollutant loading, and flow volume was also in a similar range. SS concentration depended on precipitation and pollution loading patterns, but TN and TP concentration was not necessarily high during the rainy season, and showed a decreasing trend with increasing water flow. SWAT based on BASINS was applied to the Kyongan stream watershed successfully without difficulty, and it was found that the model could be used conveniently to assess watershed characteristics and to estimate pollutant loading including point and non-point sources in watershed scale.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.190-211
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• 2010

The purpose of this paper is to provide the preliminary data for maintenance of old trees of natural monuments and establishing protection projects. Accordingly, growth conditions, location circumstances, environment and protection management were analyzed for old trees at 34 sites in Gyeongsangbuk-do. Tree forms, crown, trunk and trees' health, leaves volume were analyzed in survey sites. As the results, the growth of Picrasma quassioides in Songsadong, Andong-si and Catalpa ovata in Hongwon-ri, Cheongsong-gun were not in good condition, along with other old trees of 6 cities (Quercus variabilis in Susan-ri, Uljin-gun, Juniperus chinensis in Hujeong-ri, Uljin-gun, Pyrus ussuriensis in Ssangjeon-ri, Uljin-gun, Salix glandulosa var. pilosa in Deokchon-ri, Cheongdo-gun, Pinus densiflora for. multicaulis in Hwasan-ri, Mungyeong-si, Pinus densiflora in Daeha-ri, Mungyeong-si). Accoding to these results, protection project and consistent monitoring are necessary. The analysis results of growth conditions per location circumstances showed that the old trees in the small spaces with large traffic of people were in bad condition. Therefore, it is necessary to secure sufficient space and soil improvement for such trees. The analysis results of growth conditions per species showed that Zelkova serrata, Quercus spp., Pinus densiflora are in good condition while Salix koreensis and others, i.e. a singular tree, are in poor condition. Thus, relatively smaller individuals and separately situated trees need careful management in their protection. The analysis results of trunk's growth ratio showed that Pinus densiflora, Ginkgo biloba, Zelkova serrata are in good condition whereas Juniperus chinensis, Quercus variabilis, Salix koreensis are not. It is a recent trend that tree surgeries are gradually decreasing; there are a number of damaged trees with no maintenance/management, and several sites requiring mend trunks management and cabling, bracing in protection and management projects. Hence, in the future, local government and management organizations should plan for systematic management and establish a protection plan for the natural monument trees. Also, 12 sites were found to be in need to purchase lands in order to secure the growth spaces, and since most of these areas are available for purchase, it is needed to promote a budget and purchase those areas through persuasion of the owner. These areas seems crucial in order to maximize the effect of conservation efforts and budgets for the preservation and restoration of the old trees.

• Atmosphere
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.229-240
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• 2021

The Global Ocean Data Assimilation and Prediction System (GODAPS) in operation at the KMA (Korea Meteorological Administration) is introduced. GODAPS consists of ocean model, ice model, and 3-d variational ocean data assimilation system. GODAPS assimilates conventional and satellite observations for sea surface temperature and height, observations of sea-ice concentration, as well as temperature and salinity profiles for the ocean using a 24-hour data assimilation window. It finally produces ocean analysis fields with a resolution of 0.25 ORCA (tripolar) grid and 75-layer in depth. This analysis is used for providing a boundary condition for the atmospheric model of the KMA Global Seasonal Forecasting System version 5 (GloSea5) in addition to monitoring on the global ocean and ice. For the purpose of evaluating the quality of ocean analysis produced by GODAPS, a one-year data assimilation experiment was performed. Assimilation of global observing system in GODAPS results in producing improved analysis and forecast fields with reduced error in terms of RMSE of innovation and analysis increment. In addition, comparison with an unassimilated experiment shows a mostly positive impact, especially over the region with large oceanic variability.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.100-107
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• 2021

Along with an increase in the frequency of high-concentration fine particulate matter in Korea, interest and research on ammonia (NH₃) are actively increasing. It is obvious that agriculture has contributed significantly to NH₃ emissions. However, studies on the long-term effect of fertilizer use on the ambient NH₃ concentration of agricultural land are insufficient. Therefore, in this study, NH₃ concentration in the atmosphere of agricultural land was monitored for 11 months using a passive sampler. The average ambient NH₃ concentration during the total study period was 2.02 ㎍ m^-3 and it was found that the effect of fertilizer application on the ambient NH₃ concentration was greatest in the month immediately following fertilizer application (highest ambient NH₃ concentration as 11.36㎍ m^-3). After that, it was expected that the NH₃ volatilization was promoted by increases in summer temperature and the concentration in the atmosphere was expected to increase. However, high NH₃ concentrations in the atmosphere were not observed due to strong rainfall that lasted for a long period. After that, the ambient NH₃ concentration gradually decreased through autumn and winter. In summary, when studying the contribution of fertilizer to the rate of domestic NH₃ emissions, it is necessary to look intensively for at least one month immediately after fertilizer application, and weather information such as precipitation and no-rain days should be considered in the field study.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.36 no.6_1
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• pp.1465-1483
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• 2020

Evapotranspiration is a concept that includes the evaporation from soil and the transpiration from the plant leaf. It is an essential factor for monitoring water balance, drought, crop growth, and climate change. Actual evapotranspiration (AET) corresponds to the consumption of water from the land surface and the necessary amount of water for the land surface. Because the AET is derived from multiplying the crop coefficient by the reference evapotranspiration (ET0), an accurate calculation of the ET0 is required for the AET. To date, many efforts have been made for gridded ET0 to provide multiple products now. This study presents a comparison between the ET0 products such as FAO56-PM, LDAPS, PKNU-NMSC, and MODIS to find out which one is more suitable for the local-scale hydrological and agricultural applications in Korea, where the heterogeneity of the land surface is critical. In the experiment for the period between 2016 and 2019, the daily and 8-day products were compared with the in-situ observations by KMA. The analyses according to the station, year, month, and time-series showed that the PKNU-NMSC product with a successful optimization for Korea was superior to the others, yielding stable accuracy irrespective of space and time. Also, this paper showed the intrinsic characteristics of the FAO56-PM, LDAPS, and MODIS ET0 products that could be informative for other researchers.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.385-393
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• 2022

The contamination level of inorganic arsenic, a human carcinogen, was investigated in 87 grains and 66 processed grain foods. Two inorganic arsenic species arsenite (As(III)) and arsenate (As(V)) and four organic arsenic monomethylarsonic acid, dimethylarsinic acid, arsenobetaine, arsenocholine were analyzed using HPLC-ICP/MS with high separation and sensitivity and ICP/MS was used to quantify total arsenic. Inorganic arsenic was detected in all grains. And the total arsenic in grains consists of about 70-85% inorganic arsenic and about 10-20% DMA. The concentration of inorganic arsenic was high in rice and black rice cultivated in paddy soil with irrigated water, while the miscellaneous grain in field was low. Mean concentration of inorganic arsenic in rice germ, brown rice and polished rice was 0.160 mg/kg, 0.135 mg/kg, 0.083 mg/kg, respectively, indicating that rice bran contains more arsenic. In processed grain foods, inorganic arsenic concentration varied according to the kind of ingredients and content, and the detection amount was high in processed food with brown rice and germ. The arsenic content of all samples did not exceed each standard, but the intake frequency is high and it is considered that continuous monitoring is necessary for food safety.