• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.9-18
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• 2014

London Convention on the prevention of marine pollution by dumping of wastes and other matter prohibits the deliberate disposal of paper mill sludges at sea. In order to explore the alternative plan on the prohibition of sludge disposal at sea, the biodegradable seedling pot was developed by mixing the sludge with old newspaper (ONP) in appropriate mixing ratios. The C/N ratio of the mixed sludge was below 20, leading to rapid deterioration of the organic matters composing the seedling pot. The increased ONP contents in the seedling pot resulted in the increase of pot thickness and thereafter in the decrease of pot density. Cellulose fibers in ONP promoted water absorption of the pot but AKD addition helped the seedling pot to repel water during raising seedling. Breaking length and burst strength of the seedling pot were improved by addition of wet strength additives but air permeability was a little diminished. Biodegradable rate of the seedling pot in a soil was accelerated by the attack of soil microbes at the beginning, and finally the pot was completely degraded in 150 days in a soil.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.35 no.4 s.100
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• pp.326-330
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• 2002

A wetland soil was sterilised by two methods and changes in microbial enzyme activities were assessed. The short-term effects were determined by toluene addition, while the longer-term effects of elimination was monitored by ${\gamma}$-radiation. The changes in ${\beta}$- glucosidase, ${\beta}$-xylosidase, cellobiohydrolase, phosphatase, arylsulphatase, and N-acetylglucosaminidase activities were determined by using methylumbelliferyl model substrates and comparing with the activities of control samples. Toluene addition induced different responses of enzymes. For example, phosphatase activity increased by the treatment while ${\beta}$-glucosidase and arylsulphatase activities decreased. In contrast, ${\gamma}$-radiation decreased all enzyme activities compared to control by 40-80%. The overall results of the toluene and ${\gamma}$-radiation experiments indicate that the large amounts of enzymes are stabilised outside of living cells, at least in the short term, but that the persistence of enzymes is maintained by de-novo synthesis of microbes.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.83-93
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• 2006

In heavily industrialized areas, soil sites are contaminated with high concentrations of heavy metals. These pollutants are highly accumulated to the human body through the food web and cause serious diseases. To remove heavy metals from the soil, a potential strategy is the environmental friendly and cost effective phytoremediation. For the enhancement of remediation efficiency, the symbiotic interaction between the plant and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) has been attended. In this review, the interaction of the plant and PGPR in the heavy metal-contaminated soil has been reviewed. The physicochemical and biological characteristics of the rhlzosphere can influence directly or indirectly on the biomass, activity and population structure of the rhizobacteria. The root exudates are offered to the soil microbes as useful carbon sources and growth factors, so the growth and metabolism of rhizobacteria can be promoted. PGPR have many roles to lower the level of growth-inhibiting stress ethylene within the plant, and also to provide iron and phosphorus from the soil to plant, and to produce phytohormone such as indole acetic acid. The plant with PGPR can grow better in the heavy metal contaminated soil. Therefore higher efficiency of the phytoremediation will be expected by the application of the PGPR.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.205-217
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• 2006

This research was carried out to investigate the effects of some organic materials such as rice straw, compost, hairy vetch, phosphate rock, magnesium lime powder and ash in the organic paddy fields, and also to develope the new technique for better soil management using described materials. The results are as follows; Height and tiller of rice plants were higher in chemical fertilizer than rice straw or compost, however, those of rice plants in hairy vetch-rice cropping system reached to chemical fertilizer. The Eh value of soil has decreased consecutively since on 30th, May because of the rising of soil temperature by an increase in the activity of microbes. As a result of measuring yield and yield components, there is not significant difference between treatment. The application of organic materials enriched the contents of available phosphorus, exchangible potassium and calcium in soil, and, also improved the physical properties such as pore space rates and bulk density. From the viewpoint of soil management technology in organic paddy fields, the application of rice straw or organic compost might cause the decrease of yield compared with conventional cultivation system, chemical fertilizer, however, the application of hairy vetch residues of soil compensated for growth and yield as well as improved the physicochemical property. Therefore, it is assumed that the cultivation of hairy vetch for winter season can be one of the useful methods for organic farming system.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.192-199
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• 2012

BACKGROUND: Genetically modified (GM) crops must receive relevant regulator's authorization before they can be sold as seed or used food, feed and processing. Before approving any GM crop, the relevant government ministries are required to examine environmental risk assessment to make scientifically sound and socially acceptable decisions. But one of the least studied and understood areas in the environmental risk assessment of GM crops are their impact on soil microbial community. METHODS AND RESULTS: Recently, advanced methods have been developed to characterize the soil microbial community in various environments. In this study, the culture-dependent and culture-independent technical approaches for profiling soil microbial communities are summarized and their applicability to assess GM crops are discussed. CONCLUSION(S): We concluded that the effect of GM crops on soil microbial community need to be assessed on a case by case basis. The combination of culture-dependent and culture-independent method was necessary for reliable and detailed assessment of effect of GM crops on soil microbial community.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.253-262
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• 2012

With the aim of remediating soils contaminated by heavy metals and oil, experimental research was conducted to evaluate the optimal design factors for remediation in terms of efficient soil washing methods and processes. The experiments employed absorptiometric analysis and gas chromatography methods to reduce the concentration of heavy metals such as cooper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn), and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in contaminated soils. The experimental processes consisted of deciding on the washing solution, washing time, and dilution ratio for contaminated soils. A dissolution analysis of heavy metals was then performed by the addition of surfactant, based on the results of the decision experiments, and the injection processes of microbes and hydrogen peroxide were selected. The experimental results revealed that reduction effects in contaminated soils under the experimental conditions were most efficient with hydrochloric acid 0.1 mole, washing time 1 hour, and dilution ratio 1:3, individually. Additional reduction effects for heavy metals and TPH were found with the addition of a washing solution of 1% of surfactant. The addition of microbes and hydrogen peroxide caused a reduction in TPH concentration.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.220-230
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• 2014

BACKGROUND: Excessive metals in the soil have become one of the most significant environmental problems. Phytoremediation has received considerable attention as a method for restoring the contaminated soils. The microbes having remarkable metal tolerance and plant growth-promoting abilities could also play a significant role in remediation of metal-contaminated soils, because bioaugmentation with such microbes could promote phytoextraction of metals. Therefore, the present study was focused on evaluating the phytoextraction of heavy metals (Co, Pb and Zn) in Helianthus annuus (sunflower) induced by bioaugmentation of a phosphate solubilizing bacterium. METHODS AND RESULTS: A phosphate solubilizing bacterium was isolated from metal-contaminated soils based on the greater halo size (>3 mm) with solid NBRIP agar medium containing 10 g glucose, 5 g $Ca_3(PO_4)_2$, 5 g $MgCl_2{\cdot}6H_2O$, 0.25 g $MgSO_4.7H_2O$, 0.2 g KCl, 0.1 g $(NH_4)_2SO_4$ in 1 L distilled water. Isolated bacterial strain was assessed for their resistance to heavy metals; $CoCl_2.6H_2O$, $2PbCO_3.Pb(OH)_2$, and $ZnCl_2$ at various concentrations ranging from $100-400{\mu}g/mL$ (Co, Pb and Zn) using the agar dilution method. A pot experiment was conducted with aqueous solutions of different heavy metals (Co, Pb and Zn) to assess the effect of bacterial strain on growth and metal uptake by Helianthus annuus (sunflower). The impact of bacterial inoculation on the mobility of metals in soil was investigated under laboratory conditions with 50 mL scaled polypropylene centrifuge tubes. The metal contents in the filtrate of plant extracts were determined using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (Perkinelmer, Aanalyst 800, USA). CONCLUSION: Inoculation with Enterobacter ludwigii PSB 28 resulted in increased shoot and root biomass and enhanced accumulation of Co, Pb and Zn in Helianthus annuus plants. The strain was found to be capable of promoting metal translocation from the roots to the shoots of H. annuus. Therefore, Enterobacter ludwigii PSB 28 could be identified as an effective promoter of phytoextraction of Co, Pb and Zn from metal-contaminated soils.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.87-100
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• 2019

The study was initiated to compare crop productivity as affected by a long-term application with homemade liquid fertilizers in leading organic cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) farms in Suncheon and Kimcheon provinces. A Suncheon farm have applied an EM (effective organism) liquid fertilizer for one year and fifteen years, designating as EM 1-year and EM 15-year plots, respectively, with 4-year and 5-year application of native microbes-liquid fertilizer in Kimcheon farm, designating as Micro 4-year and Micro 5-year plots, respectively. pH in the EM-liquid fertilizer was high to approximately 7.7, and EC in the Micro-liquid fertilizer was 0.1 dS/m higher than those of EM-liquid fertilizer, with similar macro-nutrient concentrations observed in the both liquid fertilizers. Soil EC was the highest to the 10.0 dS/m for the liquid fertilizer with EM 1-year and showed less than 1.5 dS/m for other liquid fertilizer plots. Micro-liquid fertilizer plots had soil OM contents less than 20 g/kg, which was approximately two times less than those of EM plots. Soil microbial properties were not significantly different among the liquid fertilizer plots. SPAD and PS II values were significantly increased by EM 15-year plots with high levels of soil OM and EC. Liquid fertilizer plot with EM 1-year had high concentrations of T-N, Ca, and Na in the cucumber crops but low concentrations of P and Mg, in particular for low K of 1.2% which was two times less than those of desired level for an optimum cucumber growth. The lowest fruit yield was observed for the liquid fertilizer plot with EM 1-year with the highest soil EC accumulated. Liquid fertilizer plot with EM 15-year produced the expanded volume of crop canopy and increased fruit yield. Therefore, long-term of continuous application with an organic liquid fertilizer would have sustainably improved soil stability and the crop productivity.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.185-195
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• 2006

Phytoremediation is an economical and environmentally friendly bioremediation technique using plants which can increase the microbial population in soil. Unlike other pollutants such as heavy metals, poly-chlorinated biphenyl, trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene and so on, petroleum hydrocarbons are relatively easily degradable by soil microbes. For successful phytoremediation of soil contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons, it is important to select plants with high removal efficiency through microbial degradation. In this study, we clarified the roles of plants and rhizobacteria and identified their species effective on phytore-mediation by reviewing the papers previously reported. Plants and rhizobacteria can degrade and remove the petroleum hydrocarbons directly and indirectly by stimulating each other's degradation activity. The preferred plant species are alfalfa, ryegrass, tall fescue, poplar, corn, etc. The microorganisms with a potential to degrade hydrocarbons mostly belong to Pseudomonas spp., Bacillus spp., and Alcaligenes spp. It has been reported that the elimination efficiency of hydrocarbons by soil microorganisms can be improved when plants were simultaneously applied. For more efficient restoration, it's necessary to understand the plant-rhizobacteria interaction and to select the suitable plant and microorganism species.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.30-38
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• 2012

We investigated the effects on soil microbial diversity and the growth promotion of red pepper resulting from inoculation with a microbial agent composed of Bacillus subtilis AH18, B. licheniformis K11 and Pseudomonas fluorescens 2112 in a red pepper farming field. Photosynthetic bacteria, Trichoderma spp., Azotobacter spp., Actinomycetes, nitrate oxidizing bacteria, nitrite oxidizing bacteria, nitrogen fixing bacteria, denitrifying bacteria, phosphate solubilizing bacteria, cellulase producing bacteria, and urease producing bacteria are all indicator microbes of healthy soil microbial diversity. The microbial diversity of the consortium microbial agent treated soil was seen to be 1.1 to 14 times greater than soils where other commercial agent treatments were used, the latter being the commercial agent AC-1, and chemical fertilizer. The yield of red pepper in the field with the treated consortium microbial agent was increased by more than 15% when compared to the other treatments. Overall, the microbial diversity of the red pepper farming field soil was improved by the consortium microbial agent, and the promotion of growth and subsequent yield of red pepper was higher than soils where the other treatments were utilized.