• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.241-244
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• 2013

Nitrate is one of the major nutrients in plants, and nitrate fertilizer often overused for the high yields of crops. Nitrate deposit in soil became one of the major reasons causing salt stress. Specially, salt stress is a serious problem in the soils of plastic film or glass houses. In this study, six microorganisms have been isolated from the wet soils near the disposals of livestock farms and their nitrate uptake activities were investigated. These bacteria were able to remove nitrate as high as 1,000-3,000 ppm (10-50 mM). The strain PCE3 showed the highest nitrate uptake activity and it removed more than 3,700 ppm. In order to identify these bacteria, genes of 16S rRNA were sequenced and analyzed. Phylogenetic trees were constructed with the neighbor-joining methods. Among these bacteria, strain PCE3 was identified as Bacillus species. When the growth and nitrate uptake activities were measured, both were maximal at $37^{\circ}C$ and optimal pH was pH 7-9. Bacillus sp. PCE3 removed nitrate up to 40-60 mM (2,500-3,700 ppm) depending on the nitrate concentration in media. Therefore, Bacillus sp. PCE3 can be a good candidate for the microbial remediation of nitrate-deposited soils in glass and plastic film houses.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2014

A large amount of acidic waste solution is generated from the practical electrokinetic decontamination equipments for the remediation of soil contaminated with uranium. After filtration of uranium hydroxides formed by adding CaO into the waste solution, the filtrate was recycled in order to reduce the volume of waste solution. However, when the filtrate was used in an electrokinetic equipment, the low permeability of the filtrate from anode cell to cathode cell due to a high concentration of calcium made several problems such as the weakening of a fabric tamis, the corrosion of electric wire and the adhension of metallic oxides to the surface of cathode electrode. To solve these problems, sulfuric acid was added into the filtrate and calcium in the solution was removed as $CaSO_4$ precipitate. A decontamination test using a small electrokinetic equipment for 20 days indicated that Ca-removed waste solution decreased uranium concentration of the waste soil to 0.35 Bq/g, which is a similar to a decontamination result obtained by distilled water.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Railway
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.365-373
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• 2017

This study proposes a newly developed dry washing method for removing pollutants such as total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) and oxidized iron from the surface of ballast gravel. A batch-type dry washing method showed a good performance in a previous study. In this study, a continuous-type dry washing system, instead of a batch-type system, was prepared to improve the efficiency of the system. A drier and a separator were also applied to this system as pre-treatment process, and the performance of this system was evaluated. In this experiment, blasting media was blasted on the polluted gravels through 12 nozzles by a pressure of $5-6kg/cm^2$ for 20-30 mins to remove TPH and oxidized iron. It was found to be possible to remove 80-90% of TPH and oxidized iron by using this system. Several ways to improve the performance were suggested in this study.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.62-69
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• 2014

In the results of monitoring nitrate concentration in more than 8,000 groundwater wells around agro-livestock, the average and maximum nitrate concentration was 9.4 mg/L and 101.2 mg/L, respectively. Since about 31% of the monitoring wells was exceed the quality standard for drinking water, nitrate control such as remediation or source regulation is required to conserve safe-groundwater in South Korea. Typical nitrate-treatment technologies include ion exchange, reverse osmosis, and biological denitrification. Among the treatment methods, biological denitrification by indigenous microorganism has environmental and economic advantages for the complete elimination of nitrate because of lower operating costs compared to other methods. Major mechanism of the process is microbial reduction of nitrate to nitrite and nitrogen gas. Three functional genes (nosZ, nirK, nirS) that encode for the enzyme involved in the pathway. In this work, we tried to develop simple process to determine possibility of natural denitrification reaction by monitoring the functional gene. For the work, the functional genes in nitrate-contaminated groundwater were monitored by using PCR with specific target primers. In the result, functional genes (nosZ and nirK) encoding denitrification enzymes were detected in the groundwater samples. This method can help to determine the possibility of natural-nitrate degradation in target groundwater wells without multiplex experimental process. In addition, for field-remediation application we selected nitrate-contaminated site where 200~600 mg/L of nitrate is continuously detected. To determine the possibility of nitrate-degradation by stimulated-natural attenuation, groundwater was sampled in two different wells of the site and nitrate concentration of the samples was 300 mg/L and 616 mg/L, respectively. Fumarate for different C/N ratio was added into microcosm bottles containing the groundwater to examine denitrification rate depending on carbon concentration. In the result, once 1.5 times more than amount of fumarate stoichiometry required was added, the 616 mg/L of nitrate and 300 mg/L of nitrate were completely degraded in 8 days and 30 days. The nitrite, byproduct of denitrification process, was also completely degraded during the experimental period.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.353-364
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• 2021

Since the mid-twentieth century, geology has gradually evolved as an interdisciplinary context in South Korea. The journal of Economic and Environmental Geology (EEG) has a long history of over 52 years and published interdisciplinary articles based on geology. In this study, we performed a literature review using topic modeling based on Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), an unsupervised machine learning model, to identify geological topics, historical trends (classic topics and emerging topics), and association by analyzing titles, keywords, and abstracts of 2,571 publications in EEG during 1968-2020. The results showed that 8 topics ('petrology and geochemistry', 'hydrology and hydrogeology', 'economic geology', 'volcanology', 'soil contaminant and remediation', 'general and structural geology', 'geophysics and geophysical exploration', and 'clay mineral') were identified in the EEG. Before 1994, classic topics ('economic geology', 'volcanology', and 'general and structure geology') were dominant research trends. After 1994, emerging topics ('hydrology and hydrogeology', 'soil contaminant and remediation', 'clay mineral') have arisen, and its portion has gradually increased. The result of association analysis showed that EEG tends to be more comprehensive based on 'economic geology'. Our results provide understanding of how geological research topics branch out and merge with other fields using a useful literature review tool for geological research in South Korea.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.44-53
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• 2008

The efficiences of mineral acid (HCl), neutral salts ($CaCl_2$), and chelating agent (citric acid and $Na_2$-EDTA) were tested for extracting heavy metals from open burning and open detonation (OBOD) site soil. The extraction efficiencies of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn from soil for various extractants were in the order of HCl > citric acid > $Na_2$-EDTA > $CaCl_2$, HCl (1.0 M) extracted effectively 82%, 86%, 80%, and 46% of initial total concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn, respectively. Significant negative correlations were observed between pH of extractant and amount of extracted heavy metals. Initially, examined heavy metals were predominantly bound to carbonate and Fe, Mn-oxide fraction. Though the significant amount of carbonate and Fe, Mn-oxide bounded metals were removed but a significant amount remained metals shifted to exchangeable (more mobile) fraction by HCl and citric acid extraction. The increased mobility of remaining metals could be problematic for water resources, thus careful management is needed to control the movement of heavy metals.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.89-91
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• 2000

Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds are highly carcinogenic chemicals and common groundwater contaminants that are observed to persist in soils. The adherence and slow release of PAHs in soil is an obstacle to remediation and complicates the assessment of cleanup standards and risks. Biological degradation of PAHs in soil has been an area of active research because biological treatment may be less costly than conventional pumping technologies or excavation and thermal treatment. Biological degradation also offers the advantage to transform PAHs into non-toxic products such as biomass and carbon dioxide. Ample evidence exists for aerobic biodegradation of PAHs and many bacteria capable of degrading PAHs have been isolated and characterized. However, the microbial degradation of PAHs in sediments is impaired due to the anaerobic conditions that result from the typically high oxygen demand of the organic material present in the soil, the low solubility of oxygen in water, and the slow mass transfer of oxygen from overlying water to the soil environment. For these reasons, anaerobic microbial degradation technologies could help alleviate sediment PAH contamination and offer significant advantages for cost-efficient in-situ treatment. But very little is known about the potential for anaerobic degradation of PAHs in field soils. The objectives of this research were to assess: (1) the potential for biodegradation of PAH in field aged soils under denitrification conditions, (2) to assess the potential for biodegradation of naphthalene in soil microcosms under denitrifying conditions, and (3) to assess for the existence of microorganisms in field sediments capable of degrading naphthalene via denitrification. Two kinds of soils were used in this research: Harbor Point sediment (HPS-2) and Milwaukee Harbor sediment (MHS). Results presented in this seminar indicate possible degradation of PAHs in soil under denitrifying conditions. During the two months of anaerobic degradation, total PAH removal was modest probably due to both the low availability of the PAHs and competition with other more easily degradable sources of carbon in the sediments. For both Harbor Point sediment (HPS-2) and Milwaukee Harbor sediment (MHS), PAH reduction was confined to 3- and 4-ring PAHs. Comparing PAH reductions during two months of aerobic and anaerobic biotreatment of MHS, it was found that extent of PAHreduction for anaerobic treatment was compatible with that for aerobic treatment. Interestingly, removal of PAHs from sediment particle classes (by size and density) followed similar trends for aerobic and anaerobic treatment of MHS. The majority of the PAHs removed during biotreatment came from the clay/silt fraction. In an earlier study it was shown that PAHs associated with the clay/silt fraction in MHS were more available than PAHs associated with coal-derived fraction. Therefore, although total PAH reductions were small, the removal of PAHs from the more easily available sediment fraction (clay/silt) may result in a significant environmental benefit owing to a reduction in total PAH bioavailability. By using naphthalene as a model PAH compound, biodegradation of naphthalene under denitrifying condition was assessed in microcosms containing MHS. Naphthalene spiked into MHS was degraded below detection limit within 20 days with the accompanying reduction of nitrate. With repeated addition of naphthalene and nitrate, naphthalene degradation under nitrate reducing conditions was stable over one month. Nitrite, one of the intermediates of denitrification was detected during the incubation. Also the denitrification activity of the enrichment culture from MHS slurries was verified by monitoring the production of nitrogen gas in solid fluorescence denitrification medium. Microorganisms capable of degrading naphthalene via denitrification were isolated from this enrichment culture.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.38 no.7
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• pp.343-352
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• 2016

Effects of grinding time and chemicals dosage in arsenic removal from contaminated paddy soil in China were investigated using lab scale attrition and froth flotation combining process. Arsenic concentration in the field soil was 76.51 mg/kg, exceeding Korean and Chinese standards, and predominant arsenic compounds fraction in sequential extraction was "residual" (over 80%). After wet sieving, soil with >2 mm and < 0.038 mm showed concentration lower than 'Warning Level' in Korea. Soil with 0.038-0.075 mm, showing the highest concentration, was discarded since it occupied minor weight fraction (10.1%). Thus soil between 0.075 and 2 mm was only used in the combining process. The highest Arsenic concentration in progeny fragments smaller than 0.038 mm reached up to 981.66 mg/kg after 5 min of attrition. Optimal dosage of collector ($C_5H_{11}OCS_2K$) and modifier ($Na_2S$ and $CuSO_4$) in froth flotation process for the selective separation of the chipped progeny particles from the parent fragments were determined both as 200 g/ton. Arsenic removal efficiency in froth flotation process was 38.47% and it was increased to 72.74% in additional flotation process, scavenging. Average arsenic concentration after overall process - wet sieving, attrition and froth flotation - was estimated to 16.45 mg/kg.

• 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.

• Clean Technology
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.302-307
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• 2017

This study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of in situ soil flushing for TPH-contaminated soil remediation with column test. The soil texture of the soil was sand and the initial TPH concentration was $9,369mg\; kg^{-1}$. 0.1% Tween-80 was selected as surfactant solution. And the acrylic and the glass syringe columns were used as reactors. In the acrylic column test, 35% of the initial TPH was removed in 1 PV of flushing and approximately 40% in 5 PV and finally 7 PV showed about 60%. The glass column test showed 3 ~ 12% higher removal efficiency than that of acrylic test until 5 PV of flushing. However, there was no difference in TPH removal efficiency when 7 PV of surfactant was finally flushed. Both of alum only and alum+polymer mixed surfactants showed also the best coagulation efficiency in $150mg\;L^{-1}$ of concentraion. When Tween 80 was newly dissolved in 0.1% to the recovered solution after the coagulation treatment, the removal efficiency was increased from 32.0% to 41.0% in comparison to the new 0.1% Tween 80 solution without reuse by coagulation treatment.