• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.275-280
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• 2010

Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans is a gram-negative, nonmotile coccobacillus bacterium that is associated with several human diseases, including endocarditis, meningitis, osteomyelitis, subcutaneous abscesses and periodontal diseases. A full-length Omp1-like protein gene from A. actinomycetemcomitans was cloned into a pQE30 vector and overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) cells. The protein revealed sequence homologies to Seventeen kilodalton proteins (Skp) from Pasteurella multocida and E. coli that have been characterized as periplasmic chaperones. This soluble Omp1-like protein was successfully purified to homogeneity for further folding and functional studies. The purity, identity, and conformation of the protein were determined using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry, circular dichroism, fluorescence spectroscopic, and differential scanning calorimetric studies. We showed that the protein formed an oligomer larger than a tetramer. We found, further, that it is comprised of mostly $\alpha$-helices and boasts high thermal stability.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.363-376
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• 2003

In this study, the fugitive emission characteristics of airborne volatile organic compounds from different source categories were evaluated with respect to the concentrations measured in the vicinity of the sources. A total of 22 different sources were investigated, including gasoline storage and filling stations, painting spray booth, laundry, printing officer, textile industries, and a number of environmental sanitary facilities such as landfill, wastewater treatment and incineration plants. The target VOCs included 83 individual compounds, which were determined by adsorption sampling and thermal desorption coupled with GC/MS analysis. Overall, the aliphatic compounds appeared to be the most abundant class of compounds in terms of their concentrations, followed by aromatic, and halogenated hydrocarbons. As a single compound, however, toluene was the most abundant one, explaining 11% of the total VOC concentrations as an average of all the dataset. Among source categories, petroleum associated sources such as gasoline storage/filling stations, and laundry factory were identified as the most significant sources of aliphatic hydrocarbons, while aromatic VOCs were dominantly emitted from the sources handling organic solvents, such as painting booth, printing offices, and textile dyeing processes. However. there was no apparent pattern in terms of the contributions of eath group to the total VOCs concentrations in environmental sanitary facilities. It was also found that the activated carbon adsorption tower installed for the VOC emission control in some facilities do not show any effective performances, which may result in the increased VOC levels in the ambient atmosphere.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.133-141
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• 2011

In this study, different calibration approaches for reduced sulfur compounds (RSCs) were investigated by using thermal desorption coupled with gas chromatography (GC) and pulsed flame photometric detection (PFPD). To evaluate the effects of calibration procedures, gaseous standards of 4 RSCs ($H_2S$, $CH_3SH$, DMS, and DMDS) prepared at 10 ppm level were analyzed at 7 loading injection volumes (40, 60, 80, 100, 160, 240, and 320 ${\mu}L$). The results were then compared with calibration curves made with the Z (zero offset) and N (non-zero offset) method. The concentrations of unknown samples were then quantified by using R (ratio) method in which the slope values are compared between standards and samples. Secondly, in A (average) method, results obtained from a multi-point analysis of unknown samples were also averaged to extract representative values for each sample. Results of both experiments showed that analytical error of low molecular weight components (such as $H_2S$ and $CH_3SH$) was greatly expanded with the Z method. In conclusion, the combined application of N-A method was the more realistic approach to reduce biases in the quantification of RSCs.

• International Journal of Automotive Technology
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.591-598
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• 2005

A three-way catalyst system of a natural gas vehicle (NGV) has characteristics of higher fuel consumption and higher thermal load than a lean-bum catalyst system. To meet stringent emission standards in the future, NGV with the lean-bum engine may need a catalyst system to reduce the amounts of HC, CO and NOx emission, although natural gas system has low emission characteristics. We conducted experiments to evaluate the conversion efficiency of the NOx reduction catalyst for the lean-burn natural gas engine. The NOx reduction catalysts were prepared with the ${\gamma}-Al_{2}O_3$ washcoat including Ba based on Pt, Pd and Rh precious metal. In the experiments, effective parameters were space velocity, spike duration of the rich condition, and the temperature of flowing model gas. From the results of the experiments, we found that the temperature for maximum NOx reduction was around $450^{\circ}C$, and the space velocity for optimum NOx reduction was around $30,000\;h^{-1}$ And we developed an evaluation model of the NOx reduction catalyst to evaluate the conversion performance of each other catalysts.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.19-28
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• 2010

Considering six screen matrix to select an optimum remediation method for the Kunsan military base contaminated with petroleum oil, the following order was obtained: landfarming > biopile > soil washing > thermal desorption = incineration. When the landfarming method was applied for the remediation of 2,250 $m^3$ soil contaminated with petroleum oil ranging from 500 to 2,404 mg/kg as TPH, contamination level decreased below target concentration 450 mg/kg after 20~42 days depending on the initial contamination. From the evaluation of case studies of landfarming, it is suggested that ratty-truss or single-arch structure is suitable in the landfarming plant for the treatment of large-scale contaminated soil requiring long period of remediation. But, vinyl-house structure is suitable in the landfarming plant for the treatment of small-scale contaminated soil requiring short period of remediation. Therefore vinyl-house structure is recommended in the remediation of contaminated soil less than 5,000 $m^3$ requiring within 1 year of remediation period but ratty-truss or single-arch structure is recommended for the remediation of contaminated soil more than 5,000 $m^3$.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.679-687
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• 2003

In this study, we investigated the analytical techniques to quantify the ambient concentration of hydrogen sulfide (H$_2$S) in air at ppt concentration level. For this purpose, an on-line GC analytical system equipped with both pulsed-flame photometric detector (PFPD) and thermal desorption unit (TDU) was investigated by collecting ambient air samples. The results of our study generally indicated that calibration conditions of GC system is highly sensitive to affect the accuracy of the analytical technique. Most importantly. we found that the use of different matrices in the the preparation stage of working standards was sensitive to control the overall performance of this technique. The calibration of our analytical system was tested by the two types of working standard (prepared by mixing either with high purity $N_2$ or with the ambient air). According to this test, the latter represented more efficiently the detecting conditions of actual air samples. The peak occurrence patterns of both air samples and standards (prepared by mixing with ambient air) were altered in a similar manner as the function of the loaded volume; however, it was not the case for the $N_2$-mixed standards. Results of our study suggest that detection of H$_2$S is highly different from other sulfides and that its quantification requires minimiaing interfering effects of non -pure substance (like water vapor) and (either sorptive or destructive) loss effects.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.333-336
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• 2005

32 Volatile organic compounds(VOCs) were measured by thermal desorption/gas chrornatography/mass spectrometry in normal houses, new and sick houses. The sum concentrations of aromatic hydrocarbons in living room of new and sick houses showed 606 ${\mu}g/m^3$ and 645 ${\mu}g/m^3$, respectively, These figures were about 40 times higher than the values 14 ${\mu}g/m^3$ in normal houses. Among the chlorinated hydrocarbons trichloroethylene in the new and sick houses were at least 50-100 times higher than the mean concentrations in normal houses. But no significant differences could be shown for the concentration of VOCs in indoor air between new houses and sick houses (p<0.05).

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.491-502
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• 2003

In the present work, the distribution characteristics of ambient volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were investigated at high temporal resolution from a monitoring station located in a mid-eastern area of Seoul. A total number of 587 samples were collected during December 2002 to January 2003. The measurements of VOC were conducted by a combination of on-line air sampling and thermal desorption unit (TDU) coupled with capillary GC/FID analysis. A total of five aromatic compounds (BTEX: benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, m, p-xylene, and o-xylene) were measured routinely at hourly intervals during the whole study period. The mean concentrations of BTEX measured in our study period were found in the order: toluene (8.99 $\pm$5.38 ppb) > benzene (0.92$\pm$0.52 ppb) > m, p-xylene (0.51$\pm$0.34 ppb) > 0- xylene (0.48$\pm$0.35 ppb) > ethyl benzene (0.43$\pm$ 0.32 ppb). The BTEX concentrations were generally higher during the daytime than the nighttime, exhibiting certain patterns on a weekly basis. Results of our analysis indicate that the unusually high concentrations of toluene, while showing good correlations with other VOCs, can be a good indicator of air pollution in the study area.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.244-258
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• 2018

We performed this study to investigate the spatial, seasonal, and daily variations of the concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Pohang, where large steel industrial complexes are located. Ambient air sampling was undertaken at 4 sites during 4 seasons. Each sample was taken for 4 hours continuously for 8 consecutive days per season at each site. Three sites were located within the Pohang city, but one as a control site in Gyeongju. A total of 72 individual VOCs were determined by thermal desorption coupled with GC/MS, including aliphatics, aromatics, carbonyls and halides. The most abundant VOC was toluene, being followed by ethylbenzene and xylenes. Benzene concentrations(c.a. 0.7 ppb) were found to be much lower than the national ambient standard of 1.5 ppb. Overall, the VOCs levels in Pohang appeared to be lower than other national industrial complexes in Korea such as Shiwha-Banwol, Yeosu-Gwangyang, Gumi, and Ulsan. This implies that steel industry may not give significant impacts on the atmospheric levels of VOCs as much as petrochemical, electronic, and/or textile industries, where large amounts of organic solvents are used.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.565-574
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• 2007

In this study, five representative, commercially available polymers, Ultem 1000 polyetherimide, Kapton polyimide, phenolic resin, polyacrylonitrile and cellulose acetate, were used to prepare pyrolyzed polymer membranes coated on a porous {\alpha}-alumina$ tube via inert pyrolysis for gas separation. Pyrolysis conditions (i.e., final temperature and thermal dwell time) of each polymer were determined using a thermogravimetric method coupled with real-time mass spectroscopy. The surface area and pore size distribution of the pyrolyzed materials derived from the polymers were estimated from the nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms. Pyrolyzed membranes from polymer precursors exhibited type I sorption behavior except cellulose acetate (type IV). The gas permeation of the carbon/{\alpha}-alumina$ tubular membranes was characterized using four gases: helium, carbon dioxide, oxygen and nitrogen. The polyetherimide, polyimide, and phenolic resin pyrolyzed polymer membranes showed typical molecular sieving gas permeation behavior, while membranes from polyacrylonitrile and cellulose acetate exhibited intermediate behavior between Knudsen diffusion and molecular sieving. Pyrolyzed membranes with molecular sieving behavior (e.g., polyetherimide, polyimide, and phenolic resin) had a $CO_2/N_2$ selectivity of greater than 15; however, the membranes from polyacrylonitrile and cellulose acetate with intermediate gas transport behavior had a selectivity slightly greater than unity due to their large pore size.