• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.130-135
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• 2016

To alloy high melting point elements such as boron, ruthenium, and iridium with copper, heat treatment was performed using metal oxides of $B_2O_3$, $RuO_2$, and $IrO_2$ at the temperature of $1200^{\circ}C$ in vacuum for 30 minutes. The microstructure analysis of the alloyed sample was confirmed using an optical microscope and FE-SEM. Hardness and trace element analyses were performed using Vickers hardness and WD-XRF, respectively. Diffusion profile analysis was performed using D-SIMS. From the microstructure analysis results, crystal grains were found to have formed with sizes of 2.97 mm. For the copper alloys formed using metal oxides of $B_2O_3$, $RuO_2$, and $IrO_2$ the sizes of the crystal grains were 1.24, 1.77, and 2.23 mm, respectively, while these sizes were smaller than pure copper. From the Vickers hardness results, the hardness of the Ir-copper alloy was found to have increased by a maximum of 2.2 times compared to pure copper. From the trace element analysis, the copper alloy was fabricated with the expected composition. From the diffusion profile analysis results, it can be seen that 0.059 wt%, 0.030 wt%, and 0.114 wt% of B, Ru, and Ir, respectively, were alloyed in the copper, and it led to change the hardness. Therefore, we verified that alloying of high melting point elements is possible at the low temperature of $1200^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.41-51
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• 2002

This research was carried out using Anderson air sampler which were set up on the roof of the Engineering College of Konkuk University at Hwayang-Dong, Kwangjin-Gu, Seoul from Aug. 1992 to foul. 1999. The results are as follows: The major component of yellow sand is soil particles based upon the observation that particles ranging from $3.3~7.0{\mu}m$ occupy 36~63%. It is certain that the increase of fine particles of respirable dust during yellow sand phenomenon in Seoul area affects the human body. The trace metals from natural sources like Al, Ca, Fe, K, Na, and Si show larger mass median diameter(MMD) values during yellow sand phenomenon than in normal situations while the values of MMD for Mn and Pb rarely changes. Noticeably, the changes in value of MMD of water soluble elements like ${NO_3}^{-}$ and ${SO_4}^{2}$ are 2.3 and 6.6 times higher during the yellow sand phenomenon compared to normal situations, respectively. This fact is regarded as decisive evidence showing that ${NO_3}^{-}$ and ${SO_4}^{2}$ in the air are attached to yellow sand and move together.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.69-78
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• 2010

In order to investigate the degree of household dust contamination, 48 samples of household dust (24 from urban area and 24 from rural area) in Daegu city were collected in vacuum cleaner during January to February 2009. Samples were sieved below 100 ${\mu}m$, and 14 elements (Al, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, V, Zn) were analyzed using ICP after acid extraction. Results obtained from the source assessment of trace elements using enrichment factor showed that Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, and V were influenced by natural sources such as weathered rock and resuspended soil, while Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn were influenced by anthropogenic sources such as fuel combustion and waste incineration. Concentrations were remarkably higher in components from natural sources than in components from urban anthropogenic sources. Household dust in urban area was more affected by anthropogenic sources compared with that of rural area. Pollution index of heavy metals revealed that urban area was 1.8 times more contaminated with heavy metal components than rural area. The correlation analysis among trace elements indicated that components were correlated with natural sources-natural sources (Al-Mg, Al-Mn, Fe-Mn) and natural sources-anthropogenic sources (Al-V, Fe-Cr, V-Mn) in both urban area and rural area. Trace element components of rural area were more correlated than those of urban area. Houses that use oil for heating fuel had relatively higher contents of heavy metals rather than those using gas or electricity for heating fuel. Houses with children also had higher contents of heavy metals. In addition, the age of houses was found to influence the heavy metal levels in household dusts, with older houses (>10years) having higher concentrations than newer houses (<10years) and houses located near the major road (<10 m) were found to have relatively higher heavy metal levels in household dust.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.7
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• pp.2650-2655
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• 2023

In the process of growth and development, plants not only absorb essential nutritional elements, but also absorb radioactive and non-essential elements from the environment, and their distribution varies in different parts of the plant. In this study, neutron activation analysis and gamma spectrometry were performed on stems, roots, and leaves of vegetables. The results indicate that the accumulation of radionuclides and multi-elements depends on the plant type and plant parts. Activity concentrations of ²²⁶Ra and ²³²Th in plants were accumulated in the following order: Roots > Stems > Leaves. The highest concentrations of ⁴⁰K and ²¹⁰Pb were observed in the stems and leaves of plants, respectively. Essential nutrient requirements of plants are in the following order: K > Ca > Mg > Fe > Zn > Mn. Among the nonessential metals, the concentration of Na in the vegetable sample was much greater than those of the other elements. The K/Na ratio in the plant depends on the type of plant and the translocation within the plant.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.515-523
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• 1999

Nine trace metals (Zn, Fe, Al, Pb, Mn, Cu, Ni, Cr, and Cd) and Se concentrations were determined in organs and tissues(muscle, bone, kidney, liver and skin) of the striped field mice, Apodemus agrarius collected at Daejeo-dong, Pusan city and the Sorak Mt., Kangwon Province. All the trate elements were detected from all the mice examined. As for the metal concentrations in the mice from Daejeo-dong, Zn, Fe, Al, Mn, Ni and Cr were significantly higher than those in Sorak Mt.(p<0.05), suggesting that pesticides including Zn and factory wastes containing several metals might contaminated the environment of Daejeo-dong. As regards the element concentrations in each organ and tissue, Fe, Al, Pb, Mn, Cu, Cr and Cd concentrations were high in liver or kidney; Zn in skin and bone; Ni in bone, skin and kidney; and Se in muscle, liver and skin in all the mice examined. There were significant differences(p<0.05) between juveniles and adults in average concentration of metals(Zn, Fe, Pb, Mn, Ni, and Cd) in every organs and tissues of mice collected at Daejeo-dong. Much higher average levels of metals in juveniles indicate that considerable burdens fo metals might be transferred through the placenta. However, there were no significant differences between males and females, and between young and old adults in average metal concentrations, which suggests that the mice might accumulate the metals during their life time, although they might excrete the metals not only through reproductive activities, such as parturition, lactation and ejaculation of semen, but also through molting, judging from higher accumulating ratios of most metals in skin of adults than of juveniles.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.444-450
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• 2011

A novel method that utilizes poly(5-methyl-2-thiozyl methacrylamide-co-2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid-co-divinylbenzene) [MTMAAm/AMPS/DVB] as a solid-phase extractant was developed for simultaneous preconcentration of trace Cd(II), Co(II), Cr(III), Cu(II), Fe(III), Mn(II), Ni(II), Pb(II), and Zn(II) prior to the measurement by flame atomic absorpiton spectrometry (FAAS). Experimental conditions for effective adsorption of the metal ions were optimized using column procedures. The optimum pH value for the simultaneously separation of the metal ions on the new adsorbent was 2.5. Effects of concentration and volume of elution solution, sample flow rate, sample volume and interfering ions on the recovery of the analytes were investigated. A high preconcentration factor, 100, and low relative standard deviation values, $\leq$1.5% (n = 10), were obtained. The detection limits (${\mu}gL^{-1}$) based on the 3s criterion were 0.18 for Cd(II), 0.11 for Co(II), 0.07 for Cr(III), 0.12 for Cu(II), 0.18 for Fe(III), 0.67 for Mn(II), 0.13 for Ni(II), 0.06 for Pb(II), and 0.09 for Zn(II). The validation of the procedure was performed by the analysis of two certified reference materials. The presented method was applied to the determination of the analytes in various environmental samples with satisfactory results.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.607-610
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• 1999

The odor removal of landfill site leachate was carried out using pyroligenous liquid. The constituent elements of pyroligenous liquid and leachate were also analysed, employing Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy(AAS). Before order removal, the heavy metal ions such as Pb, Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe and Ni, in pyroligenous liquid were detected with ultra trace level. However, in this liquid, other metal ions such as As, Hg and Cd were not observed. The optimum condition for removing odor fromthe leachate was observed in 15 times dilution of pyroligenous liquid. Also, the degree of outlet odor was 1. Furthermore, the concentration of odor constituent compounds, e.g. $H_2S, NH_3, NH_2$ and $CO_2$ in the leachate was remarkably reduced. Finally, water quality of the leachate was improved.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.235-246
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• 2009

The analyses of minor and trace elements in glass debris were performed using LA-ICP-MS in order to identify manufacturers using real commercial samples. At first, a calibration curve was made using standard glass samples of NIST 610, 612, 614 and 616. $^{29}Si$ was used as an internal standard, and the ratios of metal/Si for each metal were compared with their concentrations. Based on elements in each sample and standard materials, 24 metals were quantified and the LOD in analysis, according to the blank sample, was in the range of 0.11 mg/kg (Ti)-4.91 mg/kg (Ca). Eleven samples from two manufacturers were collected and five sub-samples were taken from each sample for analysis. 15 elements (Co, Ce, Ca, Mn, Sr, Ba, Li, Rb, U, La, Th, Na, Al, Zr and Hf) were selected to identify manufacturers because some elements (Cu, Cr, Cd and Ni) were below the detection limit and some elements (Ti, Pr, Mg, Nb, Nd) were absent in the analysis of standards and others (Pb and Sn) had a problem of homogeneity. The attempts to identify manufacturers and the manufacturing period were performed through a triangular diagram. In the manufacturer discrimination by discriminant analysis, a canonical discriminant function was made based on Mn, Ce and Rb, and each sample could be identified.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.41 no.8
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• pp.1101-1108
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• 2009

The ocean contains around eighty elements of the periodic table and uranium is also one among them, with a uniform concentration of 3.3 ppb and a relative abundance factor of 23. With a large coastline, India has a large stake in exploiting the 4 billion tonnes of uranium locked in seawater. The development of radiation grafting techniques, which are useful in incorporating the required functional groups, has led to more efficient adsorbent preparations in various geometrical configurations. Separation based on a polymeric adsorbent is becoming an increasingly popular technique for the extraction of trace heavy metals from seawater. Radiation grafting has provided definite advantages over chemical grafting. Studies related to thermally bonded non woven porous polypropylene fiber sheet substrate characterization and parameters to incorporate specific groups such as acrylonitrile (AN) into polymer back bones have been investigated. The grafted polyacrylonitrile chains were chemically modified to convert acrylonitrile group into an amidoxime group, a chelating group responsible for heavy metal uptake from seawater/brine. The present work has been undertaken to concentrate heavy metal ions from lean solutions from constant potential sources only. A scheme was designed and developed for investigation of the recovery of heavy metal ions such as uranium and vanadium from seawater.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.279-288
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• 2011

Objectives: This study investigated the levels and components of floor-settled dust in two elementary schools located at different sites (one near the Shihwa industrial complex and the other in a rural area) in order to evaluate the amounts of trace metal elements (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) and microorganisms. Methods: Over twenty settled-dust samples were collected from the two elementary schools. Trace metal elements were extracted from the dust using hydrochloric acid and nitric acid, and the amounts were measured by ICP-OES. Microbiological analysis was performed by bacterial culturing using R2A medium and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Results: The results showed that the amounts of three metal elements (Cr, Pb, and Zn) were significantly different between the schools (${\alpha}$=0.05, p<0.04). In addition, microbial communities in each school were highly correlated with one another. Among the identified microorganisms, a number of potentially opportunistic microorganisms, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as Acinetobacter baumannii, were found. Conclusions: This study will provide preliminary data for assessing levels and types of chemical and microbiological agents in elementary schools and for further evaluating human health risks associated with the agents.