• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.53-59
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• 2007

Optimal quenching curves have been studied for the accurate analysis of $^{14}C$ in groundwater polluted by reducing efficiency of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in liquid scintillation counter (LSC). The quenching parameters (SQP(E)) were measured for ten VOCs such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o-(m-,p-)xylene, trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethylene(PCE), carbon tetrachloride and chloroform. The quenching curves were plotted using $^{14}C$ standard solution and chloroform as a quenching agent. Optimal plotting conditions were determined for standard solution, LSC measuring time and the concentration of chloroform. The quenching effects of chlorinated organic compounds such as TCE, PCE, carbon tetrachloride and chloroform were greater than those of BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene). Optimum measuring time was 100 minutes far 7,000 dpm/mL standard solution. A few mL of chloroform should be added for good quenching curves. These quenching curves have good correlation coefficients (> 0.99) and the curves could be applied to accurate analysis of $^{14}C$ in groundwater and tap water.

• 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.

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.101-114
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• 1998

Soil vapor extraction (SVE) is known to be an effective process to remove the contaminants from the soils by enhancing the vaporization of organic compounds using forced vapor flows or applying vacuum through soils. Experiments are carried out to investigate the effects of the organic contaminants, types of soils, and water contents on the removal efficiency with operating time. In the study, simulated soils include the glass bead which has no micropore, sand and molecular sieve which has a large volume of micropores. As model organic pollutants, toluene, methyl ethyl ketone, and trichloroethylene are selected. Desorption experiments are conducted by flowing nitrogen gas. Under the experimental conditions, it is found that there are linear relationships between logarithm of removal efficiency and logarithm of number of pore volumes. The number of pore volumes are defined as the total amount of air flow through the soil column divided by the pore volume of soil column. For three organic compounds studied, the removal rate is slow for no water content, while the number of pore volumes for removal of organic compounds are notably reduced for water contents up to 37%. For the removal of dense organic compound, such as trichloroethylene, a large number of pore volumes are needed. Also, the effects of the characteristics of simulated soils on the removal efficiency of organic compounds are studied. After the characterization of soil surface, porosity of soil columns and types of contaminants, the results could provide a basis for the design of SVE process.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 2016

Objectives: Exposure to volatile organic compounds such as trichloroethylene(TCE) and perchloroethylene(PCE), along with Agent Orange, that were issued around Camp Carroll US Army Base situated in Waegwan, Chilgok-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, Korea. The main objective of this study was to assess the exposure to TCE and PCE of residents of the area surrounding Camp Carroll. Methods: The TCE, PCE and trichloroethanol(TCEOH) concentrations in blood and trichlroroacetic acid(TCA) and TCEOH concentrations in urine were measured and analyzed in a total of 1,033 residents around Camp Carroll. TCA and TCEOH are metabolites of TCE and PCE, respectively. The information on demographic characteristics and exposure variables in relation to underground water were obtained through a questionnaire completed by the subjects. Results: TCE, PCE and TCEOH concentrations were not detected in blood. Detection rates of TCA and TECOH concentrations in urine were 98.5% and 36.6%, respectively. Creatinine-corrected average TCA and TCEOH concentrations were $12.23{\pm}23.81{\mu}g/g$ and $0.66{\pm}4.31{\mu}g/g$, respectively. A significant difference was not shown between the drinking group and no drinking group for underground water, which was assumed as a potential route of exposure to TCE and PCE through the consumption of ground water. However, females drinking ground water showed a significantly higher mean level of TCA in urine than did males. There was no significant difference according to drinking ground water as a potential source of exposure to TCE and PCE in residents around Camp Carroll. Conclusions: Considering the statistical analysis of factors affecting exposure to TCE and PCE in ground water along with previous reports, TCA in urine as exposure to TCE and PCE might not be appropriate because it is found in chlorinated drinking water. Therefore, TCA concentration in urine may be the result of drinking of chlorinated water.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.240-250
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• 2004

A gas chromatography-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) assay method was developed for the rapid and sensitive determination of volatile- and semivolatile organic compounds in water. Two hundreds mL of water sample was extracted in a 250 mL separatory funnel with 1 ml of pentane at pH 6.5. Fluorobenzene and 1,2-dichlorobenzene-d4 as internal standards were added to water sample and the solution was mechanically shaken for 5 min and analyzed by GC-MS (selected ion monitoring) without more any concentration or purification steps. The peaks had good chromatographic properties and the extraction of these compounds from water also gave relatively high recoveries with small variations. The range of detection limits of the assay was 0.5-10 ng/L. Turnaround time for up to about 40 samples was one day. This method is simple, convenient, and can be learned easily by relatively inexperienced personnel. This method was used to analyze 15 volatile- and semivolatile organic compounds in water of a Lake, and raw and treated water from three Water Treatment Plants in Korea. As the analytical results, benzene, toluene, xylene, isopropylbenzene, 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, naphthalene and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol were detected at concentrations of up to 0.4, 1.9, 1.3, 0.2, 1.8, 13.0, 1.7 and $1.1{\mu}g/L$, respectively. But chlorobenzene, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, ethylbenzene, n-butylbenzene and dibromochloropropane levels during that period were not significant. The removal effect of the compounds in three Water Treatment Plants was calculated. The compounds studied were generally removed during conventional water treatment, especially during the active carbon filtration.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.124-129
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• 2003

The objectives of this study are to manufacture an efficient $TiO_2$, photocatalyst and to delineate optimum operational parameters for TCE (trichloroethylene) degradation in a photocatalytic oxidative reactor. The $TiO_2$ photocatalyst irradiated by 365 nm UV light is expected to increase degradation of TCE in solution by a series of photocatalytic oxidations in the reactor. A new membrane $TiO_2$ photocatalyst wns eventually developed by coating a mixture of Davan-C(0.24 wt%) and PVA(0.16 wt%) on the surface of slips using the slip-casting method. Results show that increase in the number of coating of $TiO_2$ sol on surface of photocatalysts and in the surface thickness improved the endurance and photocatalysts, but these physical modifications caused significant decrease in the overall degradation efficiency of TCE. Pre-aeration or recirculation of the influents to the reactors containing TCE increased degradation efficiency of TCE. The optimum operational conditions far the surface area of photocatalysts and UV light intensity appeared to be $1.47\;mL/cm^2$ and $225\;W/cm^2{\times}100$, respectively, in the reactor. Based on the overall experimental results, the photocatalytic oxidation of TCE with the new membrane $TiO_2$ photocatalyst is found to be very effective under the operational conditions delineated in this study.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.452-459
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• 1999

A two-stage continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR)/trickling biofilter reactor (TBR) system was developed for the degradation of gas-phase trichloroethlene (TCE) using Methylosinus trichoporium OB3b. Mrthylosinus trichosporium OB3b was immobilized on activated carbons in TBR and the microbial growth reactor of a CSTR was coupled for the reactivation of the deactivated cells during TCE degradation. The effect of operation variables on TCE conversion and degradation rate were studied. At inlet TCE concentrations ranging from 10 to 80 $\mu$mol/L, TCE degradation rate was increased up to 525 mg TCE/Lㆍday with 75% conversion. The TCE degradation rates were also increased with increse in broth recycle flow rate, gas flow rate and dilution rate. When the temperature of TBR was changed from 3$0^{\circ}C$ to 15$^{\circ}C$, TCE degradation rate and TCE conversion were increased due to the enhanced TCE transfer from gas-phase. The two-stage reactor system was found to be stable and has been operated for more than 270 days.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.183-191
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• 2010

In this study, we isolated 179 bacterial strains using benzene, phenol, ethylbenzene, aniline, cumene, toluene as growth substrate from TCE contaminated soils and wastewaters. All the 179 strains were screened for TCE (30 mg/L) removal (growth substrate 0.2 g/L, $30^{\circ}C$, pH 7, cell biomass 1.0 g/L (w/v)) under aerobic condition for 21 days. EK2 strain using aniline showed the highest removal efficiency (74.4%) for TCE degradation. This strain was identified as Delftia acidovorans as the results of API kit, 16S rDNA sequence and fatty acid assay. In the batch culture, D. acidovorans EK2 showed the bio-degradation for TCE in the various TCE concentration (10 mg/L to 200 mg/L). However, D. acidovorans EK2 did not show the bio-degradation in the TCE 250 mg/L. D. acidovorans EK2 also show the removal efficiency (99.9%) for 12 days in the low concentration (1.0 mg/L). Optimal conditions to degrade TCE 200 mg/L were cell biomass 1.0 g/L (w/v), aniline 0.5 g/L, pH 7 and $30^{\circ}C$. Removal efficiency and removal rate by D. acidovorans EK2 strain was 71.0% and 94.7 nmol/h for 21 days under optimal conditions. Conclusion, we expect that D. acidovorans EK2 may contribute on the biological treatment in the contaminated soil or industrio us wastewater.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.887-894
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• 2014

The screening of the microorganisms degrading chlorinated organic compounds such as PCP (pentachlorophenol) and TCE (trichloroethylene) was conducted with soil and industrial wastewater contaminated with various chlorinated organic compounds. Isolates (GP5, GP19) capable of degrading PCP and isolates (GA6, GA15) capable of degrading TCE were identified as Acetobactor sp., Pseudomonas sp., Arthrobacer sp., Xanthomonas sp. and named Acetobacter sp. GP5, Pseudomonas sp. GP19, Arthrobacer sp. GA6 and Xanthomoas sp. GA15, respectively. The microbial augmentation, OC17 formulated with the mixture of bacteria including isolates (4 strains) degrading chlorinated organic compounds and isolates (Acinetobacter sp. KN11, Neisseria sp. GN13) degrading aromatic hydrocarbons. Characteristics of microbial augmentation OC-17 showed cell mass of $2.8{\times}10^9CFU/g$, bulk density of $0.299g/cm^3$ and water content of 26.8%. In the experiment with an artificial wastewater containing PCP (500 mg/l), degradation efficiency of the microbial augmentation OC17 was 87% during incubation of 65 hours. The degradation efficiency of TCE (300 uM) by microbial augmentation OC17 was 90% during incubation of 50 hours. In a continuous culture experiment, analysis of the biodegradation of organic compounds by microbial augmentation OC17 in industry wastewater containing chlorinated hydrocarbons showed that the removal rate of COD was 91% during incubation of 10 days. These results indicate that it is possible to apply the microbial augmentation OC17 to industrial wastewaters containing chlorinated organic compounds.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.304-311
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• 2012

Chlorinated ethylenes such as perchloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE) are widely used as industrial solvents and degreasing agents. Because of improper handling, these highly toxic chlorinated ethylenes have been often detected from contaminated soils and groundwater. Biological PCE dechlorination activities were tested in bacterial cultures inoculated with 10 different environmental samples from sediments, sludges, soils, and groundwater. Of these, the sediment using culture (SE 2) was selected and used for establishing an efficient PCE dechlorinating enrichment culture since it showed the highest activity of dechlorination. The cathode chamber of bioelectrochemical system (BES) was inoculated with the enrichment culture and the system with a cathode polarized at -500 mV (Vs Ag/AgCl) was operated under fed-batch mode. PCE was dechlorinated to ethylene via TCE, cis-dichloroethylene, and vinyl chloride. Microbial community analysis with polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) showed that the microbial community in the enrichment culture was significantly changed during the bio-electrochemical PCE dechlorination in the BES. The communities of suspended-growth bacteria and attached-growth bacteria on the cathode surface are also quite different from each other, indicating that there were some differences in their mechanisms receiving electrons from electrode for PCE dechlorination. Further detailed research to investigate electron transfer mechanism would make the bioelctrochemical dechlorination technique greatly useful for bioremediation of soil and groundwater contaminated with chlorinated ethylenes.