• 한국지하수토양환경학회지:지하수토양환경
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• 제19권6호
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• pp.37-48
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• 2014

Lab scale rhizofiltration by using four plants was performed to investigate the uranium removal efficiency from groundwater. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L.), radish sprouts (Raphanus sativus L.) and buttercup (Oenanthe javanica) were cultivated during 3 weeks in the phytotron. Glass jar ($12cm{\times}12cm{\times}8cm$ for each), containing 350 ml of the artificially uranium contaminated solution was used for 72 hours of the rhizofiltration. In experiments with different initial uranium concentration ($18.00{\mu}g/L$, $31.00{\mu}g/L$, $84.00{\mu}g/L$ and $116.00{\mu}g/L$) in solution, more than 70% of the initial uranium were removed by using lettuce, Chinese cabbage and radish sprouts and the residual uranium concentration in solution maintained lower than USEPA water tolerance limit ($30{\mu}g/L$). From the rhizofiltration experiments at various pH conditions, the highest uranium removal for all four plants was acquired at pH 3 in solution. Rhizofiltration experiments testing two field samples of groundwaters having high uranium concentrations ($86.00{\mu}g/L$ and $173.00{\mu}g/L$) were duplicated and more than 83% of the initial uranium were removed from the groundwater within 72 hours of rhizofiltration by using radish sprouts, which, suggests that the rhizofiltration can be a useful process to remediate uranium contaminated groundwater in the field. After the rhizofiltration experiment, the SEM and EDS analyses for the root surface of the radish sprouts were conducted, suggesting that the main mechanism of the rhizofiltration for the removal of uranium from groundwater would be surface precipitation on the root surface of the plant.

• 한국지하수토양환경학회지:지하수토양환경
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• 제23권6호
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• pp.73-81
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• 2018

Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), one of the most commonly used instruments for metal analysis, was used to determine total uranium in soil. The method was named as "Modified ASTM C1345-96". When comparing with ASTM C1345-96, digestion time (2~3 days) was shorten to 7 hours and the treatment in furnace was eliminated. In analyses of 26 field soil samples, there was a significant difference in the average concentration of total uranium between modified ASTM C1345-96 and ASTM C1345-96 (F : 6.22 > Fc : 4.03, significance level : 0.05, n=26). The average concentration of modified ASTM C1345-96 was 1.8 times larger than that of ASTM C1345-96. In addition, modified ASTM C1345-96 was compared with other acid digestion methods for soil including ISO 11466, Modified ISO 11466, US EPA-3051, US EPA-3051A and US EPA-3052 using a certificated reference material (SRM 2711a, NIST) and field soil samples with different level of organic matter content (1.6%, 5.8%, 10.6%). Modified ASTM C1345-96 showed the best accuracy of 93.01% for SRM 2711a. Also, modified ASTM C1345-96 showed the higher extraction rates than other digestion methods by 11~45%.

• 한국지하수토양환경학회지:지하수토양환경
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• 제18권1호
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• pp.36-45
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• 2013

We analyzed natural radionuclides in 80 wells in volcanic rock areas and investigated environmental characteristics. Uranium and radon concentrations ranged from ND to $9.70{\mu}g/L$ (median value: 0.21) ${\mu}g/L$, 38~29,222 pCi/L (median value: 579), respectively. In case of gross-${\alpha}$, 26 samples exceeded MDA (minimum detectable activity, < 0.9 pCi/L) value and the activity values ranged from 1.05 to 8.06 pCi/L. The radionuclides concentrations did not exceed USEPA MCL (maximum contaminant level) value of Uranium ($30{\mu}g/L$) and gross-${\alpha}$ (15 pCi/L). But Rn concentrations in 4 samples exceeded USEPA AMCL (Alternative maximum contaminant level, 4,000 pci/L) and one of them showed a significantly higher value (29,222 pCi/L) than the others. The levels of uranium concentrations in volcanic rock aquifer regions were detected in order of andesite, miscellaneous volcanic rocks, rhyolite, basalt aquifer regions. Radon, however, was detected in order of miscellaneous volcanic rocks, rhyolite, andesite, basalt aquifer regions. The correlation coefficient between uranium and radon was r = 0.45, but we found that correlations of radionuclides with in-situ data or major ions were weak or no significant. The correlation coefficient between the depth of wells and uranium concentrations was a slightly higher than that of depth of wells and radons. Radionuclide concentrations in volcanic rock aquifers showed lower levels than those of other rock aquifers such as granite, metamorphic rock aquifers, etc. This result may imply difference of host rock's bearing-radioactive-mineral contents among rock types of aquifers.

• 한국지하수토양환경학회지:지하수토양환경
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• 제20권7호
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• pp.43-52
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• 2015

The uranium removal capacity of radish sprouts (Raphanus sativus L.) in groundwater was calculated on the basis of the amount of uranium accumulated in the radish sprouts rather than the concentration in solution, of which process was very limited in previous studies. Continuous rhizofiltration clean-up system was designed to investigate the feasibility of radish sprouts, applying for uranium contaminated groundwater (U concentration: 110 μg/L) taken at Bugogdong, Busan. Six acrylic boxes (10 cm × 30 cm × 10 cm) were connected in a direct series for the continuous rhizofiltration system and 200 g of radish sprouts cultivars was placed in each box. The groundwater was flushed through the system for 48 hours at the constant rate of 5 mL/min. The rhizofiltration system was operated in the phytotron, of which conditions were at 25℃ temperature, 70% of relative humidity, 4,000 Lux illumination (16 hours/day) and 600 mg/L of CO₂ concentration. While 14.4 L of contaminated groundwater was treated, the uranium removal efficiency of the radish sprouts (1,200 g in wet weight) was 77.2% and their removal capacities ranged at 152.1 μg/g-239.7 μg/g (the average: 210.8 μg/g), suggesting that the radish sprouts belong to the group of hyper-accumulation species. After the experiment, the sum of U amounts accumulated in radish sprouts and remained in groundwater was 1,472.2 μg and the uranium recovery ratio of this rhizofiltration experiment was 92.9%. From the results, it was investigated that the radish sprouts can remove large amounts of uranium from contaminated groundwater in a short time (few days) because the fast growth rate and the high U accumulation adsorption capacity.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.1-6
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• 2001

방사성 동위원소에 오염된 토양시료에 대하여 정확하고 신속한 U 등위원소 분석법을 개발하였고 IAEA 표준시료에 적용하여 분석법의 타당성을 검증하였다. TBP 용매추출법의 단점을 보완하기 위해서 토양시료를 질산 및 불산을 사용하여 메트릭스 성분으로부터 우라늄을 완벽하게 추출하였고 이온교환수지와 TRU Spec 수지를 이용하여 우라늄 등위원소를 악티나이드 원소로부터 순수분리하였다. 크로마토 그래피 추출법을 사용하여 토양시료에서 우라늄 등위원소 화학수율은 TBP 용매추출법의 경우보다 10% 정도 증가하였다. 크로마토 그래피 추출법을 사용한 IAEA 토양시료에 분석결과는 IAEA에서 보고된 수치와 일치하였다.

• 한국지하수토양환경학회지:지하수토양환경
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• 제15권6호
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• pp.9-16
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• 2010

Groundwater sampling was performed at 38 wells where they are located in the areas with high uranium and radon (marked as A and B, respectively) concentrations, which were based on the previous research results. In-situ parameters (temperature, pH, EC, Eh, DO) and natural radionuclides (uranium and radon) were analyzed to figure out the characteristics of groundwater environments. In-situ data did not show any relations to natural radionuclide data, which could be caused by groundwater mixing, depths of wells, and geological settings, etc. But the highest radon well presented relatively low temperature value and the highest uranium well presented relatively low pH values The highest uranium concentration ranging $1.14{\sim}188.19{\mu}g/L$ showed in the area of A region consisted of Jurassic two-mica granite. The areas of Jurassic biotite granite and Cretaceous granite in the A region have the uranium concentrations ranging $0.10{\sim}49.78{\mu}g/L$ and $0.36{\sim}3.01{\mu}g/L$, respectively. The uranium values from between wells of community water systems (CWSs) penetrating fractured bed-rock aquifers and personal boreholes settled in shallow aquifers near the wells of CWSs show big differences. It implies that the groundwaters of the two areas have evolved from different water-rock interaction paths that may caused by various types of wells having different aquifers. High radon activities in the area of B region composed of Precambrian gneiss showed ranging from 6,770 to 64,688 pCi/L. Even though the wells are located in the same geological settings, their rodon concentration presented different according to depth and distance.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제48권2호
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• pp.77-83
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• 2023

Background: The purpose of this study is to purify uranium (U[VI])-contaminated soil-flushing effluent using the precipitation-distillation process for clearance. Precipitation and distillation are commonly used techniques for water treatment. We propose using a combination of these methods for the simple and effective removal of U(VI) ions from soil-flushing effluents. In addition, the U concentration (Bq/g) of solid waste generated in the proposed treatment process was analyzed to confirm whether it satisfies the clearance level. Materials and Methods: Uranium-contaminated soil was decontaminated by soil-flushing using 0.5 M sulfuric acid. The soil-flushing effluent was treated with sodium hydroxide powder to precipitate U(VI) ions, and the remaining U(VI) ions were removed by phosphate addition. The effluent from which U(VI) ions were removed was distilled for reuse as a soil-flushing eluent. Results and Discussion: The purification method using the precipitation-distillation process proposed in this study effectively removes U(VI) ions from U-contaminated soil-flushing effluent. In addition, most of the solid waste generated in the purification process satisfied the clearance level. Conclusion: The proposed purification process is considered to have potential as a soil-flushing effluent treatment method to reduce the amount of radioactive waste generated.

• 지질공학
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• 제27권4호
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• pp.501-511
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• 2017

이 연구에서는 전라남도 지역의 지하수 170개 소를 대상으로 자연방사성물질인 우라늄, 라돈을 분석하였으며, 지질별로 구분하여 이들의 함량특성을 지구화학적, 통계적으로 고찰하였다. 또한 우라늄과 라돈의 함량을 지질도에 표기하여 이들의 함량분포도를 작성하였다. 우라늄과 라돈의 함량범위는 넓지만 일부 시료를 제외하면 낮은 값을 보인다. 요인분석 결과에 의하면 전남지역의 지하수에서 우라늄과 라돈간의 상관계수는 낮아서, 이 두 성분은 서로 다른 거동특성을 가지는 것으로 판단된다. 서로 거의 무관한 거동특성을 보여주는 이러한 결과는 국내 대부분의 지하수중 우라늄, 라돈 연구결과와도 일치한다. 이들을 제외하면 주요 수질항목들 간에는 높은 상관계수가 나타나는데, 이들은 일반적인 물-암석반응의 결과임을 지시한다.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.1-7
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• 1999

기존의 TBP 용매 추출법을 토대로 간단하고 정밀한 환경시료중 우라늄 동위원소 분석법을 개발했다. 질산-불화수소를 가해 토양시료를 분해하였고 TBP와 $CCl_4$등의 유기용매 혼합비율을 조절하여 우라늄을 수층에서 유기 층으로 추출하였으며 8 M HCl를 사용하여 토륨성분을 제거한 후 1 M HCl로 우라늄성분을 유기 층에서 수층으로 역 추출하여 우라늄만을 순수분리하였다. 기존의 전기전착 용액에 DTPA 착화제를 첨가한 새로운 전기전착 용액을 개발하여 최적의 우라늄 전착조건을 설정하였다. 수립된 우라늄 동위원소 분석법을 IAEA Reference 시료에 적용하여 개발된 분석법에 대한 신뢰성을 검증하였다.

• Advances in environmental research
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• 제4권2호
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• pp.135-142
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• 2015

In this study, we evaluated the adsorption/desorption of uranium (U) in pure soil environment using continuous column reactor. We additionally investigated the adsorption/desorption mechanism of U on vivianite surface in molecular scale using quantum calculation. We observed that below $0.1{\mu}M$ of U was detected after 20 d from U injection ($1{\mu}M$) in adsorption test. However, all of absorbed U was detached from vivianite surface in 24 h by injection of CARB solution ($1.44{\times}10^{-2}M\;NaHCO_3$ and $2.8{\times}10^{-3}M\;Na_2CO_3$). Based on exchange energy calculation, we found that $UO_2(CO_3)_2{^{2-}}$ and $UO_2(CO_3)_3{^{4-}}$ species have higher repulsive energy than $UO_2(OH)_2$ species. The results obtained from this study could be applied to predict the behavior of uranium in contaminated and remediation sites.