• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.109 no.2
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• pp.157-168
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• 2020

The sensitivity of forest soil to acidification in the Republic of Korea (ROK) was evaluated based on pH_H2O, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and base saturation (BS). Sensitivity to acidification was categorized into three grades: adequate level (AL, pH ≧ 4.2, CEC ≧ 15cmol/kg, BS ≧ 15%), caution level (CL, at least one indicator is below AL), and severe Level (SL, all three indicators are below AL). Soil samples were collected from the 65 stationary monitoring plots (40 × 40 ㎢), distributed throughout ROK. Only 19% of soil samples were classified as AL, while 66% and 15% were CL and SL, respectively. The median of pH_H2O, CEC, BS, and Ca/Al indicator in AL soils was pH 4.64, 20.7cmol/kg, 29%, and 6.3, respectively. Moreover, BC_ex (K⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺) and available phosphorus (AP) concentration compared with a threshold value and molar ratio of BC_ex and AP to total nitrogen (TN) was high. This indicates that AL soils have a good nutrient condition. The molar Ca/Al ratio, an indicator for toxicity of exchangeable aluminum (Al_ex), was more than 1, indicating no negative impact of Al_ex on plant growth. On the contrary, the median of pH_H2O, CEC, and BS in SL soils was pH 4.02, 13.2cmol/kg, and 10%, respectively. The Ca/Al index was less than 0.6, which indicates that negative impacts of Al_ex on plants were high. Furthermore, both the concentration of BC_ex in SL soils and the BC_ex/TN ratio were the lowest among the three acidity degrees. This shows that SLsoils can be degraded by soil acidification compared with less acidic soils.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.57-65
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• 1999

Backround : Pneumoconiosis is the parenchymal lung disease that results from the inhalation and deposition of dust, usually mineral dust of occupational or environmental origin. Most of the pneumoconiosis can be categorized to coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) in Korea. No effective treatement is currently available, and the therapy for symptomatic CWP is limited to treatment of complication. Therefore authors analyzed and reviewed clinical features and radiological findings of 95 patients with pneumoconiosis for assessing the prognostic factors in disease progression. Method: We reviewed medical records of 95 cases with pneumoconiosis including history, chest X-ray, pulmonary function test, electrocardiography, AFB stain and culture of sputum, and routine blood examination between June 1995 and June 1997 in Seonam University Namkwang Hospital. Results: All of cases are male(mean age, 57.4 years), 91 cases out of them are miners. The mean duration of exposure to dust is 18.8 years. Major clinical symptoms are dyspnea (100%), sputum (71.6%), chest pain (55.8%), cough (23.2%), and hemoptysis (6.3%). 82 % of cases are over Morgan-Seaton Grade 2 in the degree of dyspnea. Small opacity on chest x-ray is 82.1 % and large opacity is 17.9%. Small opacity has tit type (37.2%), q/q type (25.6%) and r/r type (11.5%). B type is 42.2% in large opacity. For the pulmonary function test, restrictive type is 40.3%, mixed type 19.5% and obstructive type 8.3%. The more increasing chest Xray density, the more decreasing $FEV_1$ (p<0.01). 38% of patients show tuberculosis in chest X-ray, 15.8% positive smear of acid fast bacilli in sputum. The prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis is high in patients with poor clinical condition. The cases with the active pulmonary tuberculosis have severe dyspnea. Expired cases show 100% and 75% of positive pulmonary tuberculosis in chest X-ray and sputum examination, respectively. 75% of expired cases show the chronic cor pulmonale, who died of acute respiratory failure. Conclusion: These findings indicate that tuberculoois infection has a decisive influence on the progress and prognoois of pneumoconioois.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.34-45
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• 2016

Global warming and climate change have been caused by combustion of fossil fuels. The greenhouse gases contributed to the rise of temperature between $0.6^{\circ}C$ and $0.9^{\circ}C$ over the past century. Presently, fossil fuels account for about 88% of the commercial energy sources used. In developing countries, fossil fuels are a very attractive energy source because they are available and relatively inexpensive. The environmental problems with fossil fuels have been aggravating stress from already existing factors including acid deposition, urban air pollution, and climate change. In order to control greenhouse gas emissions, particularly CO2, fossil fuels must be replaced by eco-friendly fuels such as biomass. The use of renewable energy sources is becoming increasingly necessary. The biomass resources are the most common form of renewable energy. The conversion of biomass into energy can be achieved in a number of ways. The most common form of converted biomass is pellet fuels as biofuels made from compressed organic matter or biomass. Pellets from lignocellulosic biomass has compared to conventional fuels with a relatively low bulk and energy density and a low degree of homogeneity. Thermal pretreatment technology like torrefaction is applied to improve fuel efficiency of lignocellulosic biomass, i.e., less moisture and oxygen in the product, preferrable grinding properties, storage properties, etc.. During torrefacton, lignocelluosic biomass such as palm kernell shell (PKS) and empty fruit bunch (EFB) was roasted under an oxygen-depleted enviroment at temperature between 200 and $300^{\circ}C$. Low degree of thermal treatment led to the removal of moisture and low molecular volatile matters with low O/C and H/C elemental ratios. The mechanical characteristics of torrefied biomass have also been altered to a brittle and partly hydrophobic materials. Unfortunately, it was much harder to form pellets from torrefied PKS and EFB due to thermal degradation of lignin as a natural binder during torrefaction compared to non-torrefied ones. For easy pelletization of biomass with torrefaction, pellets from PKS and EFB were manufactured before torrefaction, and thereafter they were torrefied at different temperature. Even after torrefaction of pellets from PKS and EFB, their appearance was well preserved with better fuel efficiency than non-torrefied ones. The physical properties of the torrefied pellets largely depended on the torrefaction condition such as reaction time and reaction temperature. Temperature over $250^{\circ}C$ during torrefaction gave a significant impact on the fuel properties of the pellets. In particular, torrefied EFB pellets displayed much faster development of the fuel properties than did torrefied PKS pellets. During torrefaction, extensive carbonization with the increase of fixed carbons, the behavior of thermal degradation of torrefied biomass became significantly different according to the increase of torrefaction temperature. In conclusion, pelletization of PKS and EFB before torrefaction made it much easier to proceed with torrefaction of pellets from PKS and EFB, leading to excellent eco-friendly fuels.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.38 no.5 s.174
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• pp.547-561
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• 2005

General characteristics of groundwater contamination by As were reviewed with several recent researches, and its occurrence in groundwater of Korea was investigated based on a ffw previous studies and a groundwater quality survey in Nonsan and Geumsan areas. In Bangladesh, which has been known as the most serious arsenic calamity country, about $28\%$ of the shallow groundwaters exceeded the Bangladesh drinking water standard, $50{\mu}g/L$, and it was estimated that about 28 million people were exposed to concentrations greater than the standard. Groundwater was characterized by circum-neutral pH with a moderate to strong reducing conditions. Low concentrations of $SO_4^{2-}$ and $NO_3^-$, and high contents of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and $NH_4^+$ were typical chemical characteristics. Total As concentrations were enriched in the Holocene alluvial aquifers with a dominance of As(III) species. It was generally agreed that reductive dissolution of Fe oxyhydroxides was the main mechanism for the release of As into groundwater coupling with the presence of organic matters and microbial activities as principal factors. A new model has also been suggested to explain how arsenic can naturally contaminate groundwaters far from the ultimate source with transport of As by active tectonic uplift and glaciatiion during Pleistocene, chemical weathering and deposition, and microbial reaction processes. In Korea, it has not been reported to be so serious As contamination, and from the national groundwater quality monitoring survey, only about $1\%$ of grounwaters have concentrations higher than $10{\mu}g/:L.$ However, it was revealed that $19.3\%$ of mineral waters, and $7\%$ of tube-well waters from Nonsan and Geumsan areas contained As concentrations above $10{\mu}g/:L.$. Also, percentages exceeding this value during detailed groundwater quality surveys were $36\%\;and\;22\%$ from Jeonnam and Ulsan areas, respectively, indicating As enrichment possibly by geological factors and local mineralization. Further systematic researches need to proceed in areas potential to As contamination such as mineralized, metasedimentary rock-based, alluvial, and acid sulfate soil areas. Prior to that, it is required to understand various geochemical and microbial processes, and groundwater flow characteristics affecting the behavior of As.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.259-269
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• 2007

This study was compared the effect of shelf-life and DHA accumulation in chicken meat from broilers fed experimental diets for two weeks($21{\sim}35$ days) of growers. Two hundred-ten male Ross broilers, 1 day of age, were randomly allocated to seven treatment groups. Experimental diets were assigned to each of the seven groups: control diet containing tallow, T1 with 1.00% fish oil, T2 with 2.00% fish oil, T3 with 2.00% fish oil, 200 ppm vitamin E and 200 ppm vitamin C, T4 with 2.00% fish oil and 200 ppm vitamin C, T5 with 2.00% fish oil and 200 ppm vitamin E, and T6 with 3.00% fish oil. The levels of DHA in chicken meat was the highest in T6, and T1 in breast muscle and thigh muscle with skin was higher than that of $T2{\sim}T5,\;T2{\sim}T5$ in raw chicken meat and wing with skin was about two-fold higher than that of T1. The contents of DHA in chicken meat according to storage days were significantly reduced to 42.30%, 49.38% and 48.51% in T1, T2 and T6, respectively, and this decrease was higher than that of T3, T4 and T5 (p<0.05). Particularly, the rate of reduction of DHA was the lowest in the T3 and T5, which were the lowest in TBARS(thiobarbituric acid reactive substances). TBARS increased in the order of T6, T2 and T1, but reduced in the order of T3, T5 and T4 according to storage days, and there was a significant difference among the treatment groups (p<0.05).

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.8 no.12
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• pp.1158-1164
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• 1998

Aluminium sulfate solution was prepared by sulfuric acid treatment from gibbsite. Aluminium sulfate hydrate [$Al_2(SO_4)_3$ · $nH_2O$] was precipitated from aluminium sulfate solution by adding it into ethylalcohol. From XRD analysis as-prepared $Al_2(SO_4)_3$ · $nH_2O$ was confirmed to have mixed-crystalization water(n=18, 16, 12, 6). The average water of crystalization calculated from thermogravimetry(TG) was 14.7. Aluminium sulfate hydrate [$Al_2(SO_4)_3$ · $nH_2O$] was thermally decomposed and converted to $Al_2(SO_4)_3$ at $800^{\circ}C$, $\gamma-Al_2O_3$ at $900-1000^{\circ}C$, and $\alpha-Al_2O_3$ at $1200^{\circ}C$. Ni-doped $\gamma-Al_2O_3$, was synthesized from the slurry of as-prepared $\gamma-Al_2O_3$, with the ratio of [Ni]/[Al]=0.5. The reaction conditions of synthesis were determined as initial pH 9.0 and temperature $80^{\circ}C$ The basicity(pH) of slurry was controlled by using urea and $NH_4OH$ solution. Urea was also used for deposition-precipitation. For determining termination of reaction, the data acquisition was performed by oxidation reduction potential(ORP), conductivity and pH value in the process of reaction. Termination of the reaction was decided by observing the reaction steps and rapid decrease in conductivity. On the other hand, BET(Brunauer, Emmett and Teller) and thermal diffusity of Ni- doped $\gamma-Al_2O_3$, with various content of Ni were measured and compared. Thermal stability of Ni- doped $\gamma-Al_2O_3$ at $1250^{\circ}C$ was confirmed from BET and XRD analysis. The surface state of Ni-doped $\gamma-Al_2O_3$ was investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS). The binding energy at $Ni2P_{3/2}$ increased with increasing the formation of $NiAl_2O_4$ phase.

• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.63-75
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• 2015

Atmospheric environment in Korea is influenced by outside, especially China. The concentrations of air pollutants in China have showed decreasing trends since 2000. However, these concentration levels in China are still higher than other developed countries. The Chinese Government has tried several measures to control the air pollution. In this study, the details of the amendments and smog reduction strategies in China, especially for Beijing are reviewed and the strategies for Korean side to promote cooperation in Northeast Asia are suggested and discussed. The Chinese State Council amended the Environmental Protection Provisions and Clean Air Act and announced The Action Plan for Air Pollution Control (2013-2017), focusing on three key regions, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area (Jing-Jin-Ji), Yangtze River Delta (YRD) and Pearl River Delta (PRD). These policy actions and plan are mainly for the reducing coal usage and emissions from vehicles. It is suggested that, Korea should actively promote multi-national cooperation in the region to take an initiative role in environmental areas.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.247-258
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• 2018

The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether the degree of air pollution can be evaluated via examination of local plants. Selected sites included two parks in an industrial area, as well as two parks in an urban area. Selected plant samples comprised one-year-old pine shoot leaves. Leaves growing over 2 m from the ground were collected from over 10 pine trees. Leaf surface was analyzed for deposition of 14 trace elements and 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including particle size and mass, surface imaging, precipitation-mediated particle removal rate, and concentration. Particle size ranged from 0.4 to $200{\mu}m$, and the volume percentage of particles ${\leq}10$ was 20 %. Deposited particle mass ranged from 0.450-0.825 mg, and precipitation-mediated removal rate ranged from 10.0-27.6 %. Trace element concentration, as measured by ICP/MS after microwave acid digestion, was 18.8-26.3 mg/kg As, 0.08-0.13 mg/kg Be, 0.06-0.08 mg/kg Cd, 4.91-17.8 mg/kg Cr, 5.26-405 mg/kg Cu, 1,930-2,670 mg/kg Fe, 3.03-28.1 mg/kg Pb, 26.9-42.8 mg/kg Mn, 2.66-10.4 mg/kg Ni, 4,560-8,730 mg/kg Al, 2,500-6,120 mg/kg Ba, 5.27-17.8 mg/kg Rb, 40.9-95.3 mg/kg Sr, and 4,030-8,260 mg/kg Zn. Concentration of PAHs, as analyzed by GC/MS/MS after liquid-liquid extraction and purification of deposited particles, ranged from 1.17 to 12.378 mg/kg for ${\Sigma}PAH_{16}$ and from 1.17 to 12.378 mg/kg for ${\Sigma}PAH_7$.