• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.231-245
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• 2010

The the purpose of this study was to analyze of the vegetation structure and phytosociological changes in the area adjacent to GeumJeong Mountain Fortress for fifteen years. The result of this study was as follows; Of the 8 quadrates, site of the North Gate 2 was having a highest in the number of extinct trees, 15 kinds. This is probably due to trampling effect caused by climbers' steps. Site of the West Gate 1 and South gate 1 each had 8 kinds of extinct trees, respectively. The number of newly appeared trees was highest at site of the North Gate 1, (8 kinds) followed by the sites of South gate 1 and South gate 2, respectively (5 kinds). The highest decrease in number of tree species was observed in North Gate 1, therefore, there is a strong relationship between vegetation diversity and the number of users of the available spaces. In order to revitalize the unstable vegetation structure of the Area Adjacent to GeumJeong Mountain Fortress, Robinia pseudo-acacia has to be well maintained in the shrub tree layer, and vines, such as Smilax china, Humulus japonicus, and Pueraria thungergiana, should be removed. To recover natural vegetation, dead leaf layer should be protected, and more shrub trees need to be planted. In the understory and shrub tree layer, multi layer tree planting is highly recommended to recover natural vegetation and increase tree diversity. In order to improve bad soil condition caused by trampling effect of recreational users, special treatments to the soil structure are required, such as mulching and raking soil. Also, depending on its soil damage from users trampling, the areas in the park should be divided into usable areas and user limited areas by the sabbatical year system. To improve the soil acidity due to acidic rain, soil buffering ability should be improved by activating microorganisms in the soil by using lime and organic material.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.74-80
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• 2008

Heavy metals, Cd and Pb, in soil were extracted by using anionic surfactants such as AOS (alpha olefin sulfonate), SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate), and LAS (linear alkyl benzene sulfonic acid). Metal extractability from soil was affected by the carbon number and solution pH of surfactants. LAS showed higher metal extractability due to the acidic solution condition. Although SDS has a fewer carbon number than AOS, it would produce smaller micelles and resulted in more efficient extraction of metals by increased soil contact. Cd extractability of surfactant was twice enhanced by adding NaI as a ligand. However, Pb extractability of surfactant was sometimes reduced by adding NaI. Those ligand effects were dependent on solubility of metal-ligand. The column experiment also showed that SDS having smaller micelles resulted in higher metal extractability than AOS.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.289-297
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• 2019

Indiscriminate disposal of waste and citation of open dumpsites are some of the key factors affecting the various soil geotechnical properties. Atterberg limit and consolidation tests were conducted to determine the effects of two open waste dumpsites (Uselu Market and New Benin) on geotechnical properties of their underlying soils. Soil sample collected from Uselu Market dumpsite in Benin City metropolis showed slightly lower hydraulic conductivity (K) of $1.0{\times}10^{-6}$ with plasticity index of 18.53% compared to sample collected 1.6 m from the same dumpsite which had high K value of $2.42{\times}10^{-3}$ with plasticity index of 6.9%. Soil sample collected from New Benin dumpsite in Benin City metropolis showed slightly lower K of $1.45{\times}10^{-6}$ with plasticity index of 13.8% than sample collected 1.6 m from the same dumpsite which had high K value of $2.14{\times}10^{-2}$ with plasticity index of 6.0%. X-ray florescent analyser (X-MET 7000) and direct soil pH meter were used to determine the composition of the aforementioned soil samples. The result of samples collected from both dumpsites indicated a low hydraulic conductivity compared to samples collected 1.6 m from both dumpsites. Also, the chemical composition and pH of both dumpsite underlying soils indicated high level of soil contaminants with pH of 3.3 and 3.5 which is very acidic unlike pH of other samples which were in the neutral range (6.8-7.1). Hence, a liner is recommended for all dumpsites or engineered landfill systems to mitigate against the challenges associated with open waste dumping system in the environment.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.46 no.spc
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• pp.31-38
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• 2023

In this study, in order to develop a method to efficiently inject essential nutrients necessary for plant growth into wood chips, which are simply used as soil covering materials in the agriculture, landscaping and horticultural industries, the atmospheric pressure dipping method and the vacuum pressure impregnating method are used to improve the plant nutrients injectability and impregnation amount were comparatively analyzed. Nutrient ingredients and 8 major heavy metal contents of wood chips injected with nutrients were analyzed, and soil covering effects were examined by covering wood chips injected with nutrients on soil. Comparing the dipping method and the vacuum pressure impregnation method, it took about 48 hours or more to inject 1,500 g or more of the nutrient aqueous solution into 1 kg of wood chips in the dipping method, but the vacuum pressure impregnation method could be impregnated in about 5 minutes. Components of the impregnated nutrients were detected in proportion to the diluted concentration. As a result of covering the wood chips developed in this study on soil, they showed weakly acidic pH, and the heat insulation and moisturizing effects during the winter season were evaluated to be superior to those of uncovered soil. In the future, wood chips impregnated with nutrients are expected to contribute to the more efficient use of waste wood resources and the long-term supply of nutrients essential for plant growth, reducing excessive use of chemical fertilizers and reducing costs.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.19-27
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• 2015

If $CO_2$ stored for geological sequestration escapes from deep formations and is introduced to shallow aquifers, it dissolves into groundwater, creates acidic environments, and enhance mineral dissolution from rocks and soils. Among these minerals, dissolution and spread of hazardous trace metals can cause environmental problems with detrimental impacts on groundwater quality. This study aims to investigate geochemical effects of $CO_2$ in groundwater on dissolution of galena, the main mineral controlling the mobility of lead. A series of batch experiments are performed with granulated galena in $CO_2$ solutions under various experimental conditions for $CO_2$ concentration and reaction temperature. Results show that dissolution of galena is significantly enhanced under acidic environments so that both of equilibrium concentrations and dissolution rates of lead increase. For thermodynamic analysis on galena dissolution, the apparent rate constants and the activation energy for galena dissolution are calculated by applying rate law to experimental results. The apparent rate constants are $6.71{\times}10^{-8}mol/l{\cdot}sec$ at $15^{\circ}C$, $1.77{\times}10^{-7}mol/l{\cdot}sec$ at $25^{\circ}C$, $3.97{\times}10^{-7}mol/l{\cdot}sec$ at $35^{\circ}C$ and the activation energy is 63.68 kJ/mol. The galena dissolution is suggested to be a chemically controlled surface reaction, and the rate determining step is the dissociation of Pb-S bond of surface complex.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.157-163
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• 2006

Investigation of Cd and Zn availability in four different soils as affected by the interactions of these two heavy metals was conducted using the metal desorption quantity-intensity (Q/I) isotherms. The soils were artificially contaminated with proper concentrations of Cd and Zn as $CdSO_4\;and\;ZnSO_4$ solutions. DTPA (diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid) - extractable and water-extiactable Cd or Zn from the soils were used as $Q_{Cd}\;or\;Q_{Zn}\;and\;I_{Cd}\;or\;I_{Zn}$ factors, respectively. The coefficient of determination for Cd and Zn desorption Q/I linear regression in the soils ranged from 0.947 to 0.999, which indicated that Q and I factors were closely correlated. The buffering capacity of Cd, $BC_{Cd}$, in the soils decreased with increasing Zn treatments, and the $BC_{Cd}$ values were ranged between 205.8 and 2255.6. The decreases of $BC_{Cd}$ values were mainly dependent upon the increases of $I_{Cd}$ factors. However, Zn buffering capacity. $BC_{Zn}$ decreased with increasing Cd treatments in acidic soils, and increased in neutral and calcareous alkaline soils. The $BC_{Cd}$ values were ranged from 143.2 to 6158.0. The values of $BC_{Zn}$ as influenced by the treatments of Cd were also controlled by the solubility of water-extractable Zn, $I_{Zn}$ factor. The solubility of water-extractable Cd and Zn was significantly dependent upon the changes of soil pH that were impacted by the treatment of Zn and Cd, respectively. Also, the availability of Cd was higher than Zn availability in the acidic and neutral soils, but Zn was higher than Cd in the calcareous alkaline soil.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.309-315
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• 2017

Most of acidophiles are found in the various low pH environments and affect to metal cycle through oxidation and reduction reactions. The present study was carried out above 50 strains as acidophiles isolated from acidic soils of exhausted mine and Jeju Gotjawal. Finally, total 19 strains obtained and were tentatively identified based on comparative similarity analysis for 16S rRNA gene sequence and physiological characterizations. These isolates belonged to Gammaproteobacteria (6 strains), Actinobacteria (5 strains), Betaproteobacteria (4 strains), Alphaproteobacteria (2 strains), and Bacilli (2 strains). We observed that these isolates can grow under low pH culture condition. This case study for analysis physiological characterizations of indigenous microorganisms in acidic soil might provide basic information on useful application.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.8-18
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• 1968

This experiment is a comparative study of influence on the seedling in individual pH treatment of culture soil I. T-R ratio and growth 1. T-R ratio has almost similar tendency in its range according to tree species, but in individual treatment there were lots of differences. In the strong acidic and the strong alkali conditions T-R ratio was small. This means the seedling body is out of balance. 2. Where the resistance to H-ion was stronger, the growth of root-system, that is, the resistance of fine root was comparatively better. 3. The growth of root system was greatly influenced by pH, and in the condition of pH3, pH8, pH9, the growth was especially worse. 4. Ginkgo biloba, Pinus rigida and Pinus banksiana kept on growing in the strong acidic condition. 5. The growth season has higher pH of culture soil than the dormant season, and tree species which have strong resistance of acidic had better growth and had stronger resistance of draught in the acidic condition of culture soil ; especially, Pinus rigida and Pinus banksiana were worse in the alkali condition. II Seedling pH 1. According to the tree species, there were differences in seedling pH, and tree species, considred to be strong in resistance of draught, had been high in seedling pH. 2. Seedling pH of the growth season was higher than that of the dormant season. 3. Seedling pH was not significant in pH treatment of the culture soil.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.600-606
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• 2006

Spore forming actinobacteria (sporoactinobacteria) isolated from soils with an acidic pH in Pinus thunbergii forests and coal mine waste were subjected to taxonomic characterization. For the isolation of acidophilic actinobacteria, acidified starch casein agar (pH adjusted to 4-5) was used. The numbers of actinobacteria growing in acidic media were between $3.2{\times}10^4$ and $8.0{\times}10^6$ CFU/g soil. Forty three acidophilic actinobacterial strains were isolated and their 16S rDNA sequences were determined. The isolates were divided into eight distinctive phylogenetic clusters within the variation encompassed by the family Streptomycetaceae. Four clusters among them were assigned to the genus Streptacidiphilus, whereas the remaining four were assigned to Streptomyces. The clusters belonging to either Streptomyces or Streptacidiphilus did not form a monophyletic clade. The growth pH profiles indicated that the representative isolates grew best between pH 5 and 6. It is evident from this study that acidity has played a critical role in the differentiation of the family Streptomycetaceae, and also that different mechanisms might have resulted in the evolution of two groups, Streptacidiphilus (strict acidophiles) and neutrotolerant acidophilic Streptomyces. The effect of geographic separation was clearly seen among the Streptacidiphilus isolates, which may be a key factor in speciation of the genus.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.161-166
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• 1991

For the production of useful products from microorganism, a bacterial strain producing the biopolymer was isolated from soil. The bacteriological characteristics of the strain were examined and some chemical properties of the biopolymer produced were investigated. The bacterial strain was identified as an alkali-tolerant Bacillus sp. The results of chemical composition, various color reactions and I.R. spectrum revealed that the biopolymer contained high protein content, low amino sugar and no uronic acid. However, the biopolymer was precipitated by treating with cetylpiridinium chloride and was found to be acidic.