• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.1270-1280
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• 2001

In this research of biodegradable polymers, it is essential to investigate the relation between biodegradability and molecular structure such as chemical constitution, hydrophilicity, molecular weight, crystallinity, chain orientation, and so on. It is also expected that hydrophilicity of polymer can affect biodegradability because biodegradation occurs with the help of enzymes and microorganisms. This study is to investigate the effect of hydrophilicity on biodegradability of polyesters. Hydrophilicity was varied by adding 5~30 mol% of amide groups, since amide groups are hydrophilic and used for improving thermal and mechanical properties. Surface energies and nitrogen contents by ESCA were measured to determine their hydrophilicity. The biodegradation was examined in activated sludge, enzyme and natural soil by $CO_2$evolution, TOC, weight loss, and observation through microscopy. The results showed that hydrophilicity of polyesteramide films increased with the addition of amide, PBAD series of shorter methylene units showed maximum hydrophilicity at 15~20 mol% of amide contents, but PBSE exhibited maximum values at 5~15 mol% of amide contents. The biodegradability increased as the hydrophilicty on surface increased. The biodegradation rate of PBAD series was higher than that of PBSE series. Therefore, it can be concluded that the addition of appropriate contents of hydrophile enhanced the biodegradability of aliphatic polyesters as well as their physical properties. Also, the experimental results revealed the relation between hydrophilicity and biodegradability of polyesteramides.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.61-64
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• 1999

Organophosphorus inseclicide phosphamidon-degrading bacteria were isolated from agricultural soils and identified using Biolog microtiter assay. All Gram-positive degrading bacterial strains belong to genus Bacillus and many Gram-negative bacteria were rare soil species. Among them fast growing strains on phosphamidon-containing minimal medium were sclected and their biodegrading capability wcre measured. YD-17 which was identified as Capnocytophaga gingivalis showed the highest biodegradation rate. It could incrcase the removal of phosphamidon up to 52%. During the biodegradation continuous increase of amount of cell protein was observed, which indicated that phosphamidon was utilized as a carbon source for phosphamidon-degrading bacteria.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.190-198
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• 2018

The petroleum industry is an important part of the world economy. However, the massive exposure of petroleum in nature is a major cause of environmental pollution. Therefore, the microbial mediated biodegradation of petroleum residues is an emerging scientific approach used to resolve these problem. Through the screening of diesel contaminated soil we isolated a rapid phenanthrene and a diesel degrading bacterium identified as Enterobacter cancerogenus DA1 strain through 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The strain was registered in NCBI with an accession number MG270576. The optimal growth condition of the DA1 strain was determined at pH 8 and $35^{\circ}C$, and the highest degradation rate of the diesel was achieved at this condition. At the optimal condition, growth of the strain on the medium containing 0.05% phenanthrene and 0.1% of diesel-fuel was highest at 45 h and 60 h respectively after the incubation period. Biofilm formation was found significantly higher at $35^{\circ}C$ as compared to $30^{\circ}C$ and $40^{\circ}C$. Likewise, the lipase activity was found significantly higher at 48 h after the incubation compared to 24 h and 72 h. These results suggest that the Enterobacter cancerogenus DA1 could be an efficient candidate, for application through ecofriendly scientific approach, for the biodegradation of petroleum products like diesel.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.195-203
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• 2012

In this study, The effects of three different biological activated carbon (BAC) materials (each coal, coconut and wood based activated carbons) and anthracite, empty bed contact time (EBCT) and water temperature on the removal of MK, HHCB and AHTN in BAC filters were investigated. Experiments were conducted at three water temperatures (5, 15 and $25^{\circ}C$) and four EBCTs (5, 10, 15 and 20 min). The results indicated that coal based BAC retained more attached bacterial biomass on the surface of the activated carbon than the other BAC, increasing EBCT or increasing water temperature increased the synthetic musk compounds (SMCs) removal in BAC columns. The kinetic analysis suggested a first-order reaction model for MK, HHCB and AHTN removal at various water temperatures (5, 15 and $25^{\circ}C$). The pseudo-first-order biodegradation rate constants and half-lives were also calculated for MK, HHCB and AHTN removal at 5, 15 and $25^{\circ}C$. The pseudo-first-order biodegradation rate constants and half-lives of MK, HHCB and AHTN ranging from 0.0082 $min^{-1}$ to 0.4452 $min^{-1}$ and from 1.56 min to 84.51 min could be used to assist water utilities in designing and operating BAC filters for SMCs removal.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.26 no.6B
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• pp.689-694
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• 2006

The system performance of a bioactive foam reactor (BFR), that consists of a foam column using a surfactant and a biodegradation basin containing suspended bacteria, was investigated for the treatment of gaseous toluene or a mixture of four volatile organic compounds (VOCs, benzene, toluene, p-xylene, and styrene). Overall, the BFR achieved stable VOC removal efficiencies, indicating that it can be used as a potential alternative over conventional packed-bed biofilters. Furthermore, a dynamic loading test showed that relatively constant removal was maintained at the elevated loading due to a high mass transfer rate in the foam column. However, as the inlet concentration of VOCs increased, a portion of the VOCs mass-transferred to the liquid phase was stripped out from the biodegradation basin, resulting in a decrease in the overall removal efficiency. In the BFR, the removal efficiency of the individual VOC was mainly determined depending on the biodegradation rate (styrene > toluene > benzene > p-xylene), rather than the mass transfer rate. Consequently, increases in the microbial activity and the volume of the basin could improve the overall performance of the BFR system. Further investigation on microbial activity and community dynamics is required for the BFR when subjected to high loadings of VOC mixtures.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.65-70
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• 2002

Recently, surfactants were frequently used in order to desorb the hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) from soil and to enhance the bioavailability. Among them, -cyclodextrin ($\beta$-CD) is one of those. This study was performed to investigate the binding characteristics between benzene and $\beta$-CD and to examine the bioavailability of benzene. First, we investigated binding characteristics between benzene and $\beta$-CD in water and water/soil system. Then, we examined the effect of $\beta$-CD on the biodegradation of benzene in water and water/soil system. Experimental results on the binding characteristics showed that $\beta$-CD resulted in an efficient complex formation with benzene. As -CD concentration increased, the benzene concentration complexed with $\beta$-CD rapidly increased to 30-40% initial benzene added, and reached the equilibrium. We also investigated the effect of $\beta$-CD on the desorption of benzene from soil in the water/soil system. As $\beta$-CD concentration increased, benzene concentration desorbed into water increased up to 90%. How-ever, in its application to biodegradation of benzene in water and water/soil system, the biodegradation rate of benzene did not improved in the presence of $\beta$-CD compared with in the absense of $\beta$-CD. This result indicated that $\beta$-CD was more preferentially used as a carbon source than benzene. Therefore, for remediation of benzene contaminated soils, $\beta$-CD can be used as a surfactant to desert benzene from soil, and then ex-situ chemical treatment can be applied for the remediation.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.535-542
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• 2002

We have prepared the surfactant-free nanoparticles of poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) by dialysis method and their physicochemical properties such as particle size and drug contents were investigated against various solvent. The size of PLGA nanoparticles prepared by using dimethylacetamide (DMAc), dimethylformamide (DMF), and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) was smaller than that from acetone. Also, the order of drug contents was DMAc>DMF>DMSO=acetone. These phenomena could be expected from the fact that solvent affects the size of nanoparticles and drug contents. The PLGA nanoparticles have a good spherical shapes as observed from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Also, surfactant-free nanoparticles entrapping norfloxacin (NFx) have a good drug loading capacity without free-drug on the surface of nanoparticles confirmed by the analysis of X-ray powder diffraction. Release kinetics of NFx used as a model drug was governed not only by drug contents but also by particle size. Also, the biodegradation rate of PLGA nanoparticles prepared from DMF was faster than that prepared from acetone, indicating that the biodegradation of PLGA nanoparticles is size-dependent.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.49-56
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• 2014

This study was conducted to investigate the biodegradation characteristics of swine and cattle using anaerobic batch tests. The results showed that the maximum methane production rate($MPR_{max}$) and acclimation time(AT) of swine were 46.7 mL $CH_4/g$ VS.d and 17.2 d, respectively. The $MPR_{max}$ and AT of cattle were 56.5% and 24.0% lower than those of swine. The characteristics of anaerobic biodegradation varied with livestock species but $MPR_{max}$ and AT increased linearly with the content of lipid. The $MPR_{max}$ and AT of cattle with content of lipid were more sensitive than those of swine.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.205-210
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• 2006

The widespread use and distribution of chloroethylene organic compounds is of serious concern owing to their carcinogenicity and toxicity to humans and wildlife. In an effort to develop active bacterial consortia that could be useful for bioremediation of chloroethylene-contaminated sites in Africa, 16 combinations of 5 dichloroethylene (DCE)-utilizing bacteria, isolated from South Africa and Nigeria, were assessed for their ability to degrade cis- and trans- DCEs as the sole carbon source. Three combinations of these isolates were able to remove up to 72% of the compounds within 7 days. Specific growth rate constants of the bacterial consortia ranged between 0.465 and $0.716\;d^{-1}$ while the degradation rate constants ranged between 0.184 and $0.205\;d^{-1}$ with $86.36{\sim}93.53\;and\;87.47{\sim}97.12%$ of the stoichiometric-expected chloride released during growth of the bacterial consortia in cis- and trans-DCE, respectively. Succession studies of the individual isolates present in the consortium revealed that the biodegradation process was initially dominated by Achromobacter xylosoxidans and subsequently by Acinetobacter sp. and Bacillus sp., respectively. The results of this study suggest that consortia of bacteria are more efficient than monocultures in the aerobic biodegradation of DCEs, degrading the compounds to levels that are up to 60% below the maximum allowable limits in drinking water.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.46-51
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• 2008

The traditional view of the fate of lignin under anaerobic conditions is that it is recalcitrant because molecular oxygen is required for depolymerization. The presence of lignin is apparently the most important factor affecting the biodegradability of ligneous materials. The initial step in the degradation of ligneous material to smaller intermediates is catalyzed by enzymes secreted by microorganisms and is generally regarded as the rate limiting step in the microbial mineralization of organic matter. Biochemical methane potential (BMP) test, typically used to assess anaerobic biodegradability of liquid wastes with added nutrients and bacteria, have been adapted to assess initial biodegradation of ligneous material under anaerobic conditions. A method based on selective inhibition of microorganism activity, by 3% toluene, has been used to measure using the initial degradation rate of ligneous material and the accumulation of lignin-derived compounds.