• Geotechnical Engineering
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.151-162
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• 1998

The compressibility and the permeability of organic soil are so high that they cause many engineering problems when constructing a structure on the soil. If the organic content of the soil could be reduced by any applicable engineering technique, the engineering properties of the soils can be improved to some extent. The purpose of this study would thus be focused on how to decrease the amount of organic matters by applying aerobic biodegradation for eliminating post-construction settlement problems. To enhance the aerobic decomposition, oxygen was supplied to the soil samples prepared by the mixture of kaolinite and sawdust as organic matter. The dissolved oxygen and the organic content of the soil samples were measured, in accordance with the passage of time through the bests. As oxygen suppliers, HaOa liquid and pure oxygen gas were compared to meet the requirement of the test purposes. Newly manufactured oedometer with the diameter of 130 mm and the height of 300 mm was used for 100 days to perform the compressibility tests for the soils. Based on the results of this experiment, the oxygen gas-treated samples with nutrient settled 30% more than the samples untreated. This confirmed the efficiency of the aerobic biodegradation. $NaNO_3$ added into the soils as nutrients was proved more effective than $K_2HP0_4$. To confirm the activity of micro-organisms, sodium azide was also added to the soils.

• Advanced Composite Materials
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.283-298
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• 2007

Environment-friendly composites reinforced with bagasse fiber (BF), a kind of natural fiber as the remains from squeezed sugarcane, were fabricated by injection molding and press molding. As appropriate matrices for injection molding and press molding, polypropylene (PP) and polycaprolactone-cornstarch (PCL-C) were selected, as a typical recyclable resin and biodegradable resin, respectively. The mechanical properties of BF/PP composites were investigated in view of fiber mass fraction and injection molding conditions. And the mechanical properties and the biodegradation of BF/PCL composites were also evaluated. In the case of injection molding, the flexural modulus increased with an increase in fiber mass fraction, and the mechanical properties decreased with an increase in cylinder temperature due to the thermal degradation of BF. The optimum conditions increasing the flexural properties and the impact strength were $90^{\circ}C$ mold temperature, 30 s injection interval, and in the range of 165 to $185^{\circ}C$ cylinder temperature. On the other hand, as to BF/PCL-C fully-green composites, both the flexural properties and the impact strength increased with an increase in fiber mass fraction. It is considered that the BF compressed during preparation could result in the enhancement in mechanical properties. The results of the biodegradability test showed the addition of BF caused the acceleration of weight loss, which increased further with increasing fiber content. This reveals that the addition and the quantities of BF could promote the biodegradation of fully-green composites.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.501-512
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• 2019

The seasonal effects on the biostability of drinking water were investigated by comparing the seasonal variation of assimilable organic carbon (AOC) in full-scale water treatment process and adsorption of AOC by three filling materials in lab-scale column test. In full-scale, pre-chlorination and ozonation significantly increase $AOC_{P17\;(Pseudomonas\;fluorescens\;P17)}$ and $AOC_{NOX\;(Aquaspirillum\;sp.\;NOX)}$, respectively. AOC formation by oxidation could increase with temperature, but the increased AOC could affect the biostability of the following processes more significantly in winter than in warm seasons due to the low biodegradation in the pipes and the processes at low temperature. $AOC_{P17}$ was mainly removed by coagulation-sedimentation process, especially in cold season. Rapid filtration could effectively remove AOC only during warm seasons by primarily biodegradation, but biological activated carbon filtration could remove AOC in all seasons by biodegradation during warm season and by adsorption and bio-regeneration during cold season. The adsorption by granular activated carbon and anthracite showed inverse relationship with water temperature. The advanced treatment can contribute to enhance the biostability in the distribution system by reducing AOC formation potential and helping to maintain stable residual chlorine after post-chlorination.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.315-321
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• 1999

The relationships between the explosive 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) degradation by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and several relevant physicochemical environmental parameters were examined. At neutral pH of the cultures, the degradation of TNT proceeded to completion, whereas only about 50% of TNT was utilized when the cultures were adjusted to acidic pH. The effect of various co-substrates (e.g., glucose, fructose, acetate, citrate, succinate) on the degradation of TNT by the test culture of S. maltophilia was evaluated. The results indicated that, among the various co-substrates studies, the test culture that received 2 mM fructose degraded 100 mg/L of TNT completely within 20 days of incubation at ambient temperature, whereas partial degradation of TNT was observed in the test culture with acetate, citrate, or succinate as a co-substrate, respectively. In fact, fructose was the best co-substrate for TNT degradation in this experiment. The effect of supplemented nitrogens [e.g., (NH$_4$)$_2$,SO$_4$, NH$_4$Cl. urea] on the TNT degradation was monitored. All supplemented nitrogens in this study were inhibitory to TNT degradation. Addition of 1% Tween80 accelerated TNT degradation, and showed complete degradation of TNT within 8 days of incubation. Addition of yeast extract resulted higher growth yields, based on turbidity measurement, but it inhibited TNT degradation.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.31
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• pp.2.1-2.4
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• 2016

Objectives In this study, we investigated the biodegradation features of 4 perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) alternatives developed at Changwon National University compared to those of PFOS. Methods Biodegradation testing was performed with microorganisms cultured in the good laboratory practice laboratory of the Korea Environment Corporation for 28 days following the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development guidelines for the testing of chemicals (Test No. 301 C). Results While $C_8F_{17}SO_3Na$, PFOS sodium salt was not degraded after 28 days, the 4 alternatives were biodegraded at the rates of 20.9% for $C_{15}F_9H_{21}S_2O_8Na_2$, 8.4% for $C_{17}F_9H_{25}S_2O_8Na_2$, 22.6% for $C_{23}F_{18}H_{28}S_2O_8Na_2$, and 23.6% for $C_{25}F_{17}H_{32}O_{13}S_3Na_3$. Conclusions $C_{25}F_{17}H_{32}S_3O_{13}Na_3$, $C_{23}F_{18}H_{28}S_2O_8Na_2$, and $C_{15}F_9H_{21}S_2O_8Na_2$ were superior to PFOS in terms of biodegradation rates and surface tension, and thus they were considered highly applicable as PFOS alternatives. Environmental toxicity, human toxicity, and economic feasibility of these compounds should be investigated prior to their commercialization.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.125-132
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• 2001

The present study was conducted to investigate biological degradability of phosphamidon and profenfos. In the biodegradation test of two pesticides by the modified river die-away method from May 20 to July 29, 1999, the biodegradation rate was determined in Nakdong (A) and Kumho(B) River. The residual percentages of phosphamidon were 74.9%, 68.8% and 62.7% in control, A and B samples 7 days after applicaton, respectively. Biodegradation constants and half-lives of phosphamidon were 25.1%, 21.9% and 11.9% in control, A and B samples 7 days after application. Biodegradation constants and half-lives of profenofos were 0.0005 and 58.4 days in A, 0.0013 and 21.6 days in B, respectively. The biodegradation rates of phosphamidon and profenofos were higher in the Kumho River (B) than in the Nackdong River(A). The strains of microorganisms for the degradation of phosphamidon and profenofos were identified as Klebsiella pneumoniae, Aeromonas hydrophila and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, all Gram-negative bacteria. In order to identify biodegradate products, the extracts of cultivates were analyzed by GC/MS. The mass spectra of biodegradate roducts of phosphamidon were at m/z 153 and 149, those of the profenofos were at m/z 208 and 240, respectively. It was suggested that the biodegradate metabolites of phosphamidon were O, O-dimethyl phosphate(DMP) and N, N-diethylchloroacetamide, those of profenofos were 4-bromo-2-chlorophenol and O-ethyl-S-propyl phosphate.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.256-264
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• 2004

Adsorption characteristics of three endocrine disruptors, amitrol, nonylphenol, and bisphenol-A, were evaluated depending on the type and service duration of activated carbon (AC). Bituminous coal-, wood-, and coconut-based coals were tested. Bituminous coal-based AC (BCAC) had the greatest sorption capacity for the three chemicals tested, followed by wood-based AC (WAC) for nonylphenol and coconut palm-based AC (CAC) for bisphenol-A. During the column test, amitrol removal efficiency increased over time, indicating that hydrophilic endocrine disruptors are biodegraded in the AC column. Removal efficiencies of hydrophobic compounds such as nonylphenol and bisphenol-A decreased over time since the main removal mechanism was adsorption. The order of the amitrol removal was: BCAC-5.9 yr, CAC-3.l yr > BCAC-2.2 yr > BCAC-virgin > CAC-virgin > WAC-virgin > WAC-3.l yr. In general, used AC had greater removals than virgin AC. The order of the bisphenol-A removal was: CAC-virgin > BCAC-2.2 yr > CAC-3.l yr > WAC-virgin > BCAC-5.9 yr > WAC-3.l yr. The order of the nonylphenol removal was: BCAC-virgin > WAC-virgin > CAC-3.1 yr, WAC-3.1yr> BCAC-2.2 yr > BCAC-5.9 yr > CAC-3.1 yr. Bituminous coal AC performed the best over time. Endocrine disruptors such as these three compounds appear to be removed effectively by activated carbon through biodegradation and adsorption. Wood and coal based among the virgin ACs and 3.1 years used wood base among the used ACs appeared the lowest carbon usage rate(CUR) for nonylphenol removal by prediction model. Virgin and used coconut base ACs except BCAC had the lowest CUR for removal Bisphenol-A. Biodegradation of nonylphenol and Bisphenol-A did not occurred during the 9,800 bed volume experiment period. BCAC had the highest biodegradation capacity of 46% for amitrol among virgin ACs and the used coal based ACs had 33-44% higher biodegradation capacity than virgin's for amitrol so biodegradation is the effective removal technology for hydrophilic material such as amitrol.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.156-163
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• 2008

In this study, we isolated 32 strains of kerosene degrading bacteria from oil contaminated soil by enrichment culture. Isolates were screened for kerosene degradation efficiencies and K14 were selected which had the highest removal efficiency for 1,000 mg/L of kerosene. K14 were identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa by morphological, biochemical test and 16S rDNA analysis. The optimal culture condition were determined as initial inoculated cell concentration, 1.0 g/L; substrate concentration, 1,000 mg/L; temperature $30^{\circ}C$; pH 7. When we enforced batch test in this condition, K14 degraded 72% of kerosene with 1,000 mg/L during 72 hr. And, at low concentration (200 mg/L), K14 degraded 95.8% of kerosene during 48 hr. As a result, kerosene biodegradation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa K14 could be useful for clean up of groundwater and soil contaminated with crude oil.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.45-53
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• 2005

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of changes in soil temperature on biodegradation rate of diesel compounds from a field pilot test using hot air injection process. Total remediation time was estimated from in-situ biodegradation rate and temperature for optimum biodegradation. All tests were conducted by measuring in-situ respiration rates every about 10 days on highly contaminated area where an accidental diesel release occurred. The applied remediation methods were hot air injection/extraction process to volatilize and extract diesel compounds followed by a bioremediation process to degrade residual diesels in soils. Oxygen consumption rate varied from 2.2 to 46.3%/day in the range of 26 to $60^{\circ}C$, and maximum $O_2$ consumption rate was observed at $32.0^{\circ}C$. Zero-order biodegradation rate estimated on the basis of oxygen consumption rates varied from 6.5 to 21.3 mg/kg-day, and the maximum biodegradation rate was observed at $32^{\circ}C$ as well. In other temperature range, the values were in the decreasing trend. The first-order kinetic constants (k) estimated from in-situ respiration rates measured periodically were 0.0027, 0.0013, and $0.0006d^{-1}$ at 32.8, 41.1, and $52.7^{\circ}C$, respectively. The estimated remediation time was from 2 to 9 years, provided that final TPH concentration in soils was set to 870 mg/kg.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment Conference
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• 2004.04a
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• pp.297-300
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• 2004

The various microbial tests were performed to determine bioremediation agent capacity for eight strains isolated from the oil contaminated regions. Two tests for isolated strains were conducted such as cell hydrophobicity and emulsifying activity. The biodegradation of SHM (saturated hydrocarbon mixture) and AHM (aromatic hydrocarbon mixture) with the strains also was carried out. The strains having higher cell hydrophobicity and emulsifying activity degraded petroleum oil effectively. The degradation capacity for SHM was represented more than 90% in YS-7 and WLH-1 of isolated strains, and KH3-2 were capable of degrading AHM. Especially, WLH-1 as yeast was shown more than two or three times in the degradation capacity of automobile engine lubricants and the biomonitoring results of contaminated soil for residual oil degrading test showed that the hydrocarbon biodegradation was increased in the second treatment by this strain.