• Animal cells and systems
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.125-130
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• 2006

We have examined the bioaccumulation patterns and the ecophysiological responses (photosynthetic pigment and total antioxidative capacity) of Monochoria korsakowi exposed to various cadmium concentrations, one of major environmental pollutants. Cadmium ion contents in M. korsakowi increased significantly with higher cadmium concentration, and most of the accumulated cadmium was found in the root parts. Biomass of each part decreased with higher cadmium concentration. As cadmium treatment concentration was increased, chlorophyll a content was decreased, whereas chlorophyll b content was increased. However, the variations of total chlorophyll and carotenoid contents were not evident. Total antioxidative capacity in the leaves of cadmium treated M. korsakowi increased greatly with higher cadmium concentration. We considered these results as indicative of the ability of M. Korsakowi plants to take up cadmium from wetlands.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.600-614
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• 2011

Classical methods which used for removal of heavy metals from contaminated water are adsorption, precipitation, coagulation, ion exchange resin, evaporation, and membrane processes. Microbial biosorption can be used for the removal of contaminated waters with pollutants such as heavy metals and dyes which are not easily biodegradable. Microbial biosorbents are inexpensive, eco friendly and more effective for the removal of toxic metals from aqueous solution. In this review, the bacterial and fungal abilities for heavy metals ions removal are emphasized. Environmental factors which affect biosorption process are also discussed. A detailed description for the most common isotherm and kinetic models are presented. This article reviews the achievements and the current status of bacterial and fungal biosorption technology for heavy metals removal and provides insights for further researches.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.190.1-190.1
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• 2016

One of the most serious problems faced by billions of people today is the availability of fresh water. According to statistics, 15% of the world's total output of dye products is discharged into the environment as dye wastewater, which seriously pollutes groundwater resources. For the treatment of chemically and biologically contaminated water the advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) shows the promising action. The main advantage with AOPs is the ability to degrade the organic pollutants to $CO_2$ and $H_2O$. For this degradation process the AOPs generation of powerful and non-selective radicals that may oxidize majority of the organic pollutants present in the water body. To generate the various reactive chemical species such as radicals (${\bullet}OH$, ${\bullet}H$, ${\bullet}O$, ${\bullet}HO_2$) and molecular species ($H_2O_2$, $H_2$, $O_2$) in large amount in water, we have used the atmospheric pressure plasma. Among the reactive and non-reactive species, the hydroxyl radical (${\bullet}OH$) plays important role due to its higher oxidation potential (E0: 2.8 V). Therefore, in this work we have checked the degradation of various dyes such as methyl orange, methylene blue and congo red using different type of atmospheric pressure plasma sources (Indirect jet and direct jet). To check the degradation we have used the UV-visible spectroscopy, HPLC and LC-MS spectroscopy. Further, to estimate role of ${\bullet}OH$ on the degradation of dyes we have studied the molecular dynamic simulation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.308-323
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• 2009

This review paper serves to describe the composition and activity of biological activated carbon (BAC) biofilm which is considered as a progressive process for water treatment. As well as several physical-chemical, biochemical and microbiological analysis methods for characterizing the composition and activity of BAC biofilm, the ability of the biofilm to remove and biodegrade organic matters and pollutants related to other water treatment processes such as pre-ozonation will be reviewed. In this paper, conversion of GAC into BAC, removal mechanism of pollutants, characteristics and affecting factors of BAC biofilm, and modeling of BAC are described in detail. In addition, strategies to control the growth of the BAC biofilm, such as varying the nutrient loading rate, altering the frequency of BAC filter backwashing and applying oxidative disinfection, will be dwelled on related to their respective process control challenges.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.40 no.2 s.175
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• pp.183-190
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• 2007

Soil layer in vegetation filter strip is one of the very important factor for reduction of non-point pollutants by physical, chemical and biological reactions of it through infiltration process. This study was carried out to prepare more effective vegetation filter strip through modification of soil layer for river water quality improvement. Therefore, the main aims of this study are to compare and evaluate normal (straighten type) and modified (step type) vegetation filter strip, which make artificially change the soil layer to improve infiltration ability, through bench scale experiments. In the results of this study, vegetation filter strip of step type is much more highly reduction effectiveness of pollutants in surface flow compared with normal vegetation filter strip. In case of below effluent, however, it appeared that the vegetation filter strip modified soil layer showed lower reduction effectiveness of pollutants than the general vegetation filter strip. This result was judged because effluent through the vegetation filter strip of step type passed bigger size of aggregate or sand than the vegetation filter strip of straighten type. If we compare it as a definition of pollutant load to estimate total amount of reduced pollutants by vegetation filter strip, reduced pollutants load by step type showed higher than those by straighten type because below effluent amount relied on total effluent amount was higher at step type (4%) than at straighten type (2%). In conclusion, the vegetation filter strip of step type to improve infiltration effect is much more reduction effectiveness of pollutants than vegetation filter strip of straighten type.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.58 no.4
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• pp.291-294
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• 2015

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) including banned organochlorine pesticides, are found in Korean agricultural environments. Their translocation from agricultural environment to major crops has been reported. In this study, the POPs in 15 different agricultural waters of the Chungchung Province were monitored and all samples were prepared, followed by liquid-liquid fractionation and column chromatography prior to analysis using gas chromatography. Among pesticide-originated persistent organic pollutants, ${\alpha}$-endosulfan was determined in the range of 0.01 to 1.13 ng/mL. ${\beta}$-Endosulfan was determined in the range of 0.01 to 0.55 ng/mL, and endosulfan sulfate was ranged from 0.13 to 1.13 ng/mL. The total sum of endosulfans reached the range of 0.38 to 1.18 ng/mL. Three pesticides being used currently were also found in samples as 2.03-2.05 ng/mL for triadimefon, 0.26-0.33 ng/mL for tolyfluanid, and 1.34-3.85 ng/mL for chlorpyrifos. Taken together, endosulfans were introduced in the agricultural waters and their fates need continuous monitoring.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.41 no.12
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• pp.328-335
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• 2017

Background: Some researchers have attempted to evaluate the ecological function of various additional services, away from the main point of view on the timber production of Korean forests. However, basic data, evaluation models, or studies on the absorption of air pollutants related to major plant communities in Korea are very rare. Therefore, we evaluated the functional value of the forest ecosystem in Gongju-city. Plantation manual for air purification, supplied from the Ministry of Environment in Japan, was referred to process and method for assessment of air pollutant absorption. Results: Gross primary production was calculated about average 18.2 t/ha/year. It was a relatively low value in forests mixed with deciduous broad and evergreen coniferous compared to pure coniferous forest. Net primary production was the highest value in deciduous coniferous and was the lowest value in mixed forest with deciduous broad and evergreen broad. And the mean sequestration amount of each air pollutant per unit area per year assessed from gross primary production and concentration of gas was the highest with 75.81 kg/ha/year in $O_3$ and was 16.87 and 6.04 kg/ha/year in $NO_2$ and $SO_2$, respectively. In addition, total amounts of $CO_2$ absorption and $O_2$ production were 716,045 t $CO_2$/year and 520,760 t $O_2$/year in all forest vegetation in Gongju-city. Conclusions: In this study, we evaluated the absorption ability of air pollutant in 2014 on forest in Gongju-city area. Gongju-city has the broad mountain area about 70.3%, and area of deciduous broad leaves forest was established the broadest with 47.4% of genus Quercus. Pg was calculated about average 18.2 t/ha/year. The mean sequestration amount of each air pollutant per unit area per year assessed from Pg and $C_{gas}$ was the highest with 75.81 kg/ha/year in $O_3$ and were 16.87 and 6.04 kg/ha/year in $NO_2$ and $SO_2$, respectively. Absorption rates of $O_3$, $NO_2$, and $SO_2$ were the highest in evergreen coniferous forest about $14.87kgO_3/ha/year$, $3.30kgNO_2/ha/year$, $1.18kgSO_2/ha/year$, and the lowest were $5.95kgO_3/ha/year$, $1.32kgNO_2/ha/year$, and $0.47kgSO_2/ha/year$ in deciduous broad forest. In conclusion, it was evaluated that Japanese model is suitable for estimating air pollutants in Japan to Korean vegetation. However, in Korea, there is a very limited basic data needed to assess the ability of forests to absorption of air pollutants. In this study, the accuracy of a calculated value is not high because the basic data of trees with similar life form are used in evaluation.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.76-93
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• 1997

Activated carbon is widely used for the treatment of water, wastewater and other liquid wastes. Biological activated carbon (BAC) process is water and wastewater treatment process developed in the 1970's. In addition to activated carbon adsorption, biodegradation organic pollutants occurs in the BAC bed where a large amount of aerobic biomass grows. This results in a long operation time of the carbon before having to be regenerated and thus a low treatment cost. Although the BAC process has been widely used, its mechanisms have not been well understood, especially the relationship between biodegradation and carbon adsorption, whether these two reactions can promote each other or whether they just simultaneously exist in the BAC bed. Also, the phenomenon of bioregeneration has been confused that previously occupied adsorption sites appear to be made available through the actions of microorganisms. And that, because biological process is influenced by low temperature, the mechanism of the BAC process is also effected by temperature variation in our country of winter temperature near the freezing point. Therefore, the objective of this study examines closely the mechanism of the BAC process by temperature variation using phenol as substrate. From this study, biological activated carbon is good substrate removal better than non adsorbing materials (charcoal, sand) as temperature variation, especially low temperature(near $5^{\circ}C$).

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.597-603
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• 2010

The amount of pollutants from stationary sources of businesses classified into 1-3 type in Gyeongju was found to be 0.70 ton/yr for PM-10, 13.95 ton/yr for $SO_2$, and 37.12 ton/yr for NOx ; with respect to area sources, 1.02 ton/yr for PM-10, 13.44 ton/yr for $SO_2$, and 21.10 ton/yr for NOx ; and with respect to mobile sources 963.91 ton/yr for PM-10, 1415.02 ton/yr for $SO_2$, and 5612.70 ton/yr for NOx. This study surveyed the concentration distribution of PM-10, $SO_2$, and NO2 in the air in around Gyeongju and Pohang, and found that high concentration was mainly distributed around Pohang Steel Industrial Complex and the around of mobile sources. In Gyeongju area, $SO_2$ was predicted to increase from 0.002 ppm in 2006 to 0.005 ppm in 2015, and that of $NO_2$ was predicted to increase from 0.004 ppm to 0.010 ppm during the same period. At this point, practicing guidelines to reduce air pollutants and management plan for environmental pollutants should be devised, and also practicing and management programs to protect the stone cultural properties from environmental pollutants and other chemical, physical, and biological factors should be actively introduced.

• Proceedings of the Membrane Society of Korea Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.203-206
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• 2004

Many types for environmental pollutant of endocrine disruptors have been reported on abnormal sexual development and abnormal feminizing responses of animals in a number of literatures [1]. Conventional biological methods for the removal of pollutants in wastewater require long times, and chemical oxiation methods in general cannot completely eliminate.(omitted)