• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.127-137
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• 2001

Polychlorinated biphenyls(PCBs) are halogenated aromatic compounds with the empirical formula $C_{12}$ $H_{10-n}$C $l_{n}$(n=1~10), and are a mixture of possible 209 different chlorinated congeners. PCBs were widely used as dielectric fluids for capacitors and transformers, plasticizers, lubricant inks and paint addirives. Once released into the environment, PCBs persist for years because they are so resistant to degradation. In addition to their persistence in the environment, PCBs in ecological food chains undergo biomagnification because of their high degree of lipophilicity. In 1970s, the worldwide production of PCBs was ceased and the import of PCBs was prohibited since 1983 in Korea. In spite of these actions, many PCBs seems to be still in use. The environmental load of PCBs will continue to be recycled through air, land, water, and the biosphere for decades to come. This study was conducted to measure the concentrations of PCBs in the serum samples of 112 women by GC/MSD and GC/ECD. The main results of this study were as follows. 1. PCBs were detected in all samples. The mean $\pm$SD levels of PCBs in the serum were 3.613$\pm$0.759 ppb, and median were 3.828 ppb. 2. The correlation coefficients of the concentrations of 13 PCB congeners were from minimum, 0.7913 to maximum, 0.9985, and all was significant(p=0.0001). The correlation coefficient between the concentrations of PCBs and p,p'-DDE was 0.9641(p=0.0001). 3. There was a positive association between age and PCBs' concentrations (simple linear regression ; $R^2$=0.86, $\beta$=0.08023, p<0.001). 4. There was a positive association between total lipids in the serum and PCBs' concentrations (simple linear regression ; $R^2$=0.7058, $\beta$=0.00486, p<0.001). 5. For possible predictors of PCBs and p,p' -DDE levels in the serum, age adjusted model (Y=$\beta$$_{0}$+$\beta$$_1$age+ $B_2$X) was applied. For BMI, major residential area, wether to eat caught fish by angling, where to eat caught fish by angling(by parents in the past), fish consumption, meat consumption, meat consumption, and dairy consumption, there was no association. For total conception frequency and lactation frequency and lactation period, there was negative association.ion.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.549-556
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• 2009

In situ chemical oxidations (ISCO) are technologies for destruction of many contaminants in soil and groundwater, and persulfate has been recently studied as an alternative ISCO oxidant. Trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE) were chosen for target organic compounds. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the influence of initial pH (3, 6, 9, 12), oxidant concentrations (0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5 M), and contaminants concentrations (10, 30, 50, 70, 100 mg/L) on TCE/PCE degradation by persulfate oxidation. The maximum TCE/PCE degradation occurred at pH 3, and the removal efficiencies with this pH condition were 93.2 and 89.3%, respectively. The minimum TCE/PCE degradation occurred at pH 12, and the removal efficiencies were 55.0 and 31.2%, respectively. This indicated that degradation of TCE/PCE decreased with increasing the initial pH of solution. Degradation of TCE/PCE increased with increasing the concentration of persulfate and with decreasing the concentration of contaminants (TCE/PCE). The optimum conditions for TCE/PCE degradation were pH 3, 0.5 M of persulfate solution, and 10 mg/L of contaminant concentration. At these conditions, the first-order rate constants ($k_{obs}$) for TCE and PCE were 1.04 and 1.31 $h^{-1}$, respectively.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.69-81
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• 2004

The formation pattern of DBPs (disinfection by-products) in raw water treated with hypochlorite, chlorine disinfectant was studied. TOC (total organic carbon), residual chlorine, turbidity and 14 DBPs in raw water from Han-river and Nakdong river during 1 ~ 14 days were determined. Total DBPs in Han river was 101.3 ng/mL (789.6 nM) after 7days and THMs (trihalomethanes) are the dominant portion of 68%. HAAs (haloacetic acids) and chloral hydrate were determined 19% and 10% respectively. In Nakdong river total DBPs was 98.4 ng/mL (678.6 nM) and dominant class was HAAs. (55.8 ng/mL, 57%) THMs(34%) and N-compounds like HANs (haloacetonitriles, 5%) and chloropicrin were increased. It may be explained that high concentration of NH4-N in Nakdong river react with chlorine produced chloramine and this formed different pattern of DBPs. As a result, total DBPs formation pattern depends on raw water and disinfectant and in generally the initial concentration of acidic HAAs was high and THMs was increased gradually.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.16-29
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• 2009

This paper describes characteristics of pollutants in wastewater from the pulp and paper industry and biological technologies for the wastewater treatment. The wastewater from the pulp and paper industry contains high concentrations of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) and shows high toxicity and strong black-brown color. In particular, organic chlorinated compounds such as dioxins and furans may be formed by the chlorination of lignin in wood chips. Thus the pulp and paper industry is recently trending toward total chlorine-free (TCF) bleaching processes. All biological technologies for pulp and paper wastewater treatment are based on the contact between wastewater and bacteria, which feed on organic materials in the wastewater, thus they reduce BOD concentration in it. Both aerobic and anaerobic treatments were found to be effective for the wastewater treatment. Furthermore, advanced technologies such as fungal application and combined biological-filtration process have been also introduced to the wastewater treatment field. These technologies would be useful for water recycling to reduce water consumption throughout pulp and paper making process.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.35-42
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• 2006

The following results were obtained in the reductive degradation of hexachloroethane (HCA), and surface characteristics by using iron sulfide ($FeS,\;FeS_{2}$) mediators. HCA was degraded to pentachloroethane (PCA), tetrachloroethylene(PCE), trichloroethylene(TCE) and cis-l,2-dichloroethylene (cis-1,2-DCE) by complicated pathways such as hydrogenolysis, dehaloelimination and dehydrohalogenation. FeS had more rapid degradation rates of organic solvent than $FeS_{2}$. In liquidsolid reaction, the reaction rates of organic solvents were investigated to explain surface characteristics of FeS and $FeS_{2}$.. To determine surface characteristics of FeS and $FeS_{2}$, the specific surface area and surface potential of each mineral was determined and the hydrophilic site ($N_{s}$) was calculated. The specific surface area ($107.0470m^{2}/g\;and\;92.6374m^{2}/g$) and the $pH_{ZPC}$ of minerals ($FeS\;PH_{ZPC}=7.42,\;FeS_{2},\;PH_{ZPC}=7.80$) were measured. The results showed that the Ns of FeS and $FeS_{2}$ were $0.053\;site/mm^{2}\;and\;0.205\;site/mm^{2}$, respectively. $FeS_{2}$ had more hydrophilic surface than FeS. In other words, FeS have more hydrophobic surface site than $FeS_{2}$.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.206-214
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• 2005

Heterogeneously-catalyzed oxidation of aqueous phase trichloroethylene (TCE) over supported metal oxides has been conducted to establish an approach to eliminate ppm levels of organic compounds in water. A continuous flow reactor system was designed to effect predominant reaction parameters in determining catalytic activity of the catalysts for wet TCE decomposition as a model reaction. 5 wt.% $CoO_x/TiO_2$ catalyst exhibited a transient period in activity vs. on-stream time behavior, suggesting that the surface structure of the $CoO_x$ might be altered with on-stream hours; regardless, it is probable to be the most promising catalyst. Not only could the bare support be inactive for the wet decomposition reaction at $36^{\circ}C$, but no TCE removal also occurred by the process of adsorption on $TiO_2$ surface. The catalytic activity was independent of all particle sizes used, thereby representing no mass transfer limitation in intraparticle diffusion. Very low TCE conversion appeared for $TiO_2$-supported $NiO_x$ and $CrO_x$ catalysts. Wet oxidation performance of supported Cu and Fe catalysts, obtained through an incipient wetness and ion exchange technique, was dependent primarily on the kinds of the metal oxides, in addition to the acidic solid supports and the preparation routes. 5 wt.% $FeO_x/TiO_2$ catalyst gave no activity in the oxidation reaction at $36^{\circ}C$, while 1.2 wt.% Fe-MFI was active for the wet decomposition depending on time on-stream. The noticeable difference in activity of the both catalysts suggests that the Fe oxidation states involved to catalytic redox cycle during the course of reaction play a significant role in catalyzing the wet decomposition as well as in maintaining the time on-stream activity. Based on the results of different $CoO_x$ loadings and reaction temperatures for the decomposition reaction at $36^{\circ}C$ with $CoO_x/TiO_2$, the catalyst possessed an optimal $CoO_x$ amount at which higher reaction temperatures facilitated the catalytic TCE conversion. Small amounts of the active ingredient could be dissolved by acidic leaching but such a process gave no appreciable activity loss of the $CoO_x$ catalyst.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.186-194
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• 2013

We investigated the concentrations and distribution patterns of 17 polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans(PCDD/Fs), 12 dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls(DL-PCBs) and 24 polybrominated diphenyl ethers(PBDEs) in sediments from Ulsan Bay in Korea. The concentrations of PCDD/Fs, DL-PCBs, and PBDEs in 33 sediment samples ranged from 0.11 to 4.86($1.81{\pm}1.04$) pg $WHO_{2005}$-TEQ $g^{-1}$ dry weight(dw), 0.06 to 44.2($4.02{\pm}7.99$) pg $WHO_{2005}$-TEQ $g^{-1}$ dw, and 2.81 to 63.8($19.4{\pm}13.9$) ng $g^{-1}$ dw, respectively. DL-PCBs had dominant contributions(mean, 88%) of total TEQ concentrations in sediment. The concentrations of target compounds in inner locations were higher than those in outer locations in Ulsan Bay (p<0.05). The dominant contribution of highly chlorinated DD/Fs in sediment was associated with combustion process from industrial complexes. Distribution pattern of DL-PCBs was similar with those of commercial PCB products. BDE209 was a dominant congener in sediment, suggesting high use amount of commercial deca-BDE product in surrounding areas.