• Applied Microscopy
• /
• v.50
• /
• pp.28.1-28.6
• /
• 2020

Contamination on two-dimensional (2D) crystal surfaces poses serious limitations on fundamental studies and applications of 2D crystals. Surface residues induce uncontrolled doping and charge carrier scattering in 2D crystals, and trapped residues in mechanically assembled 2D vertical heterostructures often hinder coupling between stacked layers. Developing a process that can reduce the surface residues on 2D crystals is important. In this study, we explored the use of atomic force microscopy (AFM) to remove surface residues from 2D crystals. Using various transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations, we confirmed that surface residues on graphene samples can be effectively removed via contact-mode AFM scanning. The mechanical cleaning process dramatically increases the residue-free areas, where high-resolution imaging of graphene layers can be obtained. We believe that our mechanical cleaning process can be utilized to prepare high-quality 2D crystal samples with minimum surface residues.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.87-96
• /
• 2002

Outgassing from such sources as paints, coatings, adhesives and other non-metallic surfaces can contaminate satellites, especially second surface mirror and optical lens, it cause satellite to fail in own missions. The vacuum bake-out test using high temperature(more than $85 ^{\circ}C$)and high vacuum(less than $5.0{\times}1-^{-3}$ Pa) certify that the components of satellite work properly and can survive and operate in space environment like high vacuum. In the bake-out chamber installed at SITC of KARI, Rotary vacuum pump and Booster pump produce low vacuum of 5.0 Pa, and then two cryopumps produce high vacuum of below $5.0{\times}10^{-3}$ Pa. Also 48 ceramic heaters were provided to simulate high temperature. During the vacuum bake-out test, we detected contaminants using RGA(Residual Gas Analyzer) and measure the outgassing rate of the contaminant using the TQCM(Thermoelectric Quartz Crystal Microbalance). Also, IR/UV Spectrometer and witness plate be used to certify that the components were suitable for the spacecraft. This paper includes the preparation and procedures of the bake-out test for SAR(Solar Array Regulator) and MLI(Multi Layer Insulator), which were the components of the spacecraft. Especially, we discussed the methods and results of the contamination measurement. In the bake-out for SAR, the contamination was measured continuously although it was on the decrease from TQCM results. And RCA established that it is a highly polymerized compound. In the MLI bake-out using RGA and witness plate, we didn't detect any contamination materials.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.20 no.4
• /
• pp.245-253
• /
• 1995

The effects of a simultaneous application of KCl and lime on the root uptake of $^{54}Mn,\;^{60}Co,\;^{85}Sr\;and\;^{137}Cs$ by rice, soybean, Chinese cabbage and radish were investigated through 2 years' greenhouse experiments. At their early growth stages, a mixed solution of the radionuclides was applied to the water or soil surfaces of the culture boxes filled with an acidic loamy-sandy soil for the upper 20cm and $83g/m^2$ of fertilizer KCl and $200g/m^2$ of slake lime were applied to the surfaces. Distribution of radioactivities among plant parts and change in uptake pattern with plant species were not, on the whole, significantly affected by the application. It reduced effectively soil-to-plant transfer factors of $^{85}Sr\;and\;^{137}Cs$ for rice, of all for Chinese cabbage and of $^{54}Mn,\;^{60}Co,\;and\;^{137}Cs$ for radish without their growth inhibition. In rice, $^{85}Sr$ showed the highest decrease $({\sim}60%)$ while, in Chinese cabbage and radish, $^{54}Mn$ did $({\sim}80%)$. The exprimental results can become valuable reference data to establish countermeasures against a radioactive contamination of farm-land during plant growth.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.44-52
• /
• 2007

Contaminated sediments more than 30 million/$m^3$ is generated from dredging work for harbours and coastal maintenance in Korea. Approximately 300 million/$m^3$ of sediments is dredged to deepen harbours and shipping lanes in US and of which $3{\sim}12million/m^3$ is highly contaminated. Although much is known about technologies for the remediation of heavy metal contaminated soil, much less is known about the treatment of contaminated sediment. In general, negatively charged fine particles will migrate towards positively charged system of electrodes under the influence of electrophoresis. However, the electrically induced migration of colloidal particles contaminated with heavy metals may be hindered by the positively charged heavy metal contaminants adsorbed onto the soil surfaces depending on the contamination level. This paper demonstrates settling behaviour of clayey soil by comparison with electrophoretic particle movement under the effects of heavy metal contamination, applied electric field strength, and its polarity changed by the electrode configuration.

• 한국환경농학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2009.07a
• /
• pp.119-126
• /
• 2009

In recent years, research at the Environmental Microbial and Food Safety Laboratory (EMFSL), Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has focused on the development of novel image-based sensing technologies to address agro-food safety concerns, and transformation of these novel technologies into practical instrumentation for industrial implementations. The line-scan-based hyperspectral imaging techniques have often served as a research tool to develop rapid multispectral methods based on only a few spectral bands for rapid online applications. We developed a newer line-scan hyperspectral imaging platform for high-speed inspection on high-throughput processing lines, capable of simultaneous multiple inspection algorithms for different agro-food safety problems such as poultry carcass inspection for wholesomeness and apple inspection for fecal contamination and defect detection. In addition, portable imaging devices were developed for in situ identification of contamination sites and for use by agrofood producer and processor operations for cleaning and sanitation inspection of food processing surfaces. The aim of this presentation is to illustrate recent advances in the above agro.food safety sensing technologies.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.45 no.5
• /
• pp.445-453
• /
• 2012

This study examined microbial contamination during seasoned and dried squid Dosidicus gigas processing, including the apparatus, machines, and employee's gloves at each step in processing at two companies. The numbers of bacteria floating in air in each processing area were also examined. The numbers of Staphylococcus aureus (3.6-6.0 log CFU/g) and Escherichia coli (1.3-1.4 log MPN/100 g) in domestic and imported daruma (a semi-processed product of seasoned and dried squid) at companies A and B exceeded the regulatory limits of the Food Sanitary Law of Korea (S. aureus, ${\leq}2.0$ log CFU/g; E. coli, negative). S. aureus in both daruma was reduced to below the detection limit or 3.6 log CFU/g after the roasting step, but increased again to 3.3 and 5.5 log CFU/g after the mechanical tearing step at companies A and B, respectively. E. coli showed similar tendencies at both companies. The surfaces of the apparatus, machines, and employee's gloves that contacted daruma were also contaminated with S. aureus (1.0-5.5 log CFU/$m^2$) and E. coli (negative-to 3.5 log MPN/$m^2$). The numbers of bacteria floating in air were high (1.7-5.1 log CFU/$m^3$) at both companies. These results suggest that sanitation standard operating procedures (SSOP) must be developed to control of microbial cintamination in seasoned and dried squid.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.205-217
• /
• 2022

School meals are prepared based using the HACCP system, which is designed to ensure the physical and mental health of students. However, operational recommendations in school cafeterias have changed due to COVID-19 and include delays in serving time to restrict the number of meals and the installation of screens to prevent droplet transmission. Unfortunately, these changes may have detrimentally affected hygiene practices and generated new food poisoning sources. This study aimed to determine the hygiene state of school cafeterias in the Gyeongnam area from December 2020 to September 2021 based on the monitoring of total aerobic and coliform bacteria. Kitchen floors were the most contaminated areas with an average number of total aerobic bacteria of 4.3 log CFU/100 cm², whereas counts in dining areas were relatively low at 0.1~3.5 log CFU/100 cm². Newly installed partitioned areas had the lowest contamination level of 0.1~2.8 log CFU/100 cm². Escherichia coli was not detected on any surface, while coliform was detected on workbenches and floors. In conclusion, hygienic practices appear to have been adequately managed in school cafeterias despite COVID-19 driven changes. Nonetheless, continuous monitoring is recommended to ensure prompt response to changing environments.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.203-210
• /
• 2023

Bacterial contamination negatively affects the quality, functionality, and safety of dairy products. Adherent populations of bacteria, referred to as biofilms, grow on the surfaces of dairy processing equipment and are the primary cause of dairy contamination. In addition, microorganisms present in the farm environment and dairy factory can contaminate the Clear-In-Place (CIP) line through raw milk transport pipes; therefore, exhaustive management is required. In dairy manufacturing facilities, biofilm formation is controlled using CIP systems that primarily require sodium hydroxide and nitric acid. However, the leakage or incomplete removal of these potently active compounds can be harmful to humans. In the present study, we compared the eradication of Escherichia coli and other bacteria using commercially available combinations of sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) and citric acid, which are recognized by the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) as food disinfectants. When considered in the CIP system of the field manufacturing process, E. coli was not detected (compared to detection before treatment), and other bacteria were detected at 0-32 culture-forming units (CFU)/cm². The residual amount of chlorine ions after CIP treatment was similar to that in tap water, and there was no significant difference in the overall components of the fermented dairy products. Therefore, the NaClO/citric acid CIP system can be safely applied in dairy manufacturing processes.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.50-60
• /
• 2008

The majority of the described experimental results deal with relatively pure aluminium. Variations were made in the pretreatment of the aluminum substrates and an investigation was performed on the resulting changes in oxide layer composition and chemistry. Subsequently, the bonding behavior of the surfaces was investigated by using model adhesion molecules. These molecules were chosen to represent the bonding functionality of an organic polymer. They were applied onto the pretreated surfaces as a monolayer and the bonding behavior was studied using infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy. A direct and clear relation was found between the hydroxyl fraction on the oxide surfaces and the amount of molecules that subsequently bonded to the surface. Moreover, it was found that most bonds between the oxide surface and organic functional groups are not stable in the presence of water. The best performance was obtained using molecules, which are capable of chemisorption with the oxide surface. Finally, it was found that freshly prepared relatively pure aluminum substrates, which are left in air, rapidly lose their bonding capacity towards organic functional groups. This can be attributed to the adsorption of contamination and water to the oxide surface. In addition the adhesion of a typical epoxy-coated aluminum system was investigated during exposure to water at different temperatures. The coating was found to quite rapidly lose its adhesion upon exposure to water. This rapid loss of adhesion corresponds well with the data where it was demonstrated that the studied epoxy coating only bonds through physisorptive hydrogen bonding, these bonds not being stable in the presence of water. After the initial loss the adhesion of the coating was however found to recover again and even exceeded the adhesion prior to exposure. The improvement could be ascribed to the growth of a thin oxyhydroxide layer on the aluminum substrate, which forms a new, water-stable and stronger bond with the epoxy coating. Two routes for improvement of adhesion are finally decribed including an interphasial polymeric thin layer and a treatment in boiling water of the substrate before coating takes place. The adhesion properties were finely also studied as a function of the Mg content of the alloys. It was shown that an enrichment of Mg in the oxide could take place when Mg containing alloys are heat-treated. It is expected that for these alloys the (hydr)oxide fraction also depends on the pre-treatment and on the distribution of magnesium as compared to the aluminium hydroxides, with a direct impact on adhesive properties.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
• /
• v.37 no.8
• /
• pp.1051-1057
• /
• 2013

In this study, an automatic surface-strain measurement system called "ASIAS-bio" has been developed. This system can be used even in cases in which it is very difficult to apply a regular grid pattern necessary for measuring surface-strain, such as curved or uneven surfaces; surfaces damaged by corrosion or contamination; or soft materials such as rubber, foam, and biological tissues. This system works independently of the measurement conditions including the material and its surface condition, grid pattern and size, grid marking method, and degree of deformation. A comparison between the strain distributions of the sheet metal parts measured by using this system and those obtained by a commercial system showed that this system was sufficiently reliable. In addition, the deformation of the swine joint capsule and human knee skin was measured by using this system to demonstrate its usefulness.