• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.31-41
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• 2011

The objectives of this study were to investigate the efficiencies of the stabilizers such as mono-potassium phosphate (MKP), phosphate fertilizer and red mud in treating the mine tailings contaminated with heavy metals and to characterize the changes in fractionations of the heavy metals during the stabilization. The TCLP results showed that the stabilization efficiencies of Cd, Pb and Zn increased with the increase in the stabilizer dosage and the reaction times. MKP showed the highest efficiencies for the heavy metals stabilization among the stabilizers tested. When the mine tailings were amended with MKP, the TCLP concentrations of Cd, Pb and Zn were reduced by 79~97%, 61~84%, and 89~99%, respectively. When the composite stabilizers, MKP/phosphate fertilizer or MKP/red mud, were used, the stabilization efficiencies were lower than when MKP was used as a single stabilizer. The sequential extraction results showed that carbonates fraction of Cd and Zn increased generally. Especially, when red mud was used, carbonates fraction of Cd and Zn increased 5 and 18 times, respectively. In the case of Pb, the treatment with MKP increased residual fraction by 10 times. The results showed that MKP was the most effective in stabilizing the heavy metals (Cd, Pb and Zn) to improve the efficacy of the composite binders.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.116-122
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• 2022

Background: The recent COVID-19 pandemic is one of the worst disease outbreaks of the 21th century. Due to a lack of reliable antiviral therapeutics, wearing face masks is recommended to prevent airborne infection originating from virus-contaminated bioaerosols. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the filtration efficiencies of face masks that are commercially available in South Korea for a biological aerosol of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and murine coronavirus, a well-known surrogate for human coronaviruses. Methods: We collected six different kinds of commercial masks: two Korea Filter (KF)94 (KF94-1, KF94-2) masks, one surgical (Surgical-1) mask, one anti-droplet (KF-AD-1) mask, and two dust (Dust-1, Dust-2) face masks. S. aureus (ATCC 6538), a well-performing test bacteria and murine coronavirus (ATCC VR-764) were prepared under a suitable culture condition. Then, a mask biological filtration tester was used to examine the microbial filtration efficiencies of masks. Test microorganisms were quantitatively measured via cultivation methods and microbial filtration efficiencies were calculated appropriately. Results: All face masks showed over 99.6% filtration efficiency for S. aureus or murine coronavirus. There were no significant differences among the bacterial filtration efficiencies of the face masks. KF94-1 (99.97±0.08%) and Dust-1 mask (99.97±0.07%) showed the highest (over 99.9%) filtration efficiency for murine coronavirus. KF94-1 or Dust-1 masks showed a significant virus filtration efficiency compared to Surgical-1 mask (p<0.05; Mann-Whitney U test). Conclusions: All the commercially available face masks used in this study can filter S. aureus or murine coronavirus in bioaerosols efficiently, regardless of the mask type. Therefore, our results suggest that wearing a certified face mask is a reliable means to prevent the transmission of infectious airborne diseases via biological aerosols.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.343-348
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• 2010

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of starvation periods with aerobic or non-aerobic conditions on the organic removal efficiencies and physical characteristics of activated sludge for treating saline and non-saline wastewater. During the experiment, MLSS, MLVSS, sludge volume index (SVI), floc size and fractal dimension, $COD_{Mn}$ removal efficiencies were monitored. The reductions of MLSS, MLVSS and SVI with maintaining the sludge under a non-aerobic condition during starvation periods were smaller than those under a aerobic condition. Floc size, fractal dimension and $COD_{Mn}$ removal efficiencies were less decreased under non-aerobic condition than under aerobic condition. And SVI were strongly correlated with floc size and fractal dimension. Consequently, the result showed that maintaining the activated sludge under non-aerobic starvation conditions was better strategy than that under aerobic starvation conditions as it adapted and resisted to starvation.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.17-23
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• 1995

As a basic experiment to develope biological pretreatment proces~ in water treatment, the experiments on biodegradability and isothermal adsorption of activated carbon were performed on refractories such as humic acid, $NH_3-N$, phenol and ABS which caused the problems in drinking water treatment. Also, the treatabilities on humic acid were examined in the continuous flow type reactors. The removal efficiencies of humic acid, $NH_3-N$, phenol and ABS in the biodegradable experiments for 5 days were 20.1%, 73.4%, 91.7% and 97.5%, respectively. In the isothermal adsorption test of refractories on activated carbon to be used as a media in the continuous flow type reactors, ABS and phenol are adsorbed easily, but humic acid and $NH_3-N$ are difficult to be done. The removal efficiencies of humic acid in granular activated carbon(GAC) reactor were about 7-8% higher than in biological activated carbon(BAC) reactor. The removal efficiencies of humic acid in biological fluidized bed(BFB) reactor were about 30% in GAC media, but were almost zero in sea sand media.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.1-6
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• 2004

In Bok-Jeong water treatment plant, chlorination is the only technique used for disinfection of drinking water. This disinfecting treatment leads to the formation of trihalomethanes (THMs). This study was carried out to investigate the possibility of improving removal efficiency of THM precursor in the conventional water treatment processes by $TiO_2$ photocatalytic oxidation. Removal efficiencies of DOC, $UV_{254}$, THMFP were low in the conventional water treatment processes. With application of $TiO_2$ photocatalyst, DOC, $UV_{254}$, THMFP were reduced more effectively. As the $TiO_2$ photocatalytic reaction time increased, the removal efficiencies of DOC, $UV_{254}$, THMFP were increased. The $TiO_2$ photocatalytic removal efficiencies of DOC, $UV_{254}$, THMFP were increased with increasing $TiO_2$ dosage. However, over 0.6g/l of $TiO_2$ dosage, the efficiency reached a plateau.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.23 no.E1
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• pp.29-38
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• 2007

A cylindrical tube connection that has a voltage difference and is separated electrically by an insulator was modelled. The penetration efficiencies of charged particles passing through the connector tube were investigated. Typically, as the particle size decreases and the applied voltage difference increases, the penetration efficiency decreases. To assess the effect of the electrode geometry, various lengths of electric insulator and aerosol flow rate with a fixed tube length and tube diameter were used when calculating penetration efficiencies. The comparison of penetration efficiencies for various electrode geometry setups suggests that the penetration efficiency can be described as a function of the product of applied voltage and electrical mobility of charged particles. The diffusion loss from this and previous studies are compared. Further, an explicit form for penetration efficiency is provided as a function of a new non-dimensional parameter, $Es(=Z_pV/U_{avg}W);\;P_{es}=0.2{\cdot}{\exp}(-Es/0.6342)+0.8{\cdot}{\exp}(-Es/4.7914)$.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2018.05a
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• pp.183-183
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• 2018

In this study, 5-bromo-2,9-bis(5,6-diphenyl-1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)-1,10-phenanthroline (5-bromo-Ph4-BTPhen) was synthesized and evaluated for its ability to remove major radionuclides ($Cs^+$, $Sr^{2+}$, and $Co^{2+}$). The synthesized ligand removed both $Sr^{2+}$ and $Co^{2+}$ from $1mg\;L^{-1}$ aqueous solutions with extraction efficiencies of up to 99% at neutral and alkaline pH. The $Sr^{2+}$ and $Co^{2+}$ removal efficiencies decreased as a consequence of the higher bonding strengths of competing metal ions to the N-donor atoms in the cavity of the ligand; competing divalent ions affected the $Sr^{2+}$ and $Co^{2+}$ removal efficiencies more than monovalent ions.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.214-219
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• 2007

66 micropollutants analyses in 9 wastewater treatment plants(WWTPs) along Nak-dong river were implemented to identify the concentrations and removal efficiencies before and after treatment processes. As a result of study, the concentration levels discharged from WWTP effluents to water system were below the water quality criteria and the levels of other studies. The removal efficiencies were 84.6%(DAF/CCR) and 81.6%(AC) for 1,4-dioxane. Phenol, Clphs and PAHs were removed 94.6%, 66.4% and 80.6% respectively by the activated sludge(AS) process. The removal efficiencies of Clbzs were 45.3% for the activated sludge(AS) process and 60.6% for the activated carbon(AC) process. However, other processes besides AS and AC, the removal efficiencies of Clbzs were very low(<20%). The sand filtration(SF) process that could remove particle matters showed the best efficiency for PCDDs / Fs removal$(\geq99%)$. However, in case of relatively low PCDDs/Fs concentration level in influent, the removal efficiency was not so high$(\leq50%)$.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.11 no.12
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• pp.1267-1274
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• 2002

This study was carried out to evaluate the pollutant removal efficiencies of the advanced drinking water treatment using ozonation process. For raw water, Nakdong River was used. By conducting batch test of ozonation, the following results were obtained. When ozone dosage of $5 mg/{\ell}$ was used, ozone transfer and utilization efficiencies of the ozonation were 94 to 92%, respectively. Removal efficiencies of single VOC compound or mixed VOC compounds in the raw water were 80% to 90% by the ozonation with $2 mg/{\ell}$ dosage and 10 minutes contact time. Removal efficiencies of ABS by the ozonation with $1 mg/{\ell}$, $3 mg/{\ell}$ dosage and 20 minutes contact time were 83% to 96%, respectively. Almost 67% of chlorophyll-a at the concentration of $38.4\mu\textrm{g}/{\ell}$ was removed by ozonation at ozone dosage of $1 mg/{\ell}$ for 20 min. Considering the efficiency of ozone utilization and water treatment, the most effective ozonation could be obtained with high ozone dosage and short contact time.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.133-138
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• 1997

The technology of removing phosphorous, considered as one of the most important control nutrients causing eutrophication in various water bodies, have been investigated by many researchers. Recently, phosphorous crystallization process is emerging as a new technology for phosphorous removal. In this study, waste oyster shells which can be easily obtained from the ocean, were used as a seed crystal, and their effects of several physical/chemical factors on the phosphorous removal efficiencies were examined by batch tests. Ca$^{2+}$ and pH affected phosphorous crystallization process using waste oyster shells. As alkalinity of wastewater increased, phosphorous removal efficiencies gradually decreased. Phosphorous removal efficiencies were increased, as specific area and contact efficiency per unit area of waste oyster shells were increased. In case of high temperature, phosphorous crystallization process was rapidly advanced and phosphorous removal efficiencies were increased. Dependig on X-ray diffraction analysis, it was showed that generation materials extracted from the surface of waste oyster shells with short reaction time were dominated by $CaHPO_4\cdot 2H_2O$, but progressed to $Ca_5(OH)(PO_4)_3$. The SEM observation reveals that the evident variations were hardly seen, but particle sizes of waste oyster shells were relatively bigger and showed forms of smaller plate than before.