• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.302-307
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• 2004

Determination of actinides in the environmental sample requires separation of each element. This procedure is tedious and time consuming. And also, the detection limits of some nuclides using alpha spectrometry are rather higher. To overcome the lower detection limit and complicated separation procedure, a simple analytical technique for the determination of actinide isotopes in the environmental samples was developed and applied to IAEA and NIST reference sediment samples. For the separation of actinides from matrix, anion exchange resin and TRU-spec extraction chromatography resin were used and chemical yields were obtained using natural uranium, thorium, $^{242}Pu$ and $^{243}Am$ tracers. For overcoming the higher detection limits of U and Th in alpha spectrometry, neutron activation analysis was applied. Using combined method, the detection limit was increased about 10 times. The activity values of each isotope were consistent with the reference values reported by IAEA and NIST.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.38 no.2 s.171
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• pp.129-134
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• 2005

The $^{87}Sr/^{86}Sr$ ratios between water and biogenic material are similar in marine and lacustrine environment. Pb isotope ratios we, however, reported not to have been corresponding between the biological tissues and ambient water in aquatic system, contrary to the Sr isotope ratios. In order to explore the potential application of two isotopes as environmental tracers, we report here the isotopic compositions of strontium and lead of gastropod shell in fresh water in Jinan area. The $^{87}Sr/^{86}Sr$ ratios of carbonate shells of gastropod living in fresh stream water, are similar as that of ambient water but are different by sites. The different $^{87}Sr/^{86}Sr$ ratios of stream water between the sites is likely caused by the difference of the isotopic composition of Sr derived form rocks in the basin. In contrast, there is a distinct difference of the lead isotopic values between the water and the gastropod shell, suggesting that shell-fish available lead in aquatic system is different from dissolved lead in water. It is assumed that the majority of Pb in stream water is derived from atmospheric Pb accumulated on soil materials over years rather than from rock.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.89-95
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• 2016

Mo isotope, one of highly redox-sensitive isotopes, has been shown to be useful tracers of geochemical processes. Many studies for Mo isotope have documented with the help of recently developed analysis tools, but it has not yet been documented in the Korea. In this study, we introduce two-stage column separation method of Mo using column tube (BioRad PolyPrep(R) column, 10 ml) and anion exchange resin (BioRad Resin AG(R) 1-X8, 200-400 mesh). Mo isotope ratios in the solid SRMs (BHVO-2, SDO-1, PACS-2) and liquid SRM (IAPSO) were measured on MC-ICP-MS (Multi-collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer) and then compared with reference Mo isotope ratios. Mo isotope ratios in our study overlap with reference Mo isotope ratios within analytical error.

• ALGAE
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.349-357
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• 2017

Korean mariculture Undaria pinnatifida was collected during the months of January, February, March, and December of 2010, as well as from January of 2011 to investigate the changes in the carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios (${\delta}^{13}C$ and ${\delta}^{15}N$) and heavy metal with respect to it growth and to identify the factors that influence such changes. The blades of U. pinnatifida showed ${\delta}^{13}C$ and ${\delta}^{15}N$ in the range (mean) of -13.11 to -19.42‰ (-16.93‰) and 2.99 to 7.57‰ (4.71‰), respectively. Among samples with the same grow-out period, those that weighed more tended to have higher ${\delta}^{13}C$ suggesting a close association between the carbon isotope ratio and growth rate of U. pinnatifida. Indeed, we found a very high positive linear correlation between the monthly average ${\delta}^{13}C$ and the absolute growth rate in weight ($r^2=0.89$). Nitrogen isotope ratio tended to be relatively lower when nitrogen content in the blade was higher, probably due to the strengthening of isotope fractionation stemming from plenty of nitrogen in the surrounding environment. In fact, a negative linear correlation was observed with the nitrate concentration in the nearby seawaters ($r^2=0.83$). Concentrations of Cu, Cd, Pb, Cr, Hg, and Fe in the blades showed a rapid decrease in their concentration per unit weight in the more mature U. pinnatifida. Specifically, compared to adult samples, Cu, Hg, and Pb were concentrated by 30, 55, and 73 folds, respectively, in the young blades. Therefore, U. pinnatifida tissue ${\delta}^{13}C$ is as an indirect indicator of its growth rate, while ${\delta}^{15}N$ values and heavy metal concentrations serve as tracers that reflect the environmental characteristics.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.167-177
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• 2007

We measured the salinity, pH, and concentrations of $^{222}Rn$ and nutrients in groundwater in the southeastern coastal aquifer off Busan from March to September 2005 to evaluate its submarine discharge and geochemical characteristics. Salinity in coastal groundwater increased sharply at 20 m depth and exceeded 25 ppt below 40 m during the study period, indicating that a strong transition zone between fresh groundwater and seawater developed between 20 and 40 m depths. Fresh groundwater in the upper layer of this transition zone was characterized by high pH, $^{222}Rn$, dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), and dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) and low dissolved inorganic silicate (DSi) relative to seawater in the lower layer. In addition, the vertical profiles of the $^{222}Rn$, DIN, and DIP concentrations imply that a strong advective groundwater flow occurs along the interface of fresh groundwater and seawater near 20 m depth. The geochemical constituents in coastal groundwater also showed strong seasonal variation, with the highest concentrations in summer (June 2005) due to the changes of groundwater recharge and sea level. This implies that the input of terrestrial chemical species into the coastal ocean through submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) could change seasonally. To ascertain the seasonal variation of SGD and SGD-driven chemical species fluxes, and associated ecological responses in the coastal ocean, more extensive studies are necessary using various SGD tracers or seepage meters in the future.

• Journal of the korean society of oceanography
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.16-33
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• 2000

In order to measure the vertical fluxes of particles and reactive radionuclides such as thorium and polonium isotopes, Dunbar-type sediment traps were freely deployed at the Ulleung Basin and in warm and cold water masses around the polar front of the East Sea. We estimated the ratios of the catched (F) to the predicted $^234$Th fluxes (P) using natural tracers pair $^234$Th-$^238$U. The F/P ratios are decreased with increasing water depth. Whereas the concentrations of suspended particles are homogeneous in water column, the mass fluxes are also decreased with increasing water depth like the F/P ratios. These facts indicate that organic matters of settling particles are destructed within the euphotic layer due to decomposition. Whereas regenerations of sinking particles are negligible in the cold water mass, about 80% of them are regenerated in the warm water mass during falling of large particles. These downward mass fluxes are closely correlated with their primary productions in euphotic zone. The activities of $^234$Th, $^228$Th and $^210$Po in the sinking material were increased with water depth. Because $^234$Th steadily produced in the water column are cumulatively adsorbed on the surface of sinking particles, vertical $^234$Th fluxes were observed to increase with water depth. Therefore, these sinking particles play important roles in transporting the particle reactive elements like thorium from surface to the deep sea. The scavenging processes including adsorption and settling reactions generate radio-disequilibrium between daughter and parent nuclides in water column. The activity ratios of $^234$Th/$^238$U and $^228$Th/$^228$Ra were observed to be < 1.0 in the surface water and approached to be equilibrium below the thermocline. The extent of the deficiency of daughter nuclides compared to the parents nuclide was highly correlated with the vertical particle flux. Because most of the $^210$Po in the surface water are scavenged on a labile phase and are recycled at sub-surface depths (< 200 m), the $^210$Po are always observed to be excess activities compared to $^226$Ra in surface water.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.111-122
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• 2014

Partitioning interwell tracer test (PITT) is a method to quantify and qualify a site contaminated with NAPLs (Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids). Analytical description of PITT assumes that the injection-pumping well pair is on the line of the ambient groundwater flow direction, but the test-well pair could frequently be off the line in a real field site, which could be an erroneous factor in analyzing PITT data. The purpose of this work is to study the influence of the angle of the test-well pair on the ambient groundwater flow direction based on the result from PITT. From the experiments, it was found that the obliqueness of the test-well pair to the ambient groundwater flow direction could affect the tracer test resulting in a decreased NAPL estimation efficiency. In case of an oblique arrangement of the test-well pair to the ambient flow direction, it was found that the injection of a chase fluid could enhance the estimation efficiency. An increase of the pumping rate could enhance the recovery rate but it cannot be said that a high pumping rate can increase the test efficiency because a high pumping rate cannot give partitioning tracers enough time to partition into NAPLs. The results have a implication that because the arrangement of the test-well pair is a controlling factor in performing and interpreting PITT in the field in addition to the known factors such as heterogeneity and the source zone architecture, flow direction should be seriously considered in arranging test-well pair.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.145-166
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• 2021

For several decades, sediment traps have served as one of the key tools for constraining the biological carbon pump (BCP), a process that vertically exports particulate organic carbon (POC) and associated biogenic materials from marine primary production in surface waters to the deep ocean interior. In this paper, I introduced the general methods, the current status of global sediment trap studies, and importance of it to understand the deep ocean carbon cycling. Recent studies suggest that sinking POC in the deep ocean are more complex and spatio-temporally heterogeneous than we considered. Especially researches those studied resuspended and laterally transported particles are presented. Researches that used organic (radiocarbon; ¹⁴C) and inorganic (Al) tracers to understand the oceanic POC cycling and the significance of resuspended particles are reviewed, and the importance of radiocarbon study by using MICADAS (Mini radioCarbon Dating Systems) is emphasized.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.699-707
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• 2021

Hwajinpo Lagoon, located on the eastern coast of Korea, is a unique environment where freshwater and saltwater are mixed. Systematic management of the lagoon is required because it is a biodiversity-rich and area of high conservation value. The existing environment of the lagoon was evaluated by identifying the distribution of the groundwater level and groundwater flow characteristics. In addition, hydrogeochemical fluctuations were analyzed to determine the effect of seawater intrusion into the aquifer. The results demonstrate that the freshwater-saltwater interface is distributed throughout the aquifer and rises when water of the lagoon evaporates due to prolonged periods of low rainfall and high temperature, thereby increasing the possibility of seawater inflow through groundwater. As for the ionic delta properties (difference between the measured and theoretical concentration of mixed waters), it was estimated that the cation-exchange and precipitation reactions occurred in the aquifer due to seawater intrusion. The ratio of seawater mixed at each point was calculated, using oxygen isotopes and chloride as tracers, resulting in an average of 0.3 and a maximum of 0.87. The overall seawater mixing ratio appears to be distributed according to the distance from the coast. However, some of the results were deviated from the theoretical expectations and reflected the characteristics of the nearby aquifers. Further research on seasonal changes and simulation of seawater intrusion mechanisms is required for specific analysis.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.289-302
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• 2013

In order to determine the provenance of the Huksan Mud Belt sediments in the southeastern Yellow Sea, the major and rare earth elements of the same sediments were analyzed. The surface sediments were sampled from top of piston-cores and box-cores taken at 51 sites within the Huksan Mud Belt. With the mean grain size of $5-6{\phi}$, the sediments of the study area are mud-dominated. The spatial distribution patterns show that silt content is high in the northern Mud Belt, whereas clay content increases as it moves toward the southern Mud Belt. Interestingly, the geochemical compositions both of major and rare earth elements have resulted in differences of sediment provenance. Among the major elements, plots of Fe/Al vs. Mg/Al ratios, $Al_2O_3$ vs. MgO ratios, and $Al_2O_3$ vs. $K_2O$ reveal that the Huksan Mud Belt sediments are dominated by the Korean river-derived sediments. However, the characteristics of rare earth elements infer sediments originating from the Chinese rivers. This discrepancy between the above provenances is attributed to the different contributory factors in the content of chemical elements. Considering strong correlation between major elements with grain sizes, the contents of the major elements are thought to be influenced by the grain size. However, there is a weak correlation between rare earth elements and grain sizes. The behaviour of rare earth elements may be controlled by heavy minerals, rather than grain sizes. Further study requires to solve the discrepancy arose from the difference in applied chemical tracers.