• Advances in materials Research
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.65-75
• /
• 2013

Heterogeneous photocatalysis is a rapidly developing field in environmental engineering. It has a great potential to cope with the increasing pollution in the air. The addition of a photocatalyst to ordinary building materials such as tiles, concrete, paints, creates environmental friendly materials by which air pollution or pollution of the surface itself can be controlled and diminished. This work reports the results of the laboratory research, especially carried out towards air purifying action and self-cleaning measurements. In particular the research was focused on the study of the photocatalytic behavior of industrially prepared tiles produced starting from commercial micro-sized $TiO_2$. Air purification action has been investigated through NOx degradation tests. On the contrary, the degradation of pollution at the surface, also called as self-cleaning action, is verified by the degradation of two different organic dyes: Rhodamine B (red color) and Metanil yellow (yellow).

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.28-33
• /
• 2007

It is a main trend not to use organic solvents in the adhesive industry from the recent environmental and safe points of view. For example, water-based, hot-melt, or UV curable adhesives are being investigated. Several different kinds of tackifiers that are formulated in the adhesives in order to give them more functional properties like initial tack and higher adhesion, etc., have been proposed to meet the recent trend. Firstly, the characteristics and fundamental properties of the respective materials are presented. In Japan, the trend to develop the water-based adhesives is most remarkable. While the environmental regulations are getting harder, Arakawa Chemical has been spending a lot of energy for the research, and developed toluene-free and solvent free tackifier dispersions that are presented precisely.

• Proceeding of Spring/Autumn Annual Conference of KHA
• /
• 2004.11a
• /
• pp.315-318
• /
• 2004

In recent days, IAQ(Indoor Air Quality) is regarded as one of the most important environmental factors as well as thermal and acoustic comfort. The purpose of this study was to estimate on effect of indoor air pollution from VOCs and formaldehyde emitted by building materials. As the results, we knew that concentration of Toluene, Xylene, Styrene and HCHO emitted from the furnitures and frame material of windows and doors are high emission factors on indoor air pollution.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.932-937
• /
• 2011

Main objectives of this paper were; firstly, to explain impacts of suspended solid in the water body on the relationship between water quantity and water quality; secondly, study on the inter-relationship between organic materials, nutrients, pathogens, and suspended solids considering eco-friendly water resources. Relationship between water quality and water quantity is not easy to understand as it includes physicochemical-biological reactions and diffuse pollutions. Especially, suspended solid makes water resource management difficult. Eroded soil in the upper land transported to the downstream by water flows carrying biological and physicochemical information and sedimented in the downstream. As sediment scoured under high flow condition and environmental change, suspended solid and sediment should be emphasized for understanding the inter-relationship between water quality and water quantity. Knowledge gaps between known monitored data and management of suspended solid were identified as well for future study.

• Advances in environmental research
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.1-17
• /
• 2020

Pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) have become an environmental havoc in last few decades with reported cases of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs), lethal effects over aquatic organisms, interference in natural decomposition of organic matter, reduced diversity of microbial communities in different environmental compartments, inhibition of growth of microbes resulting in reduced rate of nutrient cycling, hormonal imbalance in exposed organisms etc. Owing to their potential towards bioaccumulation and persistent nature, these compounds have longer residence time and activity in environment. The conventional technologies of wastewater treatment have got poor efficiency towards removal/degradation of PhACs and therefore, modern techniques with efficient, cost-effective and environment-friendly operation need to be explored. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) like Photocatalysis, Fenton oxidation, Ozonation etc. are some of the promising, viable and sustainable options for degradation of PhACs. Although energy/chemical or both are essentially required for AOPs, these methods target complete degradation/mineralization of persistent pollutants resulting in no residual toxicity. Considering the high efficiency towards degradation, non-toxic nature, universal viability and acceptability, AOPs have become a promising option for effective treatment of chemicals with persistent nature.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.48-58
• /
• 2001

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of environmental sound rice farming method on the productivity of rice industry which may result in impacts on the staple food securities. Recently fanners have been concerned about adopting new rice cultivation method such as organic and low input farming system in which fertilizer and pesticide can be substantially reduced so as to alleviate the burden of agro-ecosystem. However, It has been argued about whether or not there are negative impacts on the self sufficiency rate of food, income of farm household and technological adaptability. Therefore this study examined the productivity trend of environmental rice farming system and predicted the long term rice self-sufficiency rate when environmental rice farming system are adopted by assuming various scenarios. It was estimated that rice self-sufficiency rate can be decreased up to 52.2% by 2010. Based on the analysis of results, policy recommendations for environmentally sound rice farming were suggested as follows: 1) gradual adopting and transferring of environmental rice cultivation method, 2) increasing profitability of rice growing fanners 3) developing the farm level technology specific to Korean farming condition, 4) institutionalization of direct payments for encouraging environmental rice fanning.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.121-128
• /
• 2023

This study introduces a NaOH/Zn-assisted hydrothermal method for the synthesis of zeolites derived from coal ash (CA). A zeolite/Zn adsorbent is successfully prepared by the activation of CA with NaOH and Zn; it is characterized by a high surface area and a negative surface charge.Methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) are selected as dye pollutants, and their adsorption onto the zeolite/Zn adsorbent is investigated. Results show the high adsorption capacities of MB and MO and that the negative surface charge facilitates electrostatic interactions between the adsorbates and adsorbents. The zeolite/Zn adsorbents shows the selective adsorption of positively charged dye MB via electrostatic interactions between the =NH+ group (positive dipole) and the oxygen functional group of the adsorbents (negative dipole). The selectivity for the positively charged dye is sufficiently high, with the removal efficiency reaching 99.41% within 10 min. By contrast, the negatively charged dye MO exhibits negligible absorption. These findings confirm the role of electrostatic interactions in the adsorption of MB, in addition to the effect of a large surface area. The results of this study are expected to facilitate the development of simple, eco-friendly, and cost-effective zeolite-based adsorptive composites from CA residuals for the selective removal of dye pollutants from CA waste.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.15-20
• /
• 2012

Processing of organic waste is converted to anaerobic digestion for environmental friendly and sustainable energy recovery and reduction of sludge. In this study, ECOPAD (ECOdays' Plug-flow Anaerobic Digster)design for a high solids content and high organic matter content were used to investigate an applicability and efficiency of food waste treatment and poultry wastewater treatment. Case-by-case analysis of treatment efficiency of ECOPAD using food waste of city "P" and city "S". Volatile Solids basis organic removal efficiency of city "P" and city "S" was 84% and 88% respectively. And, the content of methane (P City: 70%, S City: 71%) was measured similarly. In the case of poultry waste bio-gas production was measured to $1.6Nm^3/kg$-VSrem, and methane content was measured to 69%.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.17-23
• /
• 2013

BACKGROUND: Today, environmentally friendly farming has become an important feature of agricultural policy. It promotes or sustains farming systems which protect and enhance the environment. This study was conducted to compare benthic invertebrate communities in an organic and a conventional paddy field in South Korea. METHODS AND RESULTS: Benthic invertebrates were collected at 11 regions of a rice paddy from June to August, 2009, 2010 and 2011. These comparisons undertaken using a community assessment approaches such as the number of individuals and species and community composition. Generally, the larger number of individuals and species of benthic invertebrates was observed in an organic paddy than in a conventional paddy field. Organic paddy fields could supported the wider range of species and abundance in aquatic invertebrates comparing to conventional paddy fields. Carrying capacity to support larger numbers of invertebrates also tends to be higher in organic paddy than in conventional paddy field. Specially, organic farming regions surrounded by forests were high quality habitat for benthic invertebrates than other surrounded regions such as grassland. CONCLUSION(S): We concluded that organic farming was more advantaged to benthic invertebrates than conventional farming. In order to improve biodiversity in rice paddy field, farming regimes without agricultural chemicals are recommended. The effect of organic management on biodiversity and abundance of benthic invertebrates could be maximized across highland farmland.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.72-81
• /
• 2004

For disposal food wastes which is about 30% portion of tatal organic wastes, vermicomposting is more environmental-friendly treatment than lanfill, incineration, etc. Recently, the interest has been increasing but there are many problems on management of vermicopmposting in field especially. This study was conducted to investigate an optimal factors, which are limit NaCl conc., the mixing rate of food wastes and casting for growth of an earthworm related to efficient vermicomposting. The limit conc. of NaCl was 0.5% and in case of feeding food wastes to earthworms as a prey only, most earthworms were dead in a few hours due to excessive degradation of organic materials and high NaCl conc. However as feeding with the casting of proper mixing rate(3:7), most earthworms were survived until finishing composting. It was investigated the increaser degree of matureness of food wastes, the higher conc. of NaCl, therefore for efficient vermicomposting, it seemed proper mixing rate of food wastes and the casting is better than matureness of food wastes. and the most suitable mixing rate was 3:7 food wastes and the casting.