• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.22 no.5
• /
• pp.684-689
• /
• 2012

In the present study, an efficient mercury-tolerant bacterial strain (RS-5) was isolated from heavy-metalcontaminated industrial effluent. Under shake flask conditions, 97% of the supplemented mercuric chloride was sequestered by the biomass of RS-5 grown in a tryptone soy broth. The sequestered mercuric ions were transformed inside the bacterial cells, as an XRD analysis of the biomass confirmed the formation of mercurous chloride, which is only feasible following the reaction of the elemental mercury and the residual mercuric chloride present within the cells. Besides the sequestration and intracellular transformation, a significant fraction of the mercury (63%) was also volatilized. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of RS-5 revealed its phylogenetic relationship with the family Bacillaceae, and a 98% homology with Lysinibacillus fusiformis, a Gram-positive bacterium with swollen sporangia. This is the first observation of the sequestration and volatilization of mercuric ions by Lysinibacillus sp.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.450-458
• /
• 2017

The purpose of this study was to investigate the levels of risk perception characteristics for food risk elements using a psychometric paradigm from 298 university students in Yeungnam region, Korea, by a self-administered questionnaire. The respondents showed the highest level of risk concern about radioactive contaminated foods and the lowest level about GM (genetically modified) foods. In the risk perception characteristics for food risk elements, they perceived radioactive contaminated foods as a catastrophic, worried, new, and uncontrollable risk. In addition, they regarded food additives and foodborne illness as a chronic, controllable, old, and scientifically and individually known risk. According to the results of the factor analysis for risk perception characteristics, dread and unknown were categorized. In the risk perception map, mad cow disease, heavy metal contaminated foods, and radioactive contaminated foods were considered as a dreaded and unknown risk, whereas pesticide residues and GM foods were perceived as a less dreaded and unknown risk. Additionally, food additives and foodborne illness were regarded as a less dreaded and known risk and endocrine disruptors and avian influenza as a dreaded and known risk. These results imply that risk perception characteristics of consumers should be considered to establish strategies for risk communication in food science.

• Environmental Engineering Research
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.45-53
• /
• 2013

Biocarrier beads with dead biomass, Bacillus drentensis, immobilized in polymer polysulfone were synthesized to remove heavy metals from wastewater. To identify the sorption mechanisms and theoretical nature of underlying processes, a series of batch experiments were carried out to quantify the biosorption of Pb(II) and Cu(II) by the biocarrier beads. The parameters obtained from the thermodynamic analysis revealed that the biosorption of Pb(II) and Cu(II) by biomass immobilized in biocarrier beads was a spontaneous, irreversible, and physically-occurring adsorption phenomenon. Comparing batch experimental data to various adsorption isotherms confirmed that Koble-Corrigan and Langmuir isotherms well represented the biosorption equilibrium and the system likely occurred through monolayer sorption onto a homogeneous surface. The maximum adsorption capacities of the biocarrier beads for Pb(II) and Cu(II) were calculated as 0.3332 and 0.5598 mg/g, respectively. For the entire biosorption process, pseudo-second-order and Ritchie second-order kinetic models were observed to provide better descriptions for the biosorption kinetic data. Application of the intra-particle diffusion model showed that the intraparticle diffusion was not the rate-limiting step for the biosorption phenomena. Overall, the dead biomass immobilized in polysulfone biocarrier beads effectively removed metal ions and could be applied as a biosorbent in wastewater treatment.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.47 no.7
• /
• pp.915-923
• /
• 2015

Pyroprocess technology has been considered as a fuel cycle option to solve the spent fuel accumulation problems in Korea. The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon, Korea has been studying pyroprocess technology, and the conceptual design of an engineering-scale pyroprocess facility, called the Reference Engineering-scale Pyroprocess Facility, has been performed on the basis of a 10 ton heavy metal throughput per year. In this paper the concept of Reference Engineering-scale Pyroprocess Facility is introduced along with its safety requirements for the protection of facility workers, collocated workers, the off-site public, and the environment. For the identification of safety structures, systems, and components and/or administrative controls, the following activities were conducted: (1) identifying hazards associated with operations; (2) identifying potential events associated with these hazards; and (3) identifying the potential preventive and/or mitigative controls that reduce the risk associated with these accident events. This study will be used to perform a safety evaluation for accidents involving any of the hazards identified, and to establish safety design policies and propose a more definite safety design.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
• /
• v.40 no.4
• /
• pp.285-290
• /
• 2020

To understand the role of small heat shock protein (sHSPs) in rice plant response to various stresses such as the heat and oxidative stresses, a cDNA encoding a 24.1 kDa mitochondrial small HSP (Oshsp24.1) was isolated from rice by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) PCR. The deduced amino acid sequence shows very high similarity with other plant small HSPs. DNA gel blot analysis suggests that the rice genome contains more than one copy of Oshsp24.1. High level of expression of Oshsp24.1 transcript was observed in rice seedlings in response to heat, methyl viologen, hydrogen peroxide, ozone, salt and heavy metal stresses. Recombinant OsHSP24.1 protein was produced in E. coli cells for biochemical assay. The protein formed oligomeric complex when incubated with Sulfo-EGS (ethylene glycol bis (succinimidyl succinate)). Our results shows that Oshsp24.1 has an important role in abiotic stress response and have potential for developing stress-tolerant plants.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water Science and Technology
• /
• v.26 no.6
• /
• pp.125-132
• /
• 2018

We studied a simple approach for synthesis of mesoporous Y(M-Y) from commercial zeolite Y precursors by treating of NaOH with $CH_3(CH_2)_{15}N(Br)(CH_3)_3$ as template. The physicochemical properties of the mesoporous zeolites Y were then analyzed using XRD, nitrogen full-isotherms at 77 K, SEM and TEM. The nitrogen adsorption-desorption analysis showed that surface area and pore diameter of synthesized mesoporous zeolite Y(M-Y) were $1072m^2/g$ and ~3.3 nm, respectively. And M-Y was applied for the removal of $Mn^{2+}$ and $Fe^{2+}$ from aqueous solution. This material, which introduces mesoporosity with zeolite Y character, displayed a superior adsorption capacity than commercial zeolite Y when used as an adsorbent for the removal of $Mn^{2+}$ and $Fe^{2+}$.

• Analytical Science and Technology
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.279-283
• /
• 2008

Blood soil and the mixture of blood soil, elvan soil and, silica soil materials were molded, then they were sintered in $1100^{\circ}C$ and were used for the emission of the far infrared ray boll. The emission from the manufactured bolls was relatively high in the range of $8{\sim}12{\mu}m$ wavelength each. The elution of minerals from mixture bolls was very low, but the elimination of heavy metal cadmium ion in activated water and energy water treated with mixture bolls was very high. Activated water and energy water had a high to the UV protected ability in comparison to drinking water.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.31-39
• /
• 2002

Pollutants from industry, mining, agriculture, and other sources have contaminated sediments in many surface water bodies. Sediment contamination poses a severe threat to human health and environment because many toxic contaminants that are barely detectable in the water column can accumulate in sediments at much higher levels. The purpose of this study was to make optimal treatment and disposal plan o( sediment for water quality improvement in small-scale resevoir based on an evaluation of degree of contamination. The degree of contamination were investigated for 23 samples of 9 site at different depth of sediment in small-scale J river. Results for analysis of contaminated sediments were observed that copper concentration of 4 samples were higher than the regulation of hazardous waste (3 mg/L) and that of all samples were exceeded soil pollution warning levels for agricultural areas. Lead and mercury concentration of all samples were detected below both regulations. Necessary of sediment dredge was evaluated for organic matter and nutrient through standard levels of Paldang lake and the lower Han river in Korea and Tokyo bay and Yokohama bay in Japan. The degree of contamination for organic matter and nutrient was not serious. Compared standard levels of Japan, America, and Canada for heavy metal, contaminated sediment was concluded as lowest effect level or limit of tolerance level because standard levels of America and Canada was established worst effect of benthic organisms. The optimal treatment method of sediment contained heavy metal was cement-based solidification/stabilization to prevent heavy metal leaching.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.39 no.5
• /
• pp.603-616
• /
• 2007

Roy Huddle, having invented the coated particle in Harwell 1957, stated in the early 1970s that we know now everything about particles and coatings and should be going over to deal with other problems. This was on the occasion of the Dragon fuel performance information meeting London 1973: How wrong a genius be! It took until 1978 that really good particles were made in Germany, then during the Japanese HTTR production in the 1990s and finally the Chinese 2000-2001 campaign for HTR-10. Here, we present a review of history and present status. Today, good fuel is measured by different standards from the seventies: where $9*10^{-4}$ initial free heavy metal fraction was typical for early AVR carbide fuel and $3*10^{-4}$ initial free heavy metal fraction was acceptable for oxide fuel in THTR, we insist on values more than an order of magnitude below this value today. Half a percent of particle failure at the end-of-irradiation, another ancient standard, is not even acceptable today, even for the most severe accidents. While legislation and licensing has not changed, one of the reasons we insist on these improvements is the preference for passive systems rather than active controls of earlier times. After renewed HTGR interest, we are reporting about the start of new or reactivated coated particle work in several parts of the world, considering the aspects of designs/ traditional and new materials, manufacturing technologies/ quality control quality assurance, irradiation and accident performance, modeling and performance predictions, and fuel cycle aspects and spent fuel treatment. In very general terms, the coated particle should be strong, reliable, retentive, and affordable. These properties have to be quantified and will be eventually optimized for a specific application system. Results obtained so far indicate that the same particle can be used for steam cycle applications with $700-750^{\circ}C$ helium coolant gas exit, for gas turbine applications at $850-900^{\circ}C$ and for process heat/hydrogen generation applications with $950^{\circ}C$ outlet temperatures. There is a clear set of standards for modem high quality fuel in terms of low levels of heavy metal contamination, manufacture-induced particle defects during fuel body and fuel element making, irradiation/accident induced particle failures and limits on fission product release from intact particles. While gas-cooled reactor design is still open-ended with blocks for the prismatic and spherical fuel elements for the pebble-bed design, there is near worldwide agreement on high quality fuel: a $500{\mu}m$ diameter $UO_2$ kernel of 10% enrichment is surrounded by a $100{\mu}m$ thick sacrificial buffer layer to be followed by a dense inner pyrocarbon layer, a high quality silicon carbide layer of $35{\mu}m$ thickness and theoretical density and another outer pyrocarbon layer. Good performance has been demonstrated both under operational and under accident conditions, i.e. to 10% FIMA and maximum $1600^{\circ}C$ afterwards. And it is the wide-ranging demonstration experience that makes this particle superior. Recommendations are made for further work: 1. Generation of data for presently manufactured materials, e.g. SiC strength and strength distribution, PyC creep and shrinkage and many more material data sets. 2. Renewed start of irradiation and accident testing of modem coated particle fuel. 3. Analysis of existing and newly created data with a view to demonstrate satisfactory performance at burnups beyond 10% FIMA and complete fission product retention even in accidents that go beyond $1600^{\circ}C$ for a short period of time. This work should proceed at both national and international level.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.52 no.2
• /
• pp.129-139
• /
• 2019

This study investigates the spectral response of red lettuce (Lactuca sativa var crispa L.) to Zn concentration. The control group and the experimental groups treated with 1 mM(ZnT1), 5 mM(ZnT2), 10 mM(ZnT3), 50 mM(ZnT4), and 100 mM(ZnT5) were prepared for a pot experiment. Then, Zn concentration and spectral reflectance were measured for the different levels of Zn concentration in red lettuce. The Zn concentration of the control group had the range of 134-181 mg/kg, which was within the normal range of Zn concentration in uncontaminated crops. However, Zn concentration in the experimental group gradually increased with an increase in concentration of Zn injection. The spectral reflectance of red lettuce showed high peak in the red band due to anthocyanin, high reflectance in the infrared band due to the scattering effect of the cell structure, and absorption features associated with water. As Zn concentration in red lettuce leaves increased, the reflectance increased in the green and red bands and the reflectance decreased in the infrared band. The correlation analysis between Zn concentration and spectral reflectance showed that the reflectance of 700-1300 nm had a significant negative correlation with Zn concentration. The spectral band is a wavelength region closely related to the cell structure in the leaf, indicating possible cell destruction of leaf structure due to increased Zn concentration. In particular, 700-800 nm reflectance of the infrared band showed the strongest correlation with the Zn concentration. This study could be used to investigate the heavy metal contamination in soil around mining and agriculture area by spectroscopically recognizing heavy metal pollution of plant.