• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.41-51
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• 2014

This study investigated the ability of Bothriochloa bladhii (Retz.) S.T. Blake (Poaceae), Cyperus ligularis L. (Cyperaceae), Commelina erecta L. (Commelinaceae), Mariscus umbellatus (Rottb.) Vahl (Cyperaceae), Fimbistylis miliacea L. (Cyperaceae) and Torulinium odoratum L. (Cyperaceae) to clean up various levels of used motor oil (UMO) contaminated soils. The plants were grown in 2 kg garden soils treated to 0%, 1%, 5% and 10% levels of UMO contamination. The plant growth parameters, chlorophyll contents and dry weight of test plants were measured. The phytoremediation ability of these test plants were assessed by measuring the uptake of hydrocarbons in terms of total hydrocarbon content (THC) as well as their percentage degradation values. There was significant (P < 0.05) reduction in leaf chlorophyll contents and dry weights of the test plant species planted in UMO contaminated soils. THC as well as the percentage uptake (or degradation) of hydrocarbons were both lowest in C. ligularis but highest in T. odoratum in all cases. The phytoremediation potential of test plants was highest in soils contaminated with 5% UMO. Based on the results of this study, all test plants with the exception of C. ligularis were potentially capable of undertaking phytoremediation. However, B. bladhii and T. odoratum proved most effective in the uptake and degradation of UMO.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.333-337
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• 2000

An oil-degrading yeast, Yarrowia lipolytica 180, exhibits interesting cell surface characteristics under the growth on hydrocarbons. An electron microscopic study revealed that the cells grown on crude oil showed protrusions on the cell surface, and thicker periplasmic space and cell wall than the cell surface, and thicker periplasmic space and cell wall than the cells grown on glucose. Y. lipolytica cells lost its cell hydrophobicity after pronase(0.1 mg/ml) treatment. The strain produced two types of emulsifying materials during the growth on hydrocarbons; one was water-soluble extracellular materials and the other was cell wall-associated materials. Both emulsifying materials at lower concentration (0.12%) enhanced the oil-degrading activity of Moraxella sp. K12-7, which had medium emulsifying activity and negative cell hydrophobicity; however, it inhibited the oil-degrading activity of Pseudomunas sp. K12-5, which had medium emulsifying activity and cell hydrophobicity. These results suggest that the oil-degrading activity of Y. lipolytica 180 is closely associated with cell surface structure, and that a finely controlled application of Y.lipolytica 180 in combination with other oil-degrading microorganisms showed a possible enhancing efficiency of oil degradation.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.55-57
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• 2019

The Runella sp. ABRDSP2, capable of degrading mono-aromatic compounds such as toluene, was isolated from freshwater. The whole genome, consisting of a circular single chromosome and three plasmids, was composed of total 7,613,819 bp length with 44.4% G+C contents and 6,006 genes. The genome of strain ABRDSP2 contains many aromatic hydrocarbon degrading genes such as monooxygenase, ring-cleaving dioxygenase, and catechol 1,2-dioxygenase. The complete genome reveals versatile biodegradation capabilities of Runella sp. ABRDSP2.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.1116-1123
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• 2021

Oil spilled in seawater undergoes physical and chemical changes as well as biological degradation through various weathering processes, such as evaporation, diffusion, dispersion, emulsification, dissolution, oxidation, and sedimentation. Evaporation is one of the most immediate and prompt weathering processes, and it has the greatest influence on majority of pollutants. In this study, the evaporation characteristics of different oil samples were studied; the volatilization characteristics of gasoline, kerosene, and diesel were compared at average seawater (25 ℃) and near-equator (35 ℃) temperatures. The oil samples were pre-treated and then collected at regular intervals. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis was performed, and the changes in the amount of the hydrocarbons were calculated.

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.23-30
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• 1997

The purpose of this study was to evaluate effects of solids content and mixing speed in treatment of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soils using a slurry-phase bioreactor. Performance results on slurry-phase bioremediation of diesel fuel contaminated soil were generated at the bench-scale level. The fate of TPH(Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon) was evaluated in combination with biological treatment. Abiotic and biotic fate of the TPH were determined using soil not previously exposed to compounds in diesel fuel. The reactor volume for given throughput can be reduced by maximizing the solids content. Applications of 50% and 20% solids content(dry weight basis) were showed a little difference(57.5% : 61.6%) in biological TPH removal rate each other. Mixing and particle suspension are critical to desorption and biological degradation. In this standpoint, this study was performed using two mixing speed. When the reactor was operated at 70rpm, it had a better result in the particle suspension and TPH removal rate than the reactor with mixer rotated at 20rpm. In the reactor applied 20rpm, it was resulted in failure of particle suspension.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.7-11
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• 1986

We screened lysates of the laboratory strains of pseudomonads utilizing hydrocarbon by agarose gel electrophoresis and cesium chloride-ethidium bromide equilibrium centrifugation, to find an intrinsic plasmid as a vector and to examine the relationship between the plasmid and hydrocarbon degradation. Only one strain from the examined strains, Pseudomonas putida KU190, contained a plasmid. We named the plasmid pKU41. The molecular size of pKU41 was determined as 41kb, using covalently closed circular forms of RP4 and pSY343 as standard size markers. The restriction sites of pKU41 for BamHI, BglII, EcoRI, HindIII, and SalI were 3, 1, 3, 6 and more than 13, respectively. With double or triple digestion, restriction map of pKU41 was constructed for BamHI, BglII and HindIII. For elucidation on the biological function of the plasmid, test was conducted on the ability of hydrocarbon utilization of the host strain but no apparent relationship was observed.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.901-905
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• 2004

The degradation and mineralization of crude oil were investigated over 50-days in three soils, loamy sand, sand, and combusted loamy, which were artificially contaminated with crude oil (50 g $kg^{-1}$) and inoculated with Nocardia sp. H17-1. The degradation efficiency of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) in sand was the highest at 76% among the three soils. The TPH degradation rate constants $(k_{TPH})$ in loamy sand, sand, and combusted loamy sand were 0.027 $d^{-1}$, 0.063 $d^{-1}$, and 0.016 $d^{-1}$, respectively. In contrast, the total amount of $CO_2$ evolved was the highest at 146.1 mmol in loamy sand. The $CO_2$ evolution rate constants (k_{CO2})$ in loamy sand, sand, and combusted loamy sand were 0.057 $d^{-1}$, 0.066 $d^{-1}$, and 0.037 $d^{-1}$, respectively. Therefore, it seems that the degradation of crude oil in soils can be proportional to the soil pore space and that mineralization can be accelerated with the increase of organic substance.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.395-408
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• 2020

Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have gained much attention as eco-friendly energy conversion devices without emission of environmental pollutant. Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) that can transfer proton from anode to cathode and also prevent fuel cross-over has been regarded as a key component of PEMFCs. Although perfluorinated polymer membranes such as Nafion® were already commercialized in PEMFCs, their high cost and toxic byproduct generated by degradation have still limited the wide spread of PEMFCs. To overcome these issues, development of hydrocarbon based PEMs have been studied. Incorporation of cross-linked structure into the hydrocarbon based PEM system has been reported to fabricate the PEMs showing both high proton conductivity and outstanding physicochemical stability. This study focused on the various cross-linking strategies to the preparation of cross-linked PEMs based on hydrocarbon polymers with ion conducting groups for application in PEMFCs.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.24-30
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• 2011

Tidal flats which are ecologically sensitive, are hard to remediate once they are contaminated by oil spill accidents. Traditional oil remediation measures focus on removal efficiency, and their improper implementation can adversely affect crude oil contaminated coastal areas and greatly disrupt the structure and functions of crude oil contaminated tidal flats. In this study, the oil degradation due to the implementation of remediation measures naturally enhanced using air and natural oil sorbents was evaluated in the lower strata of tidal flats. The effects of air and natural oil sorbents on oil degradation for two concentration levels (< 500 ppm and > 500 ppm) were tested at artificially contaminated tidal flats. Fifty days after these treatments, the natural oil sorbent treatment showed the lowest total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) concentration ($4.46{\pm}1.47%$) at the low concentration level, whereas both air and natural oil sorbent treatments showed high degradation efficiencies at the high concentration level ($29.30{\pm}4.39%$). Although the phosphatase activity decreased for all treatments, there was no significant difference between the decreases for the different treatments; on the other hand, B-glucosidase activities were high for both air and natural oil sorbent treatments. Although degradation efficiencies decreased as the concentration increased, the air provision and natural oil sorbent treatment could be an effective ecological restoration measure for oil contaminated tidal flats while minimizing the environmental impact of the remediation efforts.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.120-123
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• 2001

Sphingomonas chungbukensis DJ77 is able to use phenanthrene and biphenyl as the sole carbon and energy source. Mitomycin C curing experiment suggested that polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) utilization in strain DJ77 was plasmid-encoded. The plasmid cured strains were failed to grow on the minimal medium sprayed with biphenyl or phenanthrene. This was evident from southern hybridizations using a previously cloned DNA segment as a probe. There were positive signals in the palsmid DNA of the wild-type strain DJ77 and the absence of hybridizations with chromosomal DNA from the plasmid DNA of the wild-type strain DJ77 and the absence of hybridizations with chromosomal DNA from the palsmid-cured mutant strains.