• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.19 no.5
• /
• pp.475-481
• /
• 2010

Lots of pollutants typically originating from urban transportation are accumulating on the paved surfaces during dry periods and are washed-off directly to the river during a storm. Also, paved surfaces are contributing to increase in peak flows and volume of stormwater flows. These are the main reasons why the water quality of rivers and lakes remain polluted and still below standards. Currently, several management practices are being applied in developed countries but the design standards are still lacking. This research was conducted to develop a treatment technology that can be useful to address the problems concerning runoff quality and quantity. A lab scale infiltration device consisting of a pretreatment tank and media zone was designed and tested for various flow regimes characterizing the low, average and high intensity rainfall. Based on the experiments, the high intensity flow resulted to increase in outflow event mean concentration (EMC) of pollutants, about twice as much as the average outflow EMC. However, 78 to 88% of the total suspended solids were captured and retained in the pretreatment tank because of sedimentation. The removal of heavy metals such as zinc and lead was greatly affected by the vertical placement of woodchip layer prior to the media zone. It was observed that the high carbon content (almost 50%) in the woodchip provided opportunity for enhancing its uptake of metal by adsorption. The findings implied that the reduction of pollutants can be greatly achieved by means of proper pretreatment to allow for settling of particles with a combination of using high carbon source media like woodchip and a geotextile mat to reduce the flow before filtering into the media zone and finally discharging to the drainage system.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.21-28
• /
• 2007

The bioaccumulation of Pb and Cd dissolved in seawater was assessed measuring the concentrations recorded within blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) and oliver flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) after two weeks exposure period. The Pb and Cd concentration within the whole body of two testing organisms increased according to the exposure concentrations, and the such tendency was clear specially from the mussel. Maximum metal concentration reached $5,260({\pm}70)\;{\mu}g/g$ for Pb reared under 5.0 mg/L Pb, $1,040({\pm}40)\;{\mu}g/g$ for Cd reared under 1.0 mg/L Cd in the mussel, and indicated that the bioaccumulation of Pb and Cd was directly related to the rearing medium concentrations. Bioconcentration factors (BCF) reached very high values for Pb (maximum value: $12,100{\pm}1,400$) in the mussel reared under lowest Pb concentration (0.01 mg/L). The BCF value for Cd in the mussel were also far higher at exposure to low Cd concentration than high Cd concentration. At higher external concentrations, the BCF for Cd and Pb declined. This demonstrated the ability of two testing organisms to rapidly uptake heavy metals particularly when exposed to low external concentration. The mean Pb concentration was slightly higher in the gill of mussel than in the digestive gland, while Cd showed a higher level in the digestive gland than in the gill.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.80-85
• /
• 2018

Usable capacity is one of the most important parameters for evaluating the performance of an adsorbent for $CO_2$ capture from flue gas streams. In the pressure swing adsorption (PSA) process, the usable capacity is calculated as the difference between the quantity adsorbed in flue gas at high pressure (ca. 20 bar) and the quantity adsorbed at lower purge pressure (ca. 2 bar). In this paper, two stereo-types of metal-organic framework (MOF) were evaluated as an promising adsorbent for $CO_2$ capture: flexible structured MOF (MIL-53) and MOF possessing strong binding sites (MOF-74). The results showed that a total $CO_2$ capture capacity is strongly related to the specific surface area and heat of adsorption, revealing high uptake in MOF-74. However, the usable capacity was more pronounced in MIL-53 due to a structural transition.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.288-295
• /
• 2010

Metal exposure experiments using polychaete (Perinereis nuntia) as a bio-indicator of trace metals contamination were conducted to evaluate the bioaccumulation and the biomarkers responses such as metallothionein-like protein (MTLPs) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) which was simultaneously exposed to Cadmium (Cd) and Copper (Cu). Cu and Cd concentrations in polychaete were enhanced with increasing exposure time and their concentrations of aqueous medium. Initial accumulation of Cd was higher than that of Cu. Our results showed that the bioaccumulation of Cu and Cd were prohibited, especially at higher Cu levels, suggesting the different cellular uptake mechanisms when Cu and Cd are co-exist. Net accumulation rate of Cu was declined with exposure time but it did not show any significant change for Cd. Although the highest MTLPs concentration was observed at 6 hr of exposure time, it did not show any significant change related to exposure times and metals concentrations. An increase of GST activity tended to increase as a function of exposure time and metals concentrations. And GST activities in P. nuntia have similar tendency with bioconcentration factors in high concentration of Cu (treatment group IV) at post 24 h of exposure. Our results provide new information of the bioaccumulation and biomarker responses to understand the effects of co-existing contaminants (Cu and Cd) using polychaete. Further studies are required to elucidate the bioaccumulation and biomarkers responses for various contaminants.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.35 no.5
• /
• pp.455-461
• /
• 2002

limiting nutrients for phytoplankton were determined by dissored inorganic nitrogen/phosphorous (DIN/DIP) in situ and algal bioassay experiment in the Seomjin River estuary during a study period from March 1999 to October 2001. DIN/DIP ranged from 14.7 to 681.1 during the study period. DIN/DIP was over 16 at the upper and middle estuarine region where salinity was lower than 25 psu and chlorophyll a concentration was high, probably indicating P-limitation in this region while the ratio was less than 16 at the high saline (> 25 psu) region, reflecting the supply of DIP from Gwangyang Bay and thereby indicating N-limitation at the lower estuarine region. These results suggested that the spatial distribution of DIN/DIP in the study region was controlled by the high supply of phosphate from Gwangyang Bay, the low input from Seomjin River and the active uptake by phytoplankton within the estuarine system. The bioassay experiments using Skeletonema costatum, Thalaasiosira rotula and in situ phytoplankton assemblage displayed relatively higher growth of phytoplankton in the P-added culture media, indicating P-limitation. This result was well consistent with the spatial distribution of inorganic nutrients. S. costatum showed a rapid adaptation to the low salinity compared to other phytoplankton species. This phenomenon seemed to account for the strong (> $90\%$ in total cell number) S. costatum bloom in autumn in this estuary. Moreover, although phytoplankton growth rate was higher in the P-added culture media at the end of culture experiment of in situ phytoplankton, the fast growth in the trace metal-added media at the beginning of the experiment suggested a possibility of limitation by other micro-nutrients such as trace metal and vitamin etc.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
• /
• v.7 no.4
• /
• pp.262-273
• /
• 2020

Amending biopolymers such as β-glucan (BG) and Xanthan gum (XG) generally enhances soil strength by ionic and hydrogen bonds between soil particles. Thus, biopolymers have been studied as eco-friendly construction materials in levees. However, physiological responses of plants grown on soil amended with biopolymers are not fully understood. This study focuses on the effects of biopolymers on the growth of Camelina sativa L. (Camelina) under excess zinc (Zn) stress. The optimal concentrations of BG and XG were confirmed to have a 0.5% ratio in soil depending on the physiological parameters of Camelina under excess Zn stress. The Zn binding capacity of biopolymers was investigated using 1,5-diphenylthiocarbazone (DTZ). The reduction of Zn damage in Camelina was evaluated by analyzing the Zn content and expression of heavy metal ATPase (HMA) genes under excess Zn stress. Amendments of BG and XG improved Camelina growth under excess Zn stress. In DTZ staining and ICP-OES analysis, Camelina grown on BG and XG soil showed less Zn uptake than normal soil under excess Zn stress. The Zn-inducible CsHMA3 gene was not stimulated by either BG or XG amendment under excess Zn stress. Moreover, both BG and XG amendments in soil exhibit Zn-stress mitigation similar to that of Zn-tolerant CsHMA3 overexpres sed Camelina. These results indicate that biopolymer-amended soils may influence the prevention of Zn absorption in Camelina under excess Zn stress. Thus, BG and XG are proven to be suitable materials for levee construction and can protect plants from soil contamination by Zn.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.92-98
• /
• 2004

The adsorption and desorption of Pb, Cd, Co, Zn, Cr, Co, Ni, and Mo on the waste Undaria sp. were studied. Except for Pb. the mono adsorption rate for all heavy metals were lower than that of the heavy metals mixed. However, the adsorption capacity of the heavy metals by 1g of biosorption, in mixed heavy metals increased According to FT-IR analysis of the biosorbent after heavy metal biosorption, the replacement of the functional group by the heavy metals ions could be confirmed and the inverted peaks became larger after heavy metals adsorption. The adsorption equilibrium of heavy metals was reached in about 1 hour. The equilibrium parameters were determined based on Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The affinity of metals on the biosorbent decreased in the following order: Pb>Cu>Cr>Cd>Co. The desorption rate decreased in the following sequence: NTA>$H_2SO_4$>HCl>EDTA. The desorption rate of heavy metals by NTA increased with increase in the concentration from 0.1 to 0.3% but the desorption rate became constant beyond 0.3%. Therefore, it represented that desorption rate of heavy metals was suitable under optimized condition ($30^{\circ}C$, pH 2 and 0.3% NTA solution) and was fast with 80% or more the uptake occurring within 10 min of contact time.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.44 no.6
• /
• pp.1306-1313
• /
• 2011

A liquid fertilizer treated with slurry composting and biofiltration (SCB) process has been applied increasingly on agricultural field but the effects on the soil properties and crop production has not been throughly evaluated. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of the SCB application on soil chemical properties and the growth of radish and corn. SCB liquid fertilizer as a basal fertilization was treated with five levels based on $6kg\;10a^{-1}$ for radish and $10kg\;10a^{-1}$ for corn. The experimental design was the completely randomized block design with five levels and three replicates. Electrical conductivity (EC), $NO_3$-N, Exch. K and Exch. Na increased depending on the treatment levels of SCB. There were no changes in soil organic matter, Avail. $P_2O_5$, Exch. Ca and Exch. Mg. EC, $NO_3$-N and Exch. Na content decreased as precipitation increased. Especially, they decreased up to the initial condition before the treatment after the heavy rainy season in 2008. Although Exch. K decreased at the rainy season, they remained relatively higher content after the experiment on August, 2008. Fresh weight and the amount of N uptake of radish increased due to the levels of SCB, but corn did not present any significant increase. It is recommended that we need to decide the proper amount of SCB as well as the application method on the field to increase the productivity and decrease environmental stress. Additional experiments also need to clarify the effect of the trace element and heavy metal accumulations due to long term application of SCB.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.152-168
• /
• 2019

The element arsenic, which is abundant in the Earth's crust, is used for various industrial purposes including materials for disease treatment and household goods. Various human activities, such as the disposal of soil waste, metal mining and smelting, and combustion of fossil fuels, have caused the pollution of the environment with arsenic. Recently, guidelines for arsenic in rice have been adopted by the Korean ministry of food and drug safety to prevent health risks based on rice consumption. Because of the exposure to arsenic and its accumulation in the human body through various channels, such as air inhalation, skin contact, ingestion of drinking water, and food consumption, integrated multimedia risk assessment is required to adopt appropriate risk management policies. Therefore, integrated human health risk assessment was carried out in this study using integrated exposure assessment based on multimedia (e.g., air, water, and soil) and multi-route (e.g., oral, inhalation, and dermal) scenarios. The results show that oral uptake via drinking water is the most common pathway of arsenic into the human body, accounting for 57%-96% of the total arsenic exposure. Among various age groups, the highest exposures to arsenic were observed in infants because the body weight of infants is low and the surface areas of infant bodies are large. Based on the results of the exposure assessment, the cancer and non-cancer risks were calculated. The cancer risk for CTE and RME is in the range of 2.3E-05 to 6.7E-05 and thus is negligible because it does not exceed the cancer probability of 1.0E-04 for all age groups. On the other hand, the cancer risk for RME varies from 6.4E-05 to 1.8E-04 and from 1.3E-04 to 1.8E-04 for infants and preschool children, exceeding the excess cancer risk of 1.0E-04. The non-cancer risks range from 5.4E-02 to 1.9E-01 and from 1.5E-01 to 6.8E-01, respectively. They do not exceed the hazard index 1 for all scenarios and all ages.

• Clean Technology
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.123-133
• /
• 2024

Zeolite template carbon (ZTC) was synthesized as an adsorbent to remove low-concentration CH₄ from the atmosphere. The synthesis of ZTC was performed using CH₄ and C₂H₂ as carbon precursors and their impact on adsorption was investigated. ZTC was also synthesized using Y zeolite ion-exchanged with CaCl₂ and LiCl as templates to investigate the effect of using metals in ion exchange. The comparison of the carbon precursors revealed that C₂H₂ had a higher carbon yield than CH₄. The synthesized ZTC exhibited developed micropores due to carbon deposition deep inside the micropores of the zeolite template. The kinetic diameter of C₂H₂ (0.33 nm) is smaller than that of CH₄ (0.38 nm), which allowed for its deposition. The study compared metal precursors used for ion exchange and confirmed that the CaCl₂-based ZTC developed more micropores compared to the LiCl-based ZTC. The ion-exchanged Ca inhibited pore blocking by the carbon precursor, allowing it to enter the pores. The ability of synthesized ZTC to adsorb N₂ and CH₄ at 298 K was investigated. The results showed that CH₄ had a higher overall adsorption amount than N₂. The sample synthesized using C₂H₂ and CaY exhibited the highest N₂ and CH₄ adsorption capacity. However, the sample synthesized with CH₄ had the highest CH₄/N₂ gas uptake ratio, which is a crucial factor in designing an adsorption process. The observed difference was likely caused by the underdevelopment of ultrafine pores that are associated with N₂ adsorption. This resulted in a reduction of N₂ adsorption, leading to an increase in CH₄/N₂ separation.