• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.381-389
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• 2009

Confined spaces are inherently dangerous workplace and many fatal and nonfatal accidents have been reported. Even though these accidents occur in various kinds of confined spaces, there has rarely been reported on the health hazard agent, i.e., the types of gases and their concentration ranges. Therefore in this study, we evaluated several toxic and asphyxiating gas concentrations in various confined spaces. We surveyed 57 manholes, 3 sewage treatment plants, 2 yellow radish manufacturing companies and 7 barges to measure the concentrations of oxygen($O_2$), hydrogen sulfide($H_2S$), carbon monoxide(CO), ammonia($NH_3$). Lower Explosion Limits(LEL) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). Those four types of confined spaces occupies 56% of accidents during last 9 years in Korea. In 57 manholes, the concentration varied according to the types of manholes; rainfall and sewage, and by location; residential and industrial areas. Sewage manhole in industrial area was evaluated as the most hazardous than other types of manhole like rainfall manholes, residential sewage manholes. The highest $H_2S$ concentration and the lowest $O_2$ concentration at sewage manhole in industrial area were 300 ppm, 8.7% respectively. In 3 sewage treatment plants, $H_2S$ and $NH_3$ concentrations were reached up to the 500 ppm and 200 ppm respectively. Two yellow radish manufacturing companies showed the concentrations of 316 ppm, 505.2 ppm, 90 ppm and 15.7% for $H_2S$, CO, VOCs and $O_2$, respectively. Seven barges showed 15.9%~20.9% oxygen concentration. Gas species and concentration ranges varied by the types and location of confined spaces; CO, $H_2S$, $O_2$ could be hazardous in manhole, especially manhole connected to sewage plants. CO, $H_2S$, LEL, $O_2$, $NH_3$ should be controlled in sludge silo and sluge pumping confined spaces in sewage treatment plant. The activity of lifting out radish from the storage tank was evaluated more hazardous rather than the other activities in yellow radish manufacturing industry. The employers must conduct the survey to identify all possible confined spaces in their local workplace prior to performing the tasks. At the national level to reduce the accidents in the confined spaces, we suggest that systemic approach and active education program including possible hazards, standard operation procedures, ventilation plan, and personal protective equipment in confined spaces should be implemented.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.87 no.3
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• pp.383-390
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• 1998

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of new materials with forest topsoil for hydroseeding measures that is environmentally and ecologically stable revegetation measures on rock cut-slopes. Field hydroseeding experiment was used with a completely randomized design at highway rock cut-slopes in April, 1997. Results obtained in this study were summarized as follows: Particle size distribution of 3 mixed-soil materials that consisted of forest topsoil, decomposed granite soil, compost, sludge, and bottom ash did not show a significant difference. As appending the amount of forest topsoil, soil bulk density was increased. Soil hardness was slightly increased in early period, and then decreased with the flourishing of plants. The number of individuals increased, more than $3,000seedlings/m^2$, after 1 month, and it was decreased as time passes because of competition between the seeded species and the naturally emerged species. In addition to the seeded species, seeding plot has more than 6 species (Rubus crataegifolius, Eleusine indica, Erigeron canadensis, Lycopersicon esculentum var. cerasiforme, etc.) per $m^2$ were naturally appeared in the first year. From the viewpoint of species diversity promotion, the capability of using forest topsoil as seed bank sources was high. In order to apply in the field, the investigation and analysis of topsoil availability (quantity and quality of seed source, soil texture and organic composition) should be carried out before-hand.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.69-79
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• 2017

Protected area of water for supply source is located mostly of rural area in Korea. Normally, sewage treatment system is poor to manage in rural, because low population and density. Rural area need sewage treatment system to supervise supply source of water. In this study, analysis on operation result of 4 RCSTP and MWTP is located at the rural area. Higher concentration of pollutant were inflows to MWTP than RCSTP, and effluent quality standard is satisfaction. However, RCSTP effluent pollutant concentrations was researched higher than MWTP. The organic matter(BOD, COD) were about 5% of a high treatment efficiency to a median. The nutrient(T-N, T-P) were detected Up to high 30%. Also, we analyzed to effect reactor operational parameters on the pollutant treatment efficiency like mixed liquer suspended solid(MLSS), dissolved oxygen(DO) and sludge retention time(SRT). As a result, pollutant treatment efficiency showed fluctuation in accordance with operating condition. Thus, it is necessary to manage the reactor operation condition for management of rural area sewage treatment.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.169-176
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• 2010

A pilot-scale wastewater treatment plant combined with rotating biological contactor and tapered aeration reactors was operated with the wastewater discharged from a food factory for 5 months. The bacterial communities of this plant were investigated by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) and phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA genes. In spite of high concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus as well as organic carbon, removal efficiency of chemical oxygen demand, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus was 98%, 93%, and 95%, respectively. Bacterial community at the initial operation stage was clearly distinguished from that of the stable operation stage. The most predominant phylum in the sample of stable stage was Bacteroidetes. Major population of operation period was Haliscomenobacter, Sphaerotilus, and candidate division TM7, which were classified as filamentous bacteria. However, sludge bulking caused by these bacteria was not observed. The population that has a close relationship with Haliscomenobacter increased during the stable operation stage, emerging as the most predominant group. These results suggest that the filamentous bacteria participated in nutrient removal when using rotating biological contactor and tapered aeration reactor.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.35-43
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• 2008

This study was carried out to estimate the performance of modified sequencing batch reactor (SBR) process by the application of SBR process for small advanced wastewater treatment plant. Organic, nitrogen and phosphorus were able to remove in the unit reactor by SBR process and it would be able to select the suitable operation method. The plant was operated to achieve high performance with influent control, optimum anoxic/oxic condition using intermediate aeration method, and solid (sludge) /liquid (effluent) separation by modified decanter. The optimum operating mode was 3Cycles a day and intermediate input and aeration. Under these conditions, the treatment efficiencies were good with 60% of designed flow rate and low influent quality. When the influent concentrations of BOD and CODMn were 120.4 mg/L and 95.7 mg/L, respectively. The effluent concentrations of BOD and CODMn were 6.8 mg/L and 11.0 mg/L, respectively. The average removal efficiencies of BOD and CODMn were 94.4% and 88.5%, respectively. The removal efficiencies of T-N and T-P were 69.6% and 73.6%, respectively when the average T-N and T-P concentrations were 32.2mg/L and 4.65mg/L, respectively. The T-N and T-P removal efficiencies were slightly decreased to 58.8% and 68.5%, respectively in the winter season but its were also stable efficiencies. BOD, T-N and T-P were removed by 90%. 67% and 46% respectively in the first anoxic/oxic condition, in addition to T-P was removed by 70% in the second anoxic/oxic condition. From the results, modified sequencing batch reactor (SBR) process is suitable for small advanced wastewater treatment.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.41-50
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• 2014

In this study, the performances of PVA-encapsulation and non-encapsulation in a fed-batch bioreactor system were compared for biohydrogen production. Hydrogen production in the PVA-encapsulation bioreactor was not significantly different in comparison to the non-encapsulation bioreactor. However, the hydrogen gas in the encapsulation bioreactor could be stably produced when it was exposed to environmental difficulties such as pH impact by the accumulation of organic acids as fermentative metabolic products. Bacterial communities by DGGE analysis were differently shifted between the PVA-encapsulation and non-encapsulation bioreactors from the initial sludge. The community of hydrogen producing bacteria was stable during the experimental period in the PVA-encapsulation bioreactor compared to the non-encapsulation method. The absolute quantitation of the DNA copy number by a high-throughput droplet digital PCR system for six genera contributed to hydrogen production showing that the numbers of dominant bacteria existed at similar levels in the two bioreactors regardless of encapsulation. In both of two bioreactors, not only Clostridium and Enterobacter, which are known as anaerobic hydrogen producing bacteria, but also Firmicutes, Ruminococcus and Escherichia existed with $1{\times}10^5-1{\times}10^6$ copy numbers of ml-samples exhibiting rapid growth during the initial operation period.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.167-174
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• 2010

This study was performed to evaluate the removal effects of nutritive salts and organic pollutants in experimental aeration reactor for treatment of piggery slurry. In this study, three types of reactors were manufactured and operated. The fibrous media was equipped in one of three reactors. Another reactor was equipped with the siliceous media and the other reactor used as a control was equipped with typical aeration system only. Treatment efficacy of three types of reactors were evaluated according to the pollutants removal rate of the piggery slurry. The results obtained in this study are as follows : 1) In the reactor containing fibrous media, the removal efficiency of BOD, T-N and T-P was 11%, 13.9% and 21.2%, respectively. 2) In the reactor containing siliceous media, the removal efficiency of BOD, T-N and T-P was 6.9%, 25.3% and 47.8%, respectively. 3) In the reactor not containing media, the removal efficiency of BOD. T-N and T-P was 6.1%, 8.1.% and 23.6%, respectively. 4) Sludge accumulation in the reactor equipped with filamentous media was lower than that of other experimental reactors.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.42-47
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• 2006

The biological nutrient treatment is formed with repetition and rearrangement of anaerobic, anoxic and oxic tank. In this case, VFAs is generated in the anaerobic tank and the anoxic tank. The VFAs is an important factor for removal of nitrogen and phosphate and SVI. So, in this study I investigated to find a relationship among the generation rate of the VFAs according to the change of F/M ratio and the characteristic which can eliminate organic matter and nitrogen according to the change of residual concentration of the VFAs and the efficiency of the process and also SVI in wastewater treatment. $A^2/O$ process was used for wastewater treatment. F/M ratio was under the control of the change of MLSS concentration. When the F/M ratio was changed from 0.16 to 0.08 kg-BOD/kg-MLSS/day, the VFAs's production volume increased based on the reduction of F/M ratio in batch reaction. And the residual concentration of the VFAs decreased at first and then increased later. SVI and SS were high when F/M ratio was $0.16kg/kg{\cdot}d$ and showed stable status when F/M ratio decreased $0.11{\sim}0.13kg/kg{\cdot}d$. However, SVI and SS continuously increased with decrease of F/M ratio and were high at $0.08kg/kg{\cdot}d$. In the result of comparison between residual concentration of the VFAs and denitrification rate in anoxic tank, the less residual volume of the VFAs was in anoxic tank, the higher denitrification ratio became. The optimal residual-concentration of the VFAs considering SVI and removal efficiency of nitrogenwas $1.4{\sim}2.2mg/L$. At that time F/M ratio was $0.11{\sim}0.13$ kg-BOD/kg-MLSS/day.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.700-707
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• 2002

To study the characteristics of organic and nutrient removal by Bacillus species at high COD concentration of influent, three lab-scale batch reactors(R1, R2, R3), each of which has different substrate composition, were operated. More than 95% of $NH_4^+$-N and $COD_{cr}$, concentrations were removed under an aerobic condition, and their removal efficiencies were found to be 22.6 and 90.5%(R1), 23.9 and 65.8%(R2), 30.2 and 86.4%(R3), respectively. The removal efficiency of $NH_4^+$-N was high when an enough amount of $NO_3^{-}$-N was supplied, and that of $COD_{cr}$. was low when a high concentration of initial $NO_2^{-}$-N was added. The amount of carbon utilized in denitrification was a little. In all reactors,$NO_3^{-}$-N was removed under an anoxic condition, but in the R3 reactor, 10% of $NO_3^{-}$-N could be removed even undo, an aerobic condition. The removal efficiencies of TN and TP were 41.8 and 49.5%(R1), 40.1 and 35.8%(R2), 47.0 and 57.6%(R3), respectively. Alkalinities destructed under an aerobic condition for each reactor were 4.96, 5.41 and 3.93 mg/L (as $CaCO_3$) per each gram of $NH_4^+$-N oxidized, respectively, while 3.06, 3.17 and 2.60 mg/L (as $CaCO_3$) of alkalinities were produced for each gram of ,$NO_3^{-}$-N reduced to $N_2$. The SOUR were found to be 38.5, 52.7 and 42.0 mg $O_2$/g MLSS/hr, which indicated that Bacillus sp. had a higher cell activity than activated sludge. The OLR and sludge production were estimated to be 0.69 and 0.28(Rl), 0.77 and 0.20(R2), 0.61 kg COD/$m^3$/day and 0.25 kg MLSS/kg COD(R3), respectively. From the N-balance, the highest percentage(40.9%) of nitrogen lost to $N_2$ was obtained in the R3 reactor. From all the results, the possibility of aerobic denitrification Bacillus sp. has been shown and the B3 process seemed to have two advantages: a little amount of carbon was required in denitrification and not much amount of alkalinity was destructed under an aerobic condition.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.41-49
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• 1993

The Study was conducted to develope the low temperature tolerant methane-producing bacteria(LTTB) and to increase the efficiency of anaerobic fermentation for the treatment of agricultural and livestock wastes at low temperature. The samples were collected from muddy soil, water logged sediment, organic layer and anaerobic sludge at three latitudes, $34.8{\sim}37.4\;^{\circ}N(Korea)$, $41.4\;^{\circ}N(USA)$ and $54.5{\sim}56.9\;^{\circ}N(Canada)$. They were used for determination of the methanogenesis rates for isolation and identification of the LTTB. The methanogenesis rate of smaples at low temperature were higher in the cellulose medium than methanol medium. The methanogenesis rate in the samples of subarctic region were $15{\sim}19$ moles/ml during 30 days at low temperature($8\;^{\circ}C$), whereas not detected in the samples of temperate region. The methanogenesis rate in the enrichment culture of subarctic samples were inhibited by the $40\;{\mu}g/ml$ of streptomycin + vancomycin or ampicillin + oleandomycin which were not effect to the methanogens. An inhabitation of high temperature tolerant methane producing bacteria was identified in the samples of temperate region, whereas that of the LTTB growing at $8{\sim}13^{\circ}C$ was identified in the subarctic region.