• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.67-74
• /
• 2012

Bio-char, obtained from biomass as a by-product of the pyrolysis process, is used successfully as a soil amendment and carbon sequester in this limited study. Recent and active research from literatures has extended the application of bio-char in the industry to promote sustainability and help mitigate the negative environmental impacts caused by carbon emissions. This study aims to investigate the feasibility of high-carbon bio-char as a carbon sequester and/or admixture in mortar and concrete to improve the sustainability of concrete. This paper presents the experimental results of an initial attempt to develop a cement admixture using bio-char. In particular, the effects of the water retention capacity of bio-char in concrete are investigated. The chemical and mechanical properties (e.g., the chemical components, microstructure, concrete weight loss, compressive strength and mortar flow) are examined using sample mortar mixes with varying replacement rates of cement that contains hardwood bio-char. The experimental results also are compared with mortar mixes that contain fly ash as the cement substitute.

• Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.102-108
• /
• 2008

In China, energy and environmental problems are becoming serious owing to rapid economic development. Coal is the most problematic energy source because it causes indoor and outdoor air pollution, acid rain, and global warming. One type of clean coal technology that has been developed is the coal-biomass briquette (or bio-briquette, BB) technique. BBs, which are produced from pulverized coal, biomass (typically, agricultural waste), and a sulfur fixation agent (slaked lime, $Ca(OH)_2$) under high pressure without any binder, have a high sulfur-fixation effect. In addition, BB combustion ash, that is, the waste material, can be used as a neutralization agent for acidic soil because of its high alkalinity, which originates from the added slaked lime. In this study, we evaluated the suitability of alternative biomass sources, namely, aquatic plants, as a BB constituent from the perspective of their use as a source of energy. We selected three types of aquatic plants for use in BB preparation and compared the fuel, handling, and environmental characteristics of the new BBs with those of conventional BBs. Our results showed that air-dried aquatic plants had a higher calorific value, which was in proportion to their carbon content, than agricultural waste biomass; the compressive strength of the new BBs, which depends on the lignin content of the biomass, was high enough to bear long-range intracontinental transport in China; and the new BBs had the same emission control capacity as the conventional BBs.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.89-96
• /
• 1975

The experiment was carried out to investigate the chemical properties of cement kiln dusts, abundantly produced from cement industry as a byproduct, and their effectiveness on rice yield. The field experiment was conducted on the acid paddy soil developed on basalt at Dongsong-Myon, Chulwon-Kun, Gangwon-Do. Two kinds of cement kiln dusts were used ; By Pass (BP) collected from the suspension preheater and Electric Precipitate (EP) from the cottrell electric precipitator. The levels of cement kiln dust applied were 100kg/10a, 200kg/10a and 300kg/10a, and the recommended variety "Nong Back" was adopted for this experiment. The results obtained are summarized as follows ; 1. The component of cement kiln dusts seems to be quite suitable for liming material. BP has 55% alkalinity, 41.7% of soluble calcium, 9.8% of soluble magnesium and 4.5% of water soluble silicate, while EP has 53.5% alkalinity, 41.7% soluble calcium, 8.3% soluble magnesium and 1% water soluble silicate. 2. The relative effectiveness of cement kiln dust in the soil will be superior due to very fine particle size. EP pass through completely 270 mesh screen, and 95% of BP pass through 150 mesh screen, 68% passing 270 mesh. 3. BP application at the rate of 100kg/10a increased 21% of rice yield as compared with control and EP 15%. It was observed that the affected yield components were increased panicle number per hill, grain number per panicle and 1,000 grains weight. 4. The application of optimum amount (100kg/10a) of cement kiln dusts accelerated the uptake of nutrients by rice plant and increased rice yield. However, the excess amounts (200kg/10a, 300kg/10a) of cement kiln dusts retarded the uptake of nutrients from soil.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.22-37
• /
• 2006

The applicability of biobarrier or in situ microbial filter technology for the remediation of groundwater contaminated with chlorinated solvent was investigated through batch microcosm study. The efficiency and rates of reductive dechlorination of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) are known to be highly dependent on hydrogen concentration. In this study, the effect of electron donors on the reductive dechlorination of PCE was investigated using vermicompost (or worm casting) and peat as a biobarrier medium. The effect of organic acids (lactate, butyrate and benzoate), yeast extract and vitamin $B_{12}$ on the reductive dechlorination was investigated. In the absence of biobarrier medium (adsorbent), addition of electron donors stimulated the dechlorination rate of PCE compared to the control experiment (i.e., no electron donor added). Among the treatments, addition of lactate or lactate/benzoate as hydrogen donor exhibited the highest dechlorination rate ($k_1=0.0260{\sim}0.0266\;day^{-1}$). In case of using vermicompost as a biobarrier medium, amendment of lactate/benzoate exhibited the highest dechlorination rate following with a pseudo-first-order degradation rate constant of $k_1=0.0849\;day^{-1}$. In contrast, when Pahokee peat was used as a biobarrier medium, either butyrate or lactate addition exhibited the highest dechlorination rate with $k_1$ values of 0.1092 and $0.1067\;day^{-1}$, respectively. The results of this study showed the potential applicability of in situ biobarrier technology using vermicompost or peat as a barrier material for the remediation of groundwater contaminated with chlorinated solvent.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.40 no.12
• /
• pp.966-975
• /
• 2017

Excessive salt disrupts intracellular ion homeostasis and inhibits plant growth, which poses a serious threat to global food security. Plants have adapted various strategies to survive in unfavorable saline soil conditions. Here, we show that humic acid (HA) is a good soil amendment that can be used to help overcome salinity stress because it markedly reduces the adverse effects of salinity on Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. To identify the molecular mechanisms of HA-induced salt stress tolerance in Arabidopsis, we examined possible roles of a sodium influx transporter HIGH-AFFINITY $K^+$ TRANSPORTER 1 (HKT1). Salt-induced root growth inhibition in HKT1 overexpressor transgenic plants (HKT1-OX) was rescued by application of HA, but not in wild-type and other plants. Moreover, salt-induced degradation of HKT1 protein was blocked by HA treatment. In addition, the application of HA to HKT1-OX seedlings led to increased distribution of $Na^+$ in roots up to the elongation zone and caused the reabsorption of $Na^+$ by xylem and parenchyma cells. Both the influx of the secondary messenger calcium and its cytosolic release appear to function in the destabilization of HKT1 protein under salt stress. Taken together, these results suggest that HA could be applied to the field to enhance plant growth and salt stress tolerance via post-transcriptional control of the HKT1 transporter gene under saline conditions.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.5-14
• /
• 2017

Humic acid was used soil amendment or functional fertilizer in Korean agriculture, and its cation exchangeable capacity was high enough to increase soil buffering from plant toxicant. This study was conducted to evaluate effects of humic acid powder (HA) on composting of livestock manure (LM) and of its application on growth of lettuce. Treatments were designed as follows; livestock manure compost (LM+sawdust+bark+castor meal; Control), control+0.1% HA (0.1% HA), control+0.5% HA (0.5% HA), control+1.0% HA (1.0% HA), control+3.0% HA (3.0% HA), and control+5.0% HA (5.0% HA). The changes of temperature, water content, organic matter content, total nitrogen and ratio of organic matter and nitrogen in HA treatments were similar to those of control. Although pH of 3.0% HA and 5.0% HA blending with HA and LM was lower than those of others, it unaffected by HA blending during composting. Humic acid content of HA treatments was increased by 1.7~4.4 folds than that of control. As compared with odor index, 3.0% HA and 5% HA were decreased than control for composting time. Application of 3.0% HA increased the dry weight of lettuce by about 7% than that of control.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.87-93
• /
• 2003

Growth and mineral composition of young radish in soil amended with sewage sludge (ISS) with or without liming were investigated. Levels of EC, T-N, and micronutrients were increased in the ISS treatment (50 Mg/ha) compared to the NPK treatment but those of available P and exchangeable cations were decreased. Chlorosis was appear on the young radish leaf at the ISS treatment, but this phytotoxic symptom was corrected with lime amendment (3 Mg/ha). Yields of young radish leaf and root in the combined treatment of ISS and lime were increased about 29 and 48%, respectively, compared with those in the ISS treatment. Contents of P, K, Ca, and Mg in young radish were higher in the combined treatment to ISS and lime, whereas those contents in the ISS treatment were lower than those in the NPK treatment. Contents of Cu, Zn, and Ni in soil and young radish leaf were positively correlated with total N content in young radish leaf, while contents of P, K, Ca, and Mg were negatively correlated. Contents of Cu, Zn, and Ni in leaf were negatively correlated with yield of young radish. Contents of Cu and Zn in leaf corresponding with a 5% yield reduction of young radish were 22.4 and 349 mg/kg, respectively.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.155-160
• /
• 2009

This study was carried out to investigate the feasibility of Multi Process of Aerobic Digestion (MPAD) for recycling of swine manure slurry as fertilizer. MPAD consisted of three kinds of difference process which are thermophilic aerobic oxidation (TAO) system, lime solidification system, and reverse osmosis (R/O) membrane system. TAO system was studied well previously for decade. The chemical composition of the lime-treated solid fertilizer was as like that organic matter 17.4%, moisture 34.1%, N 0.9%, P 1.7%, K 0.3%, Ca 12.7%, and which was expected to be useful as acid soil amendment material. The concentrated liquid material produced by R/O membrane system was also expected as a good fertilizer for crops production and soil fertility improvement.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.44 no.6
• /
• pp.1063-1070
• /
• 2011

In this study, total of 5 different chemical amendments were evaluated for determining kinetic parameters and stabilization efficiency of heavy metals in aqueous phase. Standard solution of Cd and Pb ($100mg\;L^{-1}$) was mixed with various ratio of amendments (1, 3, 5, 10%) and heavy metal stabilization efficiency was monitored for 24hrs. All examined amendments showed over 90% of removal efficiency for both Cd and Pb except zerovalent iron (ZVI) for Cd (43-63%). Based on result of heavy metal stabilization efficiency, it was ordered as $CaCO_3$ > Dolomite > Zeolite > Steel slag > ZVI for both Cd and Pb in aqueous phase. For kinetic study, first order kinetic model was adapted to calculate kinetic parameters. In terms of reaction rate constants (k), zeolite showed the fastest reaction rate (k value from 0.4882 for 1% to 2.0105 for 10%) for Cd and ZVI (k value from 0.2304 for 1% to 0.5575 for 10%) for Pb. Considering reaction rate constant and half life for heavy metal stabilization, it was ordered as Zeolite > $CaCO_3$ > Dolomite > Steel slag > ZVI for Cd and $CaCO_3$ > Dolomite > Steel slag > Zeolite > ZVI for Pb. Overall result in this study can be interpreted that lime containing materials are more beneficial to remove heavy metals with high efficiency and less time consuming than absorbent materials.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
• /
• v.43 no.2
• /
• pp.95-102
• /
• 2023

This study was to investigate the cultivation technique previously conducted cultivation research for the stable production of alfalfa and to present further research. The data used in the study were 270 alfalfa cultivation experimental data from 1983 to 2008, indicating the cultivation region, field type, variety, sowing, cutting frequency, fertilization, and dry matter yield (DMY). The average DMY of alfalfa in the Republic of Korea was 12,536 kg/ha, which differed greatly depending on the cultivated region. Most of the field type was cultivated in upland. In order to increase alfalfa production, it is necessary to use reclaimed and unused land, and research on the soil amendment matter to improve the soil condition is needed. Alfalfa varieties cultivated an amount of 53, but collected data no studies considered fall dormancy, the criteria for selecting alfalfa varieties, so further research is required. The fertilizer did not consider each component at various levels, and research is needed as the demand for fertilizer. In particular, research on potassium is needed considering the increase in alfalfa production. The alfalfa cutting frequency differed in the estimated pasture production period depending on the region, and the DMY tended to increase with increasing cutting frequency. This suggests that the alfalfa DMY can be increased according to the cutting frequency in the Republic of Korea, so research is needed to present the appropriate cutting frequency.