• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.24 no.E1
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• pp.12-23
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• 2008

Relationship between the optimum soil water content and clay content on soil samples from mid-latitude European forest was tested. Soil samples from 4 different experimental sites (two forest sites in the Netherlands and a Danish forest) were collected, and analyzed for the soil physical and chemical characteristics. Water retention curves for the soil samples were determined according to the standard procedure ISO 11274, and pF decreased with increase in soil water contents. NO is simultaneously produced and consumed by microbiological processes, which comprise of nitrification and denitrification. NO consumption and production rates were determined from the soil samples and compared to their corresponding water retention curves in order to find the optimum soil water content and matric potential for maximum NO release from mid-latitude soils. NO consumption rate coefficient (k) in Hollandse Hout was significantly lower than those in other soil sites. Maximum NO production was observed at an intermediate soil moisture ($0.2{\sim}0.3kg/kg$) in all the soil samples. Resulting from the NO consumption and production rates for the soils, the empirical NO fluxes of the different soils were calculated in the laboratory.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.63-74
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• 2022

In analyzing heavy metals in soil samples, the standard protocol established by Korean Minstry of Environment (KSTM) requires two different pretreatments (A and B) based on soil particle size. Soil particles < 0.15 mm in diameter after sieving are directly processed into acid extraction (method A). However, if the quantity of soil particles < 0.15 mm are not enough, grinding of the particles within 0.15 mm ~ 2 mm is required (method B). Grinding is often needed for some field samples, especially for the soil samples retrieved from soil washing process that contain relatively large-sized soil grains. In this study, two soil samples with different particle size distribution were prepared and analyzed for heavy metals concentrations using two different pretreatment to investigate the effect of grinding. The results showed that heavy metal concentrations tend to increase with the increase of the fraction of small-sized particles. In comparison of the two pretreatments, pretreatment A yielded higher heavy metal concentration than pretreatment B, indicating significant influence of grinding on analytical results. This results suggest that the analytical values of heavy metals in soil samples obtained by KSTM should be taken with caution and carefully reviewed.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.33-42
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• 2012

This study was performed to find the problems according to interference factors (organic matter, pH, Cr, Mn, Fe, clay, and etc.) when we analyzed the hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] in soils using UV/VIS spectrometer (US EPA 7196A), attempted to evaluate the domestic applicability of analytical method (US EPA 7199) using IC-UV/VIS spectrometer as alternative method. The recovery rate of certified reference materials was 75.0% (US EPA 7196A) and 101.4% (US EPA 7199) by the analytical methods. As the results of performing QA/QC about US EPA 7199, method detection limit (MDL) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.062 mg/kg, 0.196 mg/kg, respectively. The LOQ of US EPA 7199 was lower than that of the current soil official testing method in Korea (0.5 mg/kg). Cr(VI) contents in 23 soil samples were compared by the analytical methods of EPA 7196A and 7199. Cr(VI) was detected in 13 of 23 soil samples by EPA 7196A, while EPA 7199 was not detected in any soil samples. The Cr(VI) content in 23 soil samples by EPA 7196A was not clearly correlated with Cr, Fe, Mn and clay content in the soil samples. However, the contents of Cr(VI) and organic matter of the soil samples had the highest coefficient of determination ($R^2$) of 0.80. In order to evaluate the correlation between the recovery rates of Cr(VI) and organic matter contents in the soil samples, the recovery rates of 5 soil samples added Cr(VI) standard solution were analyzed by the analytical methods. According to the results, the higher the organic matter contents in soil samples, the lower the recovery rates of Cr(VI) by US EPA 7196, while in case of US EPA 7199, the recovery rates were stable regardless of the organic matter contents.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.1275-1283
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• 2022

Understanding soil microbial community structure in the Arctic is essential for predicting the impact of climate change on interactions between organisms living in polar environments. The hypothesis of the present study was that soil microbial communities and soil chemical characteristics would vary depending on their associated plant species and local environments in Arctic mature soils. We analyzed soil bacterial communities and soil chemical characteristics from soil without vegetation (bare soil) and rhizosphere soil of three Arctic plants (Cassiope tetragona [L.] D. Don, Dryas octopetala L. and Silene acaulis [L.] Jacq.) in different local environments (coal-mined site and seashore-adjacent site). We did not observe any clear differences in microbial community structure in samples belonging to different plant rhizospheres; however, samples from different environmental sites had distinct microbial community structure. The samples from coal-mined site had a relatively higher abundance of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes. On the other hand, Acidobacteria was more prevalent in seashore-adjacent samples. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria decreased toward higher soil pH, whereas that of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes was positively correlated with soil pH. Our results suggest that soil bacterial community dissimilarity can be driven by spatial heterogeneity in deglaciated mature soil. Furthermore, these results indicate that soil microbial composition and relative abundance are more affected by soil pH, an abiotic factor, than plant species, a biotic factor.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.121-126
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• 2001

Analytical method of benzophenone (BP) in sediment and soil was developed by gas chromatography/mass selective detector/selected ion monitoring (GC/MSD/SIM). The ultrasonic extraction of US EPA (method 3550B) method and liquid-liquid extraction for sediment and soil samples were used for the analysis of BP from sediment and soil. BP was extracted with n-hexane. Organic layer was washed with 5% sodium chloride solution. 1∼2 l of the concentrated solution of organic layer was applied to GC/MSD. The retention time of BP peak was 11.10 min. Recovery (％) of BP by ultrasonication from sediment and soil samples was 96.0∼100.6％ and 40.0∼83.0％, respectively. Recovery of BP by liquid-liquid extraction was 51∼59％ in soil samples. The detection limit of BP in sediment and soil samples were determined to 0.1 ng/g.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.32 no.2 s.89
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• pp.111-117
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• 2006

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in pine needles and soil samples from rural area were analyzed in this study. Concentrations of PBDE congeners were ranged between 0.2 and 3104 pg/g DW(dry weight) in pine needles and between 2.4 and 1997 pg/g DW in soil samples. The most abundant congener both in pine needles and soil samples was BDE-209, which was related to importation and production of deca-BDE technical mixtures in Korean industry. And BDE-99, BDE-47, BDE-100 deposited in pine needles and soil samples were closely matched with the major constituents of the penta-BDE technical mixture. Those can be interpreted as an evidence that transfer of the congeners in deca-BDE and penta-BDE technical mixtures from source to pine needle and soil occurs with broadly similar efficiency. Correlation coefficient(r) of PBDE congeners deposited in pine needles and soil samples is very significant because it implies th at there has been little weathering/degradation/alteration of the congeners generated from sources during atmospheric transport or within pine needles and soil themselves.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.265-273
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• 2011

Bacterial diversity based on the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene sequences was determined for soil samples from two abandoned mine sites and the corresponding enrichment cultures using soil sample as key inoculum. Sequencing analysis of DGGE bands obtained from both the soil samples matched mostly with sequences of uncultured and newly described organisms, or organisms recently associated with the acid mine drainage environment. However, the enrichment of soil samples in ferrous sulfate and elemental sulfur media yielded sequences that were consistent with well-known iron- and sulfur-oxidizing acidophilic bacteria. Analysis of enrichment cultures of soil samples from Dalsung mine revealed abundant ${\gamma}$-$Proteobacteria$, whereas that of Gubong mine sample displayed acidophilic groups of ${\gamma}$-$Proteobacteria$, ${\alpha}$-$Proteobacteria$, $Actinobacteria$ and $Firmicutes$. Chemical elemental analysis of the mine samples indicated that the Dalsung site contained more iron and sulfate along with other toxic components as compared with those of the Gubong site. Biogeochemistry was believed to be the primary control on the acidophilic bacterial group in the enrichment samples.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.12-15
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• 2014

Thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) was used to determine the concentration and isotope ratio of uranium contained in samples of soil and groundwater collected from Korea. Quantification of uranium in ground water samples was performed by isotope dilution mass spectrometry. A series of chemical treatment processes, including chemical separation using extraction chromatography, was applied to the soil samples to extract the uranium. No treatments other than filtration were applied to the groundwater samples. Isotopic analyses by TIMS showed that the isotope ratios of uranium in both the soil and water samples were indistinguishable from those of naturally abundant uranium. The concentration of uranium in the groundwater samples was within the U.S. acceptable standards for drinking water. These results demonstrate the utility of TIMS for monitoring uranium in environmental samples with high analytical reliability.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.629-637
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• 2005

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) were investigated in soil and pine needle samples taken from 16 sites of industrial and residential areas in Changwon, Korea to assess their distribution levels and to suggest the influence of industrial activities, PCDDs/DFs levels in the soil samples ranged from 0.57 to 20.79 pg I-TEQ/g dry weight with a mean value of 4.20 pg I-TEQ/g dry weight. PCDDs/DFs levels in the pine needle samples ranged from 0.39 to 8.75 pg I-TEQ/g dry weight with a mean value of 4.09 pg I-TEQ/g dry weight. In both soil and pine needle samples, the PCDDs/DFs concentrations in the industrial area sites were higher than those in the residential area sites. Homologue profiles in pine needle samples showed different patterns compared with soil samples. Based on the results of principal component analysis (PCA), it was confirmed that pine needles reflected a direct influence from local potential sources of PCDDs/DFs, showing a much higher degree of reflection than in soils. Pine needles are very useful as an indicator for monitoring or estimating the contamination of PCDDs/DFs in other areas which have been impacted by point pollution sources.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.62-69
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• 2018

In the present study, long-term heavy metals (HMs) contaminated soil samples from a well-known Pb/Zn smelting area in the southwest of China were collected, and physicochemical and biological characteristics of these samples were evaluated. Soil samples contained different concentrations of HMs, namely Pb, Zn, Cu, and Cd. Enzyme activity analyses combined with microcalorimetric analysis were used for soil microbial activity evaluation. Results showed that two soil samples, containing almost the highest concentrations of HMs, also shared the greatest microbial activities. Based on correlation coefficient analysis, high microbial activity in heavily HMs contaminated soil might be due to the high contents of soil organic matter and available phosphorus in these samples. High-throughput sequencing technique was used for microbial community structure analysis. High abundance of genera Sphingomonas and Thiobacillus were also observed in these two heavily contaminated soils, suggesting that bacteria belonging to these two genera might be further isolated from these contaminated soils and applied for future studies of HMs remediation. Results of present study would contribute to the evaluation of microbial communities and isolation of microbial resources to remediate HMs pollution.