• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.575-585
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• 2007

Microbial control of the geochemical behavior of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) and As in contaminated subsurface soil and sediment was investigated through activation of indigenous bacteria with lactate under anaerobic condition for 25 days. The results indicated that dissolved Cd, Pb and Zn were microbially removed from solutions, which was likely due to the formation of metal sulfides after reduction of sulfate by indigenous sulfate-reducing bacteria. Soils from the Dukeum mine containing a large amount of sulfate resulted in complete removal of dissolved As after 25 days by microbial activities, while there were gradual increases in dissolved As concentration in soils from the Hwabuk mine and sediments from the Dongducheon industrial area which showed low $SO_4{^2-}$ concentrations. Addition of appropriate carbon sources and sulfate to contaminated geological media may lead to activation of indigenous bacteria and thus in situ stabilization of the heavy metals; however, potential of As release into solution after the amendment should be preferentially investigated.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Environment and Ecology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.105-126
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• 2003

In Korea most of annual rainfall is concentrated in several episodic heavy rains during the season of summer monsoon and typhoon. Because of uneven rainfall distribution many dams have been constructed in order to secure water supply in dry seasons. The Han River system has the most dams among Korean rivers, and the river is a series of dams now. Reservoirs need different strategy of water quality control from river water. Autochthonous organic matter and phosphorus should be the major target to be controlled in lakes. In this Paper some problems are discussed that makes efforts of water quality improvement ineffective in lakes of Korea, even after the substantial investment to wastewater treatment facilities.1) Phosphorus is the key factor controlling eutrophication of lakes and the reduction ofphosphors should be the major target of water treatment. However, water quality management strategy in Korea is still stream-oriented, and focused on BOD removal from sewage. Phosphorus removal efficiency remains as low as 10-30%, because biological treatment is adopted for both secondary treatment and advanced treatment. The standard for TP concentration of the sewage treatment plant effluent is 6 mgP/l in most of regions, and 2 mg/l in enforced region near metropolitan water intake point. TP in the effluents of sewage treatment plants are usually 1-2 mg/1, and most of plants meet the effluent regulation without a further phosphorus removal process. The generous TP standard for effluents discourages further efforts to improve phosphorus removal efficiency of sewage treatment. Considering that TP standard for the effluent is below 0.1 mg/l in some countries, it should be amended to below 0.1 mg/l in Korea, especially in the watershed of large lakes.2) Urban runoff and combined sewer overflow are not treated, even though their total loading into lakes can be comparable to municipal sewage discharges on dry days. Chemical coagulation and rapid settling might be the solution to urban runoff in regard of intermittent operation on only rainy days.3) Aggregated precipitation in Korea that is concentrated on several episodic heavyrains per year causes a large amount of nonpoint source pollution loading into lakes. It makes the treatment of nonpoint source discharge by methods of other countries of even rain pattern, such as retention pond or artificial wetland, impractical in Korea.4) The application rate of fertilizers in Korea is ten times as high as the average ofOECD countries. The total manure discharge from animal farming is thought to be over the capacity of soil treatment in Korea. Even though large portion of manure is composted for organic fertilizer, a lot of nutrients and organic matter emanates from organic compost. The reduction of application rate and discharge rate of phosphorus from agricultural fields should be encouraged by incentives and regulations.5) There is a lot of vegetable fields with high slopes in the upstream region of the HanRiver. Soil erosion is severe due to high slopes, and fertilizer is discharged in the form of adsorbed phosphorus on clay surface. The reduction of soil erosion in the upland area should be the major preventive policy for eutrophication. Uplands of high slope must be recovered to forest, and eroded gullies should be reformed into grass-buffered natural streams which are wider and resistant to bank erosion.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.484-492
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• 2014

We quantified the effects of the composition and concentration of fertilizer solutions on the growth and nutrient uptake of 'Maehyang' strawberry at the vegetative growth stage. Acid fertilizer (AF), neutral fertilizer (NF), and basic fertilizer (BF) with concentrations of 100 or $200mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$ based on N, were formulated and applied during the 100 days after transplanting, at which point crop growth and tissue nutrient contents were analyzed. The soil solutions were sampled every two weeks to measure the pH, EC and nutrient concentrations. BF was a more effective fertilizer compared to AF and NF for growth of 'Maehyang' strawberry when fertilizer concentrations were controlled to $100mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$. By contrast, the fresh and dry weights were greatest in the NF treatment when fertilizer concentrations were controlled to $200mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$. The tissue contents of N, P, and Na were 2.20, 0.51 and 0.10%, respectively, in the NF 200 treatment, and these were the highest among all treatments tested. The highest contents of K, Ca and Mg were 2.60% in AF 200, 0.95% in BF 200 and 0.45% in BF 100, respectively. During the fertilization period, the highest and lowest pHs were 6.13 in BF 100 and 4.92 in AF 200. The lowest EC was $1.376dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ in BF 100 and the highest was $4.936dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ in NF 200 treatments. The highest $NH_4{^+}$ concentrations in the soil solution occurred during the AF 200 treatment, followed by those with NF 200 and AF 100. When fertilizer concentrations were equal, AF treatment gave rise to the highest $Ca^{+2}$ and $Mg^{+2}$ concentrations, followed by NF and BF, until day 84 of fertilization. The BF treatments had the highest $NO_3{^-}$ concentrations followed by NF and AF. The trends for $PO_4^{-3}$ concentrations were similar in all fertilizer treatments when the fertilizer concentrations were equal. The above results indicate that neutral and basic fertilizers were most effective to promote 'Maehyang' strawberry growth when fertilizer solutions were controlled to low or high concentrations, respectively. These findings are useful for planning fertilization programs for vegetative propagation of 'Maehyang' strawberry.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.182-188
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• 1994

Similar to the $^{42}K$ uptake, $^{86}Rb$ uptake by the roots of Hordeum distichum grown in the hydroponic culture was negatively correlated with the concentration of K supplied previously, showing that $^{86}Rb$ can be used for the K-bioassay. $^{86}Rb$ having longer half life (18.86 day) than $^{42}K$ (12.36 hr) allowed the use of larger number of root samples. $^{86}Rb$ uptake of 3 years old Citrus unshiu Marc. grown in water culture decreased drastically with the increase of K concentration of the culture solution, thus demonstrating that the nutrition status of K for citrus trees can be diagnosed by K-bioassay using $^{86}Rb$ tracer. $^{86}Rb$ uptake by the excised roots of Hordeum distichum grown in the pot with different K fertilizations was well correlated with the exchangeable K in soil. The amount of exchangeable K in soil for the optimal plant growth can be determined by its relationship. $^{42}K$ and $^{86}Rb-uptake$ by the Hordeum distichum roots were markedly inhibited by $5{\times}10^{-3}\; M$ KCN in the bioassay solution, indicating that uptake is energy-dependent. There was no significant relationship between K content in citrus leaves and K concentration in the water-culture medium. It is concluded that K-bioassay is a potentially useful tool for determining of K requirement in citrus trees.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.487-494
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• 2005

Nowadays a large amount of wastewater containing metal working fluids and cleaning agents is generated during the cleaning process of parts working in various industries of automobile, machine and metal, and electronics etc. In this study, aqueous or semi-aqueous cleaning wastewater contaminated with soluble or nonsoluble oils was treated using ultrafiltration system. And the membrane permeability flux and performance of oil-water separation (or COD removal efficiency) of the ultrafiltration system employing PAN as its membrane material were measured at various operating conditions with change of membrane pore sizes and soil concentrations of wastewater and examined their suitability for wastewater treatment contaminated with soluble or insoluble oil. As a result, in case of wastewater contaminated with soluble oil and aqueous or semi-aqueous cleaning agent, the membrane permeability increased rapidly even though COD removal efficiency was almost constant as 90 or 95％ as the membrane pore size increased from 10 kDa to 100 kDa. However, in case of the wastewater contaminated with nonsoluble oil and aqueous or semi-aqueous cleaning agent, as the membrane pore size increased from 10 kDa to 100 kDa and the soil concentration of wastewater increased, the membrane permeability was reduced rapidly while COD removal efficiency was almost constant. These phenomena explain that since the membrane material is hydrophilic PAN material, it blocks nonsoluble oil and reduces membrane permeability. Thus, it can be concluded that the aqueous or semi-aqueous cleaning solution contaminated with soluble oil can be treated by ultrafiltration system with the membrane of PAN material and its pore size of 100 kDa. Based on these basic experimental results, a pilot plant facility of ultrafiltration system with PAN material and 100 kDa pore size was designed, installed and operated in order to treat and recycle alkaline cleaning solution contaminated with deep drawing oil. As a result of its field application, the ultrafiltration system was able to separate aqueous cleaning solution and soluble oil effectively, and recycle them. Further more, it can increase life span of aqueous cleaning solution 12 times compared with the previous process.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.20-27
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• 1983

A series of laboratory experiment was conducted to find out the chemical composition, characterization of humic substances by physical and chemical methods and reaction of Na-pyrophosphate, $Ca(OH)_2$ and rice straw with albumin on the degradation of soil organic matter in the volcanic ask soils of the Jeju Island. Results obtained were summarized as follows: 1. The contents of organic matter, available silicon, active iron and aluminum concentration in volcanic ash the soils were remarkably higher but available phosphorous was comparatively lower than the mineral soils. In volcanic ash soil, the contents of potassium, calcium and magnessium were higher in upland soil than that of forest soil. The ratios of active $Al^{{+}{+}{+}}/Fe^{{+}{+}}$, C/P and $K/Ca^+$ Mg were apparently high in volcanic ash soils while that of $SiO_2$/O.M. was high in mineral soil. 2. The carbon/nitrogen ratio in humin, humic acid content in organic matter, and carbon contents of humin in total carbon of soil organic matter were apparently higher in the volcanic ash soils than in the mineral soils, The total nitrogen and fractions of acid or alkali soluble nitrogen were remarkably high in volcanic ash soils while mineralizable nitrogen ($NH_4$-N and $NO_3$) contents were high in mineral soils. 3. The values of K600, RF and log K were also higher in volcanic ash soils than those in mineral soils, and the absorbance in the visible range were high and color was dark in the soil of which humification was progressed Extracted humic acid from volcanic ash soil was less reactive to the oxidizing chemical reagent and was persistance to the acid or alkali hydrolysises. 4. The major oxygen-containing functional groups in humic substances of volcanic ash soils were phenolic-OH alcoholic-OH and carboxyl groups while those in mineral soil were methoxyl and carbonyl groups. 5. Absorption spectra of alkaline solution of humic acid ranged from 200 nm to maxima 500 nm. Visible spectra peaks of from humic substances in the visible region were recognized at 350, 420, 450 and 480 nm. Only one single absorbance peak was observed in the visible region at 362 nm for Heugag series and two absorbance Peak were also at 360 nm and 390 nm for Yeungrag series. 6. Evolution of carbon as $Co_2$ was increased with addition of Na-pyrophosphate in Namweon and Heugag series, and "priming effects" took place on the soil organic matter decomposition by addition of rice straw with albumin in Ido series.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.93-102
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• 1993

Carbonized rice hull, neutralized by dilute nitric acid, was evaluated possibility as a bed matrial for sanitary cultivation. The growth response of Chinese Cabbage, lettuce, and spinach on the carbonized rice hull supplemented with different kinds and concentrations of available nutrition solution was accessed. The ideal nitrogen concentration of nutrition solution was 126 mg/l. Both solutions of compound fertilizer and nutrition containing microelements showed no difference in growth and chemical components of vegetables. Therefore, compound fertilizer was thought to be better than nutrition owing to the convenience of handling in practice. The gravel was also evaluated as supporting material of carbonized rice hull. Because of lasting latent heat in gravel, the mixing treatment of carbonized rice hull and gravel(7~10cm in diam.) was efficient to the growth resulting in the highest dry weight per plant, but the heavy weight of gravel made the handling very difficult. Light carbonized rice hull showed the better plant growth and ease handling, compared to the mixture of soil and compost, and had enough supporting capacity. Therefore, carbonized rice hull was thought to be a desirable bed material for environmentally controlled cultivation.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.227-234
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• 1974

A survey on the vinyl house soils was conducted to investigate the salt accumulation status and it's effects on the deterioration of soil aggregates. The survey was made for the vinyl house soils in Suwon, Yesan, and Kimhae areas where vegetables are extensively grown under a vinyl house. Physical and chemical properties of the soils at the inside and outside of the vinyl house were compared to continuous vegetable cropping. Electrical conductivity of the soil solution (Y) in vinyl house was closely related to the number of cropping years (X), and the relations are given by the following regression equations: $Y=0.54X{\times}1.44$ ($r=0.580^*$) for loamy textured soils and $Y=0.58X{\times}2.61$ ($r=0.524^*$) for clayey textured soils. Electrical conductivity of the soils, where vegetable cropping in winter and rice in summer were rotated, was lower than that given by the regression equations. Analyses for extractable cations, the concentration of calcium, sodium and potassium was high in the inside vinyl house soils compared to the outside. Soil aggregates larger than 1mm in diameter were greatly deteriorated, while the content of the soil aggregates smaller than 0.5mm in diameter remained unchanged. Aggregate stability of the soil was negatively correlated to the accumulation rate of extractable sodium ($r=-0.681^{**}$), potassium ($r=-0.528^*$) and the amount of daily irrigated water (r=-0.477), while positively correlated to the content of organic matter ($r=-0.692^{**}$) and calcium (r=0.391).

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.322-326
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• 2012

Recently, researches related to plant factory system has been activated and production of Ssam-vegetables using artificial lighting has been increasing. In South Korea, Ssam-vegetables are very popular and the consumption is increasing every year. Because leaf vegetables cultivated under hydroponic systems are more preferable rather than those cultivated by soil culture in Korea, the plant factory system would be more effective in production of Ssam-vegetables. Therefore, this study was carried out in order to analyze the yield and vitamin C contents in red mustard (Brassica juncea L.) and pak-choi (Brassica campestris var. chinensis), which are used a lot for the Ssam-vegetables in South Korea, as influenced by different concentrations of the nutrient solution in a plant factory system. As a results, there was no significant differences in the plant height among the treatment of EC in the nutrient solution, but for red mustard plants, the number of leaves tended to decrease in the treatment with higher EC. Leaf area of pak-choi plants was significantly increased in the higher EC, while the fresh weight had a tendency to increase along with increasing EC in the nutrient solution for both crops. The photosynthetic rates did not show a distinct tendency by EC levels for red mustard plants, but for pak-choi plants, it tended to be higher at the high EC. The contents of ascorbic acid in leaves were higher with decreasing EC concentration in the nutrient solution for red mustard plants, while the content was the highest at EC $2.0dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ for pak-choi plants. In summary, considering the marketable yields and vitamin C at different nutrient concentrations in a plant factory, the optimal concentration for red mustard and pak-choi plants was thought to be EC $2.0{\sim}2.5dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.306-311
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• 1995

A nutrient solution culture experiment was conducted in the greenhouse of Suwon Campus, Kyung-Hee University from May 22 to July 10, 1995, to determine the effects of sulful application on seedling growth of Kwanganok and Hwengsungok cultivars of corn. Plants were harvested at weekly interval for seven weeks, at which time plant height, leaf area and dry matter yield of corn seedling were measured. Sulfer was treated with $MgSO_4{\cdot}7H_2O$ so that sulfur concentrations of cultural solution are 0, 68, 136 and 204ppm for treatments of without sulfer(-S), control(C), twofold concentration(2S) of control and threefold contration(3S) of control, respectively. The plant height, leaf area and dry matter yield during the seven weeks of Kwanganok cultivar was decreased in order of C>2S>3S>-S, 2S>C>3S>-S and 2S>3S>C>-S application pot, respectively. In Hwengsungok cultivar, those were decreased in order of C>-S>3S>2S, C>3S>2S>-S and C>3S>-S>2S application pot, respectively. The total plant height, leaf area and dry matter yield during the whole period of Kwanganok and Hwengsungok cultivars were decreased in the seedling grown under without sulfur treatment compared with the other sulfur treatments. In Hwengsungok cultivar, plant height, leaf area and dry matter yield of seedlings were increased more in control sulfur treatment pot than the other sulfur treatment pot during the whole period. The crop growth rates of seedling of both cultivars in all treatments were slowly increased until the 3th week after planting and its were showed up and down CGR's thereafter, but Hwengsungok cultivar with C treatment pot maintained a steady increase in CGR until the end of the experiment period.