• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.08a
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• pp.257-257
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• 2013

In order to selectively remove oil and organic compound from water, silica nanoparticles with hydrophobic coating was used. Since silica nanoparticles are generally hydrophilic, removal efficiency of oil and organic compound, such as toluene, in water can be decreased due to competitive adsorption with water. In order to increase the removal efficiency of oil and toluene, hydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was coated on silica nanoparticles in the form of thin film. Hydrophobic property of the PDMS-coated silica nanoparticles and hydrophilic silica nanoparticles were easily confirmed by putting it in the water, hydrophilic particle sinks but hydrophobic particle floats. PDMS coated silica nanoparticles were dispersed on a slide glass with epoxy glue on and the water contact angle on the surface was determined to be over $150^{\circ}$, which is called superhydrophobic. FT-IR spectroscopy was used to check the functional group on silica nanoparticle surface before and after PDMS coating. Then, PDMS coated silica nanoparticles were used to selectively remove oil and toluene from water, respectively. It was demonstrated that PDMS coated nanoaprticles selectively aggregates with oil and toluene in the water and floats in the form of gel and this gel remained floating over 7 days. Furthermore, column filled with hydrophobic PDMS coated silica nanoparticles and hydrophilic porous silica was prepared and tested for simultaneous removal of water-soluble and organic pollutant from water. PDMS coated silica nanoparticles have strong resistibility for water and has affinity for oil and organic compound removal. Therefore PDMS-coated silica nanoparticles can be applied in separating oil or organic solvents from water.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.175-180
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• 2009

This study was conducted to improve biological degradation efficiency of toluene as a model volatile organic compound (VOC) using yeast Candida tropicalis and to suggest an effective method for bioreactor operation. The yeast strain was immobilized with polyethylene glycol (PEG), alginate, and powdered activated carbon (PAC). The yeast-immobilized polymer media were used as fluidized materials in an airlift bioreactor. Polymer media without PAC were also made and operated in another airlift bioreactor. The two bioreactors showed toluene removal efficiencies ranging 80-96% at loading rates of $10-35 g/m^3-hr$, and the bioreactor containing the polymer media with PAC achieved higher removal efficiency. Protein contents in the liquid phase showed that the bioreactor using the yeast-immobilized polymer media with PAC had a higher rate of microbial growth initially than that without PAC. In addition, the microbial growth rate inside of the polymer media with PAC was five times higher than that without PAC. Consequently, the polymer media containing the yeast strain and PAC could enhance removal efficiencies for VOCs, and the immobilization method improve microbial activity and stability for a long-term operation of biological systems.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.563-572
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• 2012

Unlike water applications, the photocatalytic technique utilizing light-emitting-diodes as an alternative light source to conventional lamp has rarely been applied for low-level indoor air purification. Accordingly, this study investigated the applicability of UV-LED to annular-type photocatalytic reactor for removal of indoor-level benzene and toluene at a low concentration range associated with indoor air quality issues. The characteristics of photocatalyst was determined using an X-ray diffraction meter and a scanning electron microscope. The photocatalyst baked at $350^{\circ}C$ exhibited the highest photocatalytic degradation efficiencies(PDEs) for both benzene and toluene, and the photocatalysts baked at three higher temperatures(450, 550, and $650^{\circ}C$) did similar PDEs for these compounds. The average PDEs over a 3-h period were 81% for benzene and close to 100% for toluene regarding the photocatalyst baked at $350^{\circ}C$, whereas they were 61 and 74% for benzene and toluene, respectively, regarding the photocatalyst baked at $650^{\circ}C$. As the light intensity increased from 2.4 to 3.5 MW $cm^{-1}$, the average PDE increased from 36 to 81% and from 44% to close to 100% for benzene and toluene, respectively. In addition, as the flow rate increased from 0.1 to 0.5 L $min^{-1}$, the average PDE decreased from 81% to close to zero and from close to 100% to 7% for benzene and toluene, respectively. It was found that the annular-type photocatalytic reactor inner-inserted with UV-LEDs can effectively be applied for the decomposition of low-level benzene and toluene under the operational conditions used in this study.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.41-47
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• 1995

Biodegradation of toluene in liquid effluent stream was carried out using biofilms of Pseudomonas putida formed on celite particles in the bubble column bioreactor. Silicon rubber tubing was installed at the bottom of the bioreactor and liquid toluene was circulated within the tubing. Toluene diffused out of the tube wall and was transferred into the culture broth where degradation by biofilms occurred. The operating variables affecting the formation of biofihns on celite particles were investigated in the bubble column bioreactor, and it was found that formation of bifilm is favored by high dilution rate and supply rate of carbon source which stimulate the growth of initially attached cells. Continuous biodegradation of toluene using biofilms was stablely conducted in the bioreactor for more than one month without any significant fluctuation, showing a removal efficiency higher than 95% at the toluene transfer rate of 1.2 g/L/h.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.281-286
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• 2005

Biofiltration is a biological process which is considered to be one of the more successful examples of biotechnological applications to environmental engineering, and is most commonly used in the removal of odoriferous compounds. In this study, we have attempted to assess the efficiency with which both single and complex odoriferous compounds could be removed, using one- or two-stage biofiltration systems. The complex gas removal scheme was applied with a 200 ppm inlet concentration of ethanol, 70 ppm of acetaldehyde, and 70 ppm of toluene with EBCT for 45 seconds in a one- or two-stage biofiltration system. The removal yield of toluene was determined to be lower than that of the other gases in the one-stage biofilter. Otherwise, the complex gases were sufficiently eliminated by the two-stage biofiltration system.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.265-276
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• 2007

The primary objective of this study is to investigate the effect of media on the performance of biofilters. Two types of experiments were carried out in this study. The first type of experiment used a biofilter with the media composed of three different packing materials of compost, peatmoss and GAC(granular activated carbon), whereas the second type used a biofilter with the media composed of compost only. It was found from the two experiments that the biofilter composed of compost, peatmoss and GAC showed better performance than the one composed of compost only with the higher toluene removal efficiency, lower pressure drop, and more uniform media moisture content. In particular, no appreciable media compression occurred for the biofilter composed of compost, peatmoss and GAC, whereas significant media compression took place in the biofilter composed of compost only. As suggested by the other researchers, it is likely that GAC may be responsible for the higher toluene removal efficiency in the case of the biofilter composed of mixed media especially for the early stage of biofiltration due to its adsorption capability of toluene of such high concentration as 300 ppm. It was also regarded that GAC may playa major role in maintaining lower media pressure drop in the case of the mixed media than the media with compost only because of its mechanical strength resisting to the compression. Nonetheless, further refined experiments may need to draw more accurate conclusion. The results of the additional test run using the same mixed media showed that the biofilter system using the mixed media can be consistently operated for more than 100 days very stably despite sudden change in operating conditions of temperature and flow rate.

• Clean Technology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.271-274
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• 2008

In this work, the feasibility of spent zeolite catalyst for reusing as a support was investigated in catalytic odor removal reaction. As a model reaction for odor removal, toluene was selected as a reactant. 10wt% Cu was impregnated on spent HZSM-5 catalyst and spent FCC catalyst. The catalytic activity of the spent HZSM-S was higher than that of spent FCC catalyst in toluene oxidation. This was due to the fact that the surface area of spent HZSM-S was higher than that of spent FCC catalyst. These results may suggest that spent HZSM-S can be reused as a cheap catalyst for toluene removal.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.421-428
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• 2002

Lab-scale experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of surface tension reduction on the extension of the influence zone and the VOC removal efficiency of ground water sparging. A glass column packed with coarse sand was used for VOC removal test at two different surface tensions. A glass column without porous media was also used fer control purpose prior to sand-packed column test. A quasi-two-dimensional glass box model, packed with a sand, was used fer sparging zone tests at different water surface tensions. Surface tension of the aquoues solution used in this study was controlled using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). For the glass, sand column experiments, total amount of air filled in the media increased as surface tension decreased. Toluene (used as VOC in this study) removal rate increased slightly with decreased surface tension f3r both free water column and sand-packed column. Air sparging zone extended up to 500% as the surface tension decreased. Combining the results from two different experiments, VOC removal efficiency is expected to increase significantly with surface tension reduction.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.945-951
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• 2012

The effect of photocatalyst-carrying media porosity on the photocatalytic removal efficiency of malodor and VOC of waste air was evaluated when the photocatalytic removal efficiency of porous silica-based media was compared with that of glass bead as control. The amount of photocatalyst coated on the surface of porous silica-based media was observed to be $1,716.3{\mu}g/cm^2$, which was 250% as much as that of nonporous glass bead (control) of $670{\mu}g/cm^2$. The removal efficiencies of hydrogen sulfide and toluene in case of porous silica-based media were observed to be 22% and 82%, respectively, while the removal efficiencies of hydrogen sulfide and toluene in case of nonporous glass bead media were observed to be 19% and 53%, respectively. Therefore, the removal efficiencies of hydrogen sulfide and toluene increased by 16% and 55%, respectively, when the removal efficiencies of porous silica-based media were compared with those of nonporous glass bead media. Thus the increment ratio of the removal efficiency of toluene was observed to be 3.4 times higher than that of hydrogen sulfide.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.587-592
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• 2015

Activated carbons (ACs) were treated by fluorination to improve the adsorption property of toluene gas among volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The pore characteristics and surface properties of these activated carbons were evaluated by BET and XPS and the adsorption property and removal efficiency of toluene gas was investigated by gas chromatography. The breakthrough time of fluorinated ACs was increased about 27% compared to that of untreated ACs when the toluene gas of 100 ppm was flowed at a flow rate of $300cm^3/min$. Fluorinated AC of 0.1 g adsorbent totally adsorbed toluene gas in 100 ppm to 100 % during the adsorption time in 19 h. These results can be used as a treatment technology or removal of carcinogenic materials such as toluene.