• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
• /
• v.19 no.12
• /
• pp.1970-1980
• /
• 2016

The problem of food deficiency is a major discouragement to many low-income developing countries. Most of these countries experience constant danger of hunger, malnutrition and diseases as they are unable to maintain their food supplies mainly due to lack of arable lands and modern crop, livestock and fishery production technologies. In addition, the pollutants resulting from the secondary industries are becoming another serious issue in their food problems. The pollutants mixed in the sands blowing from the mainland China and the toxic waters flowing in the farm land form the industrialized zones are some of the examples. The Vertical Farm, or Plant Factory, proposed in this study could be the best alternative food production system for them. Vertical farm is an efficient food production system that yields relatively a large volume of food materials without environmental risks. The system does not require a large open space and manpower and can minimize the possibility of infiltration of pollutants. This research describes a basic model of the system focusing on determining the optimal sites for it based on the meteorological data concentrating on the atmospheric pollutants. The types and volume of pollutants are analyzed and identified through the big data obtained, followed by visualization of analysis results and their comparisons for better understanding.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.29 no.10
• /
• pp.1629-1635
• /
• 2019

Azo dyes are recalcitrant pollutants, which are toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic, that constitute a significant burden to the environment. The decolorization and the mineralization efficiency of Remazol Brillant Orange 3R (RBO 3R) was studied using a probiotic consortium (Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus plantarum). Biodegradation of RBO 3R (750 ppm) was investigated under shaking condition in Mineral Salt Medium (MSM) solution at pH 11.5 and temperature $25^{\circ}C$. The bio-decolorization process was further confirmed by FTIR and UV-Vis analysis. Under optimal conditions, the bacterial consortium was able to decolorize the dye completely (>99%) within 12 h. The color removal was 99.37% at 750 ppm. Muliplex PCR technique was used to detect the Lactobacillus genes. Using phytotoxicity, cytotoxicity, mutagenicity and biototoxicity endpoints, toxicological studies of RBO 3R before and after biodegradation were examined. A toxicity assay signaled that biodegradation led to detoxification of RBO 3R dye.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
• /
• v.33 no.5
• /
• pp.502-522
• /
• 2022

Clay minerals are natural materials that show widespread applications in various branches of science, including environmental sciences, in particular the remediation of water contaminated with various water pollutants. Modified clays and minerals have attracted the attention of researchers in the recent past since the modified materials are seemingly more useful and efficient for removing emerging water contaminants. Therefore, modified engineered materials having multi-functionalities have received greater interest from researchers. The advanced clay-based materials are highly effective in the remediation of water contaminated with organic and inorganic contaminants, and these materials show enhanced selectivity towards the specific pollutants. The review inherently discusses various methods employed in the modification of clays and addresses the challenges in synthesizing the advanced engineered materials precursor to natural clay minerals. The changes in physical and chemical properties, as investigated by various characterization techniques before and after the modifications, are broadly explained. Further, the implications of these materials for the decontamination of waterbodies as contaminated with potential water pollutants are extensively discussed. Additionally, the insights involved in the removal of organic and inorganic pollutants are discussed in the review. Furthermore, the future perspectives and specific challenges in the scaling up of the treatment methods in technology development are included in this communication.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.4 no.1_2
• /
• pp.55-65
• /
• 1989

Nevertheless the serious environmental pollution in Korea has been discussed in concern with health effect, the significant effect are not determined easily. Toxicological method has been used to establish safe levels of exposure for environmental pollutants to have threshold health effect below which significant effects are unlikely to occur. However the conventional method cannot to establish safe levels of exposure for non-threshold pollutants have been used to express comprehensive pollution degree, not in detailed toxic effects. Acceptable exposure or risk levels are decides by policymakers who consider descriptions and estimates of risks together with social and economic benefits. This paper focuses on the concept development of risk assessment and describes some risks of environmental pollution based on the surveyed date in Korea. The current concepts of risk assessment in policy descisions can be explored and areas for possible improvement, given current scientific knowledge are identified. The experience of foreign countries can provide a realistic basis for evaluating the existing data of environmental pollutants. To improve the environmental quality, risk regulation should be managed as soon as possible in Korea.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
• /
• 2004.11a
• /
• pp.72-73
• /
• 2004

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.103-112
• /
• 2002

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
• /
• 2008.10a
• /
• pp.1098-1108
• /
• 2008

Batch type and column type experiments were performed in order to predict adsorption and movement within soil. Clay minerals montmorillonite and kaolinite were respectively added to paraquat which is a cationic compound with long residual time, 2,4-D which is an anionic compound with relatively short residual time and napropamide which is an amphoteric compound. Therefore, it is very important to determine the movements of toxic pollutants in the ground soil to establish measures to prevent soil grounds contamination and to restore contaminated soils effectively, because contamination of soil is getting severe due to these toxic wastes, industrial waste water, and agricultural chemicals, etc. Therefore, in this study, we have carried out column and batch experiments by using general toxic organic compounds as test samples in order to restore contaminated soils effectively as well as to prepare a basic data to develop absorbents that will remove various toxic organic compounds, with a grandiose purpose to prevent contaminations of soil and grounds due to various toxic organic compounds.

• ALGAE
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.63-70
• /
• 2012

Algae are sensitive to a wide range of pollutants, and are effective bioindicators in ecotoxicity assessments. Here, we evaluated the sub-lethal sensitivity of the marine dinoflagellate Cochlodinium polykrikoides upon exposure to copper (Cu), lead (Pb), bisphenol A (BPA), and Aroclor 1016 (polychlorinated biphenyl, PCB). Toxic effects were assessed by observations of the reduction in cell counts and chlorophyll a levels after exposure to each toxicant. C. polykrikoides displayed dose-dependent, sigmoidal responses when exposed to the tested chemicals. $EC_{50}$-72 h values for Cu, Pb, BPA, and PCB were 12.74, 46.70, 68.15, and $1.07mg\;L^{-1}$, respectively. PCB, which is an endocrine-disrupting chemical, was the most sensitive, proving its toxic effect on the dinoflagellate. This study provides baseline data on the toxic effects of commonly used heavy metals and endocrine-disrupting chemicals to a marine dinoflagellate.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.41-55
• /
• 2010

The aims of this study were to develop the suitable "system software" in chemical ranking and scoring (CRS) for the food hazardous chemicals associated with environmental emission and to suggest the priority lists of food contamination by environmental-origined pollutants. Study materials were selected with reference to the priority pollutants list for environment and food management from domestic and foreign research and the number of study materials is 103 pollutants (18 heavy metals, 10 PBTs, 10 EDs, and 65 organic compounds). The Food-CRS-Korea system consisted of the environmental fate model via multimedia, transfer environment to food model, and health risk assessment by contaminated food intake. We have established that health risks of excess cancer risks, hazard quotients (HQs) by chronic toxicity and HQs by reproductive toxicity convert to score, respectively. The creditable scoring system was designed to consider uncertainty of quantitative risk assessment based on VOI (Value-Of-Information). The predictability of the Food-CRS-Korea model was evaluated by comparing the presumable values and the measured ones of the environmental media and foodstuffs. The priority lists based on emissions with background-level-correction are 15 pollutants such as arsenic, cadmium, and etc. The priority lists based on environmental monitoring date are 17 pollutants including DEHP, TCDD, and so on. Consequently, we suggested the priority lists of 13 pollutants by considering the several emission and exposure scenarios. According to the Food-CRS-Korea system, arsenics, cadmium, chromes, DEHP, leads, and nickels have high health risk rates and reliable grades.

• Carbon letters
• /
• v.10 no.4
• /
• pp.305-313
• /
• 2009

In this study, the adsorption of toxic pollutants onto cetyltrimethylammonium kaolin (CTAB-Kaolin) is investigated. The organo-kaolin is synthesized by exchanging cetyltrimethylammonium cations (CTAB) with inorganic ions on the surface of kaolin. The chemical analysis, the structural and textural properties of kaolin and CTAB-kaolin were investigated using elemental analysis, FTIR, SEM and adsorption of nitrogen at $-196^{\circ}C$. The kinetic adsorption and adsorption capacity of the organo-kaolin towards o-xylene, phenol and Cu(II) ion from aqueous solution was investigated. The kinetic adsorption data of o-xylene, phenol and Cu(II) are in agreement with a second order model. The equilibrium adsorption data were found to fit Langmuir equation. The uptake of o-xylene and phenol from their aqueous solution by kaolin, CTAB-kaolin and activated carbon proceed via physisorption. The removal of Cu(II) ion from water depends on the surface properties of the adsorbent. Onto kaolin, the Cu(II) ions are adsorbed through cation exchange with $Na^+$. For CTAB-kaolin, Cu(II) ions are mainly adsorbed via electrostatic attraction with the counter ions in the electric double layer ($Br^-$), via ion pairing, Cu(II) ions removal by the activated carbon is probably related to the carbon-oxygen groups particularly those of acid type. The adsorption capacities of CTAB-kaolin for the investigated adsorbates are considerably higher compared with those of unmodified kaolin. However, the adsorption capacities of the activated carbons are by far higher than those determined for CTAB-kaolin.