• Clean Technology
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.247-254
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• 2021

In this study, an eco-friendly combustion process of waste 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT: 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene) was developed, and fundamental data for the quantity of the organic matter in the final combustion residues is presented. Because complete combustion of TNT is not possible theoretically, the combustion process was optimized to reduce organic matter content in the combustion residue by performing measures such as heating time changes, addition of propellant material, and after treatment using a high-temp electrical furnace. From the results, it was confirmed that the organic matter content in the residue could be decreased to 7 ~ 10% with each method. The quantity of the organic matter could be minimized by optimizing the combustion conditions of the process. With only a combustion time increase, the amount of organic matter in the combustion residues was measured at about 9 wt%. The environmental friendliness of the final exhaust gas was also confirmed by real time gas component analyses. In addition, the organic contents could be reduced by a further 2 wt% by applying an additional heat treatment using an external electric furnace after the first incineration treatment. In the combustion process of propellant added waste TNT, it was found that various TNT wastes could be treated using the same eco-friendly protocols because the organic content in the residue decreased in accordance with the amount of propellant. The amount of the organic matter content produced by all these methods fulfilled the requirements under the Waste Management Act.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.87-97
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• 2021

This study was conducted to prepare an incentive system (proposal) for the activation of waste-to-energy. Weights for each type of energy use were prepared by conducting prior research and economic analysis. In addition, the waste-to-energy incentive (proposal) was calculated in consideration of energy efficiency for each type of energy use. As a result of economic analysis of 11 biogasification facilities, the B/C value was found to be very diverse, ranging from 0.16 to 1.69. In terms of benefits, imports of waste treatment import fees were very high at 68.4 to 99.3% of the total, and four facilities with a surplus (+) or higher in the management balance. In order to convert energy consumption into units of sales volume, 0.58 Nm³/KW for power generation, 0.17 Nm³/kg for steam, and 1.00 Nm³/Nm³ for external supply were calculated using the 'scale factor'. The 'weight factor' was calculated as 0.249 for power generation, 0.656 for steam, and 0.806 for external supply, respectively, by use type.

• Journal of Appropriate Technology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.106-113
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• 2019

In order to respond to the global environmental issues, developed countries have been helped the developing countries as the Official Development Assistance (ODA). It is important to understand technology needs of the developing countries to provide the optimum solutions. In this study, the information of the environmental R&D dealing with appropriate technology were comprehensively collected based on the conducted R&D projects from the ministry of environment in Korea. The technology needs by UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) and Korean government were analyzed named as TNA and CPS according to the target developing countries. In South-East Asia and Africa region, there were technology needs on water, biota, air, solid wastes, infrastructures and resources. And they were related to the issues such as environmental pollution, construction, climate change, biodiversity, energy and water management. The technology needs by UNFCCC and Korean government were also compared. Furthermore, the environmental R&D on appropriate technology should be focused on localization and maintenance to provide sustainable solutions to the developing countries.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.394-407
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• 2023

Ecological restoration is an ecological technology that diagnoses problematic ecological spaces and restores the damaged ecosystem to a healthy appearance similar to its original appearance based on reference information obtained by analyzing intact nature. To achieve successful restoration, the project must be carried out in respect of a series of procedures. However, in Korea, restoration projects are usually actively promoted regardless of diagnostic evaluation, which wastes cost and energy, and the effect is not significant. As the reference information is not utilized, ecological restoration to return the damaged nature makes features different greatly from the appearance of nature, causing another damage. As the restoration effect is not evaluated, it is impossible to determine whether it is successful or not, and as a result, even if the project continues, there is no development and no effect. However, advanced societies have not only made academic progress by respecting these procedures but also have great economic effects along with the improvement of environmental conditions as ecological restoration has become an industry. Therefore, the international society recognizes ecological restoration as an important means of solving environmental problems at the global level, including climate change, and international organizations are actively promoting projects to treat the injured planet. However, most of the restoration projects promoted in Korea were evaluated below the level as a result of the evaluation of the effect. Nevertheless, those who have led low-quality projects are blocking plans to establish ecological restoration as a new industry that can contribute significantly to improving these levels, and thus the problem is expected to worsen. To solve this problem, it is necessary to filter out defective businesses by introducing a strict and correct project evaluation system by dividing it into before and after. Furthermore, it is necessary to establish ecological restoration as an industry and leave the process in the principles of the market.

• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.343-356
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• 2016

The Korea Radioactive Waste Agency (KORAD) has developed a dual-purpose metal cask for the dry storage of spent nuclear fuel that has been generated by domestic light-water reactors. The metal cask was designed in compliance with international and domestic technology standards, and safety was the most important consideration in developing the design. It was designed to maintain its integrity for 50 years in terms of major safety factors. The metal cask ensures the minimization of waste generated by maintenance activities during the storage period as well as the safe management of the waste. An activation evaluation of the main body, which includes internal and external components of metal casks whose design lifetime has expired, provides quantitative data on their radioactive inventory. The radioactive inventory of the main body and the components of the metal cask were calculated by applying the MCNP5 ORIGEN-2 evaluation system and by considering each component's chemical composition, neutron flux distribution, and reaction rate, as well as the duration of neutron irradiation during the storage period. The evaluation results revealed that 10 years after the end of the cask's design life, $^{60}Co$ had greater radioactivity than other nuclides among the metal materials. In the case of the neutron shield, nuclides that emit high-energy gamma rays such as $^{28}Al$ and $^{24}Na$ had greater radioactivity immediately after the design lifetime. However, their radioactivity level became negligible after six months due to their short half-life. The surface exposure dose rates of the canister and the main body of the metal cask from which the spent nuclear fuel had been removed with expiration of the design lifetime were determined to be at very low levels, and the radiation exposure doses to which radiation workers were subjected during the decommissioning process appeared to be at insignificant levels. The evaluations of this study strongly suggest that the nuclide inventory of a spent nuclear fuel metal cask can be utilized as basic data when decommissioning of a metal cask is planned, for example, for the development of a decommissioning plan, the determination of a decommissioning method, the estimation of radiation exposure to workers engaged in decommissioning operations, the management/reuse of radioactive wastes, etc.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.59 no.4
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• pp.548-556
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• 2021

This study was conducted to investigate the applicability of lignocellulosic fiber and coconut shell activated carbon (CSA) for the production of a particulate matter (PM)-reducing air-filter as raw materials to solve the environmental problems of non-woven fabrics. CSA had a good potential to use as a raw material of air-filter for reducing volatile organic compounds as well as noxious metals, and reduction capability of the CSA was 5 times higher than that of wood fiber. Natural adhesives formulated with proteinaceous wastes mostly were applied successfully to fabricate air-filters with the shape of fiberboard. The air-filter fabricated with the minimum target density of 200 kg/m³ and the maximum CSA-content of 40 wt% in fiberboard had a good manageable strength. However, the fiberboard filters was required to make vent-holes for improving an air-permeability of the filters. Size of the CSA particles was adjusted to greater than 2 mesh with the consideration of strength and formability of the fiberboard. Three-layers fiberboard that only wood fiber and the mixture of wood fiber and CSA were formed in the surface and middle layers, respectively, was determined to the optimal condition for the production of air-filters. In addition, traditional Korean paper handmade from mulberry trees (TKP) showed a good PM-reducing property as an air-filter. It is concluded that air-filtering set composed of fiberboard with vent-holes and TKP instead of conventional air-filters made with non-woven fabrics can be used as a filter for reducing the concentrations of PM, VOC and noxious metals existed in indoor and outdoor spaces.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.139-153
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• 2023

This study aimed to understand the spatiotemporal variations in nitrogen content in the Gyeongan stream along the main stream and at the discharge points of the sub-basins, and to identify the origin of the nitrogen. Field surveys and laboratory analyses, including chemical compositions and isotope ratios of nitrate and boron, were performed from November 2021 to November 2022. Based on the flow duration curve (FDC) derived for the Gyeongan stream, the dry season (mid-December 2021 to mid-June 2022) and wet season (mid-June to early November 2022) were established. In the dry season, most samples had the highest total nitrogen(T-N) concentrations, specifically in January and February, and the concentrations continued to decrease until May and June. However, after the flood season from July to September, the uppermost subbasin points (Group 1: MS-0, OS-0, GS-0) where T-N concentrations continually decreased were separated from the main stream and lower sub-basin points (Group 2: MS-1~8, OS-1, GS-1) where concentrations increased. Along the main stream, the T-N concentration showed an increasing trend from the upper to the lower reaches. However, it was affected by those of the Osan-cheon and Gonjiamcheon, the tributaries that flow into the main stream, resulting in respective increases or decreases in T-N concentration in the main stream. The nitrate and boron isotope ratios indicated that the nitrogen in all samples originated from manure. Mechanisms for nitrogen inflow from manure-related sources to the stream were suggested, including (1) manure from livestock wastes and rainfall runoff, (2) inflow through the discharge of wastewater treatment plants, and (3) inflow through the groundwater discharge (baseflow) of accumulated nitrogen during agricultural activities. Ultimately, water quality management of the Gyeongan stream basin requires pollution source management at the sub-basin level, including its tributaries, from a regional context. To manage the pollution load effectively, it is necessary to separate the hydrological components of the stream discharge and establish a monitoring system to track the flow and water quality of each component.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.12 no.4 s.27
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• pp.293-300
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• 2006

Domestic laws such as Korea Marine Pollution Prevention Law (KMPPL) which has been mae and amended according to the conclusions and amendments of various international conventions for the prevention a marine pollution such as MARPOL 73/78 were reviewed and compared with the major contents of the relevant international conventions. Alternative measures for legislating new laws or amending existing laws such as KMPPL for the acceptance of major contents of existing international conventions were proposed. Annex VI of MARPOL 73/78 into which the regulations for the prevention of air pollution from ship have been adopted has been recently accepted in KMPPL which should be applied to ships which are the moving sources of air pollution at sea rather tlnn in Korea Air Environment Conservation Law which should be applied to automobiles and industrial installations in land. The major contents of LC 72/95 have been accepted in KMPPL However, a few of substances requiring special care in Annex II of 72LC, a few of items in characteristics and composition for the matter in relation to criteria governing the issue of permits for the dumping of matter at sea in Annex III of 72LC, and a few of items in wastes or other matter that may be considered for dumping in Annex I of 96 Protocol have not been accepted in KMPPL yet. The major contents of OPRC 90 have been accepted in KMPPL. However, oil pollution emergency plans for sea ports and oil handling facilities, and national contingency plan for preparedness and response have not been accepted in KMPPL yet. The waste oil related articles if Basel Convention, which shall regulate and prohibit transboundary movement of hazardous waste, should be accepted in KMPPL in order to prevent the transfer if scrap-purpose tanker ships containing oil/water mixtures and chemicals remained on beard from advanced countries to developing and/or underdeveloped countries. International Convention for the Control if Harmful Anti-Fouling Systems on the Ships should be accepted in KMPPL rather tlnn in Korea Noxious Chemicals Management Law. International Convention for Ship's Ballast Water/Sediment Management should be accepted in KMPPL or by a new law in order to prevent domestic marine ecosystem and costal environment from the invasion of harmful exotic species through the discharge of ship's ballast water.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.42 no.7
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• pp.650-663
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• 2009

The purposes of this study were to investigate one portion size of menus served and to evaluate nutrient intake of lunch at three elderly care facility food services located in Seoul. A weighed plate method was employed to measure plate wastes and consumption of the menus served. Yield factors were calculated from cooking experiments based on standardized recipes, and were used to evaluate nutrient intake. One hundred elderly participated in this study for measuring plate waste and were asked to complete questionnaire. Nutrient analyses for the served and consumed meal were performed using CAN program. The yield factors of rice dishes after cooking are 2.4 regardless of rice dish types, 1.58 for thick soups, 0.60 to 0.70 for meat dishes, and 1.0 to 1.25 branched vegetable. Average consumption quantity of dishes were 235.97 g for rice, 248.53 g for soup, 72.83 g for meat dishes, 39.80 g for vegetables and 28.36 g for Kimchi. On average the food waste rate is 14.0%, indicating the second highest plate waste percentage of Kimchi (26.2%), and meat/fish dish (17.3%). The evaluation results of NAR (Nutrition Adequacy Ratio) showed that iron (0.12), calcium (0.64), riboflavin (0.80), and folic acid (0.97) were less than 1.0 in both male and female elderly groups, indicating significant differences of NAR among three facilities. Compared to the 1/3 Dietary Reference Intake (DRIs) for the elderly groups, nutrient intake analysis demonstrated that calcium (100%) and iron (100%), followed by riboflavin, vitamin A, and Vitamin B6 did not met of the 1/3 EAR (Estimated Average Requirement). For the nutritious meal management, a professional dietitian should be placed at the elderly care center to develop standardized recipes in consideration of yield factors and the elderly's health and nutrition status.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.37-45
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• 2006

Recently, wood-framed houses has been built in the Korea for pension. Wood is good material for human healthy, while the construction lumbers are treated with preservative such as CCA (chromated copper arsenate), which contain some toxic elements for human body. However, if the waste woody biomass treated with various heavy metals, which has been collected from house construction or demolition, was fired in the field, and incinerated or landfilled after mass collection, such components will result in the toxic air pollutants in the burning or land fills, and spreaded into other areas. So the careful selection of wood and chemicals are required in advance for house construction, in particular, for environment-friendly housings. Therefore, this study was carried out to determine the content of toxic heavy metals in woody materials such as domestic hinoki and imported hemlock treated with CCA for housing materials, and the post-treated wood components such as organic fertilizer, sludge, dry-distilled charcoal and carbonized charcoal, to be returned finally into soil. The results are as follows. 1) The chemical analysis of toxic trace elements in various solid biomass required accurate control and management of laboratory environment, and reagents and water used, because of the error of data due to various foreign substances added in various processing and transporting steps. So a systematic analyzers was necessary to monitor the toxic pollutants of construction materials. 2) In particular, the biomass treated with industrial biological or thermal conditions such as sludge or charcoals was not fully dissolvable after third addition of $HNO_3$ and HF. 3) The natural woody materials such as organic fertilizer, sludge. and charcoals without any treatment of preservatives or heavy metal components were nontoxic in landfill because of the standard of organic fertilizers, even after thermal or biological treatments. 4) The CC A-treated wood for making the construction wood durable should not be landfilled, because of its higher contents of toxic metals than the criterion of organic fertilizer for agriculture or of natural environment. So the demolished waste should be treated separately from municipal wastes.