• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.122-126
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• 2001

Eleven bacterial strains which were able to utilize terephthalic acid as a carbon and an energy source for growth were isolated from the soil of 7 water quality evaluation points in Kyonggi area of Korea. According to the report from the authorities, biochemical oxygen demands of the water at 4 points were reported over 20 ppm but those of 3 points were repOlted less than 2 ppm in 1997. Optimum temperatures of growth and terephthalic acid degrading activity of some isolates were not identical but optimum growth temperature was 30$^{\circ}$C. Most of the isolates utilized one or two of the phthalate isomers as a carbon source for growth and the isolates from the 4 contaminated points showed higher terephthalic acid degrading activity than those from the 3 clean points.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.693-703
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• 2012

Leakage in water supply system can cause water resources loss in addition to the water quality degradation. In this research, leakage reduction after establishment of a block system in the area with leakage rate of 69.0 % was investigated using EPANET simulation. The average water pressure for the research area was $5.17kgf/cm^2$ which was relatively high, and several sites were deviated from recommended water pressure ranges(i.e., 1.5 ~ $7.1kgf/cm^2$). However, the average water pressure in the area was reduced to 3.81 and $3.49kgf/cm^2$ after the introduction of block system with a water pressure relief valve(PRV) setting of 3.0 and $2.5kgf/cm^2$, respectively. Under the installation of a PRV with regulating pressure of $2.5kgf/cm^2$, the predicted leakage was reduced from $4,420.3m^3/d$ to $3,028.1m^3/d$, which was equivalent to the leakage reduction from 31.0 % to 23.5 %.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2023

Concrete is one of the most widely used structure materials. Concrete is like the motor of the construction industry. The remarkable feature of this Concrete is its cheapness and low energy consumption. Concrete alone does not show resistance against any force but only against compressive forces. Therefore, steel rebar product is used as a reinforcement and increase the strength of Concrete. It can be done by putting rebar in Concrete in different ways. Rebar rusting is one of the crucial symptoms that cause swift destruction in reinforced structures-factors such as moisture in concrete increase the steel corrosion rate. In most cases, it is difficult to compensate for the damage caused by the corrosion of base metals, so preventing corrosion will be much more cost-effective. Coatings made with nanotechnology can protect Concrete against external degradation factors to prevent water and humidity from penetrating the Concrete and prevent rusting and corrosion of the rebar inside. It prevents water penetration and contamination into the Concrete and increases the Concrete's quality and structural efficiency. In this research, silica and titanium dioxide nanoparticle coatings have been used due to their suitable electrical and thermal properties, resistance to oxidation, corrosion, and wear to prevent the corrosion of rebars in Concrete. The results of this method show that these nanoparticles significantly improve the corrosion resistance of rebars.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.14-24
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• 2021

Aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) system uses groundwater thermal energy for cooling and heating of buildings, and it is also often utilized to provide warm water to crops and plants for the purpose of enhancing agricultural yields. This study investigated the potential influences of a ATES system on the geochemical properties of groundwater by simulating the variation of hydrochemistry and saturation index of groundwater during ATES operation. The test bed was installed at an agricultural field, which is mainly composed of an groundwater-rich alluvial plain. The simulation results showed no significant precipitation of mineral phases such as manganese-iron oxide, carbonate and sulfate around the ATES test bed, as well as no debasement of other important water quality parameters. The implementation of ATES system in the study area was appropriate and effective for utilizing the thermal energy of groundwater for agricultural use.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.75-84
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• 2016

Purpose: In-situ water quality monitoring based on ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) is a promising technique because ISEs can be used directly in the medium to be tested, have a compact size, and are inexpensive. However, signal drift can be a major concern with on-line management systems because continuous immersion of the ISEs in water causes electrode degradation, affecting the stability, repeatability, and selectivity over time. In this study, a computer-based nitrate monitoring system including automatic electrode rinsing and calibration was developed to measure the nitrate concentration in water samples in real-time. Methods: The capabilities of two different types of poly(vinyl chloride) membrane-based ISEs, an electrode with a liquid filling and a carbon paste-based solid state electrode, were used in the monitoring system and evaluated on their sensitivities, selectivities, and durabilities. A feasibility test for the continuous detection of nitrate ions in water using the developed system was conducted using water samples obtained from various water sources. Results: Both prepared ISEs were capable of detecting low concentrations of nitrate in solution, i.e., 0.7 mg/L $NO_3-N$. Furthermore, the electrodes have the same order of selectivity for nitrate: $NO_3{^-}{\gg}HCO_3{^-}$ > $Cl^-$ > $H_2PO_4{^-}$ > $SO{_4}^{2-}$, and maintain their sensitivity by > 40 mV/decade over a period of 90 days. Conclusions: The use of an automated ISE-based nitrate measurement system that includes automatic electrode rinsing and two-point normalization proved to be feasible in measuring $NO_3-N$ in water samples obtained from different water sources. A one-to-one relationship between the levels of $NO_3-N$ measured with the ISEs and standard analytical instruments was obtained.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Agricultural Machinery Conference
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• 1999.06a
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• pp.137-159
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• 1999

Over the last three decades, Korean farming system has been directed to maximum agricultural production and to increase farmer's income through adoption of high-yielding crop varieties and high input of agrochemicals . These farming practices have resulted in problems of water-quality deterioration, soil degradation , and food safety. At present, over 40 million tones of animal waste are bing produced annually, which amounts to disposing the waste at the annual rate of 20 tones per ha in the total area of farming land in Korea. Nearly a half of total available water resources is used as irrigation water predominantly for rice paddy field. Thus, non-point source contamination of the water resources has been linked to agriculture across the nation. However, the extent to which agriculture contributes to the water quality is not fully known. Recently, Korean government provided various institutional measures to reduce the negative impacts of agricultural practices on the environ ental quality, and the Agricultural Environment Act was also passed by the legislature in 1998 and became effective January 1999. This Act does not cover the broad spectrum of the sustainable agriculture ; thus, the limited incentives within this Act are arguably ineffective to control the non-point source pollution. Recently new bulk blending of fertilizers(BB fertilizer) are bing produced (100, 000 tones in 1998) with Government subsidies. The BB fertilizers are to balance N-P-K ratio in the soils . Although the use of the BB fertilizers are encouraged with Government subsidies, non-point source pollution is still serious and will become worse. Precision farming is regarded as a new means for sustainable agriculture. It is a new technology that modifies the existing techniques and incorporates new one such as GIS, GPS , differential applicator to produce a new set of tools for the farmer to use. Precision farming, however, has constraints for individual farming practices. For exam le , farm size or parcel unit of each farmer is too small to adopt the precision agriculture on farmhouse-hold bases and farmer's ability to adopt the new technology is limited. However, it would be appropriate to establish local or regional cooperatives to operate such a precision farming system. It is recommended that Government provide sufficient incentives to help establish local and/or regional cooperatives.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.741-749
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• 2008

Many small-scale ponds that serve as ecological habitat, recreation and irrigation are faced to eutrophication problem, which causes aesthetic nuisance and ultimately loss of their functions. Thus accurate evaluation of the trophic state of these ponds is essential to provide rational information to the stakeholders so that they can develop effective management actions. In this study, the trophic state of a small pond (Wonheung) that experiencing water quality degradation due to vicinity land development was assessed using various Trophic State Indexes (TSIs) and statistical analysis including Principal Components Analysis (PCA) based on the field monitoring data obtained from May to December, 2007. The results showed that the pond is under eutrophic state with average total nitrogen (T-N) and total phosphorus (T-P) concentrations of $708.1{\mu}g/L$ and $59.3{\mu}g/L$, respectively. The factor loading plot obtained from PCA showed distinct two influencing factors, PC 1 and PC 2. PC 1 was grouped by T-P, Chlorophyll a (Chl-a), suspended solids (SS), TN/TP ratio, and transparency that all strongly related to the eutrophication state, while PC 2 by temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen (DO) and turbidity that explains the seasonal water quality variations. The limiting factor was identified as light rather than phosphorus by both T-N/T-P ratio and TSI indexes analysis. The results and methodology adopted in this study can be used for water quality assessment for other small ponds and lakes.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.258-271
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• 2010

In order to figure out hydrodynamic and water quality changes after completion of dike construction of the Saemangeum, which behaves as a semi-enclosed estuarine lake, numerical simulations based on fine grid structure by using EFDC were intensively carried out. In this study some limitations of precedent study has been improved and gate operation were considered. Also 3 phases such as air-water-sediment interaction modeling was considered. It is clear that inner mixing of the Saemangeum is dominated by Mankyeong and Dongjin riverine discharges rather than the gate opening influence through the Lagrangian particle tracking simulations. Vertical DO structure after the dike completion shows steep gradient especially at Dongjin river estuary due to lessen of outer sea water exchange. Increasing SOD at stagnantly changed man-made reservoir might cause oxygen deficiency and accelerating degradation of water quality. According to TSI evaluation test representing eutrophication status, it shows high possibility of eutrophication along Mankyeong waterway in spite of dike completion, while the index is getting high after final closing along Dongjin waterway. Numerical tests with gate operations show significant differences in water quality. Thus it should be noted that proper gate operation plays a major role in preserving target water quality and management for inner development plan.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.58-67
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• 2016

This study was performed to investigate the long-term changes in water quality and benthic ecology around the Nakdong River Estuary. The effect of the estuarine barrage on the ecosystem was also evaluated. The water quality was interpreted using the field survey (2013 and 2014) and monitoring data (MOE, 1989~2013) and the macrobenthic-fauna was investigated through analysis of the field survey data (2014) and literatures review (1985~2013). The long-term variation of water quality of Nakdong River generally showed increased nutrient concentration with decreased discharge, while abrupt influence of the barrage construction was not observed. However, the nutrient and organic matter concentration inside the barrage distinctly was higher than the concentration outside the barrage because the mixing of fresh and seawater was limited by the barrage. Especially, in the period of low discharge during winter, the Chlorophyll-a concentration clearly increased more in the downstream inside the barrage, showing the barrage effect. In other words, stagnant effect caused by barrage construction had an effect on the water quality degradation in dry seasons. As for the benthic ecology inside barrage after barrage construction, molluscans and brackish-water crustaceans disappeared. Outside the barrage, benthic ecosystem has deteriorated and the small-sized organic indicative species like Prionospio membranacea, Pseudopolydora kempi, Sinocorophium sinensis became dominant due to several construction such as Myeong-Gi Bridge, Airport construction, industrial complex after the Nakdong barrage construction.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2014

Artificial insemination technique has been contributed immensely for production of livestock worldwide as a critical assisted reproductive technique to preserve and propagate excellent genes in domestic animal industry. In the past decade, methods for semen preservation have been improved mostly in liquid preservation method for boar semen and freezing method for bull semen. Among many factors affecting semen quality during preservation, reactive oxygen species, produced by aerobic respiration in sperm for survival and motility, are unfavorable to sperm physiology. In mammalian cell as well as in the sperm, antioxidant system plays a role in degradation of reactive oxygen species. Magnetized water forms smaller stabilizing water clusters, resulting in high absorption and permeability of the cell for water, implicating its application for semen preservation. Therefore, this review focuses on preservation methods of boar and bull semen with respect to improvement of extender and reduction of reactive oxygen species by using magnetized water and supplementation of antioxidants.