Soon-Kuk Kwun

Estimation of Methane Emission from Rice Cultivation in Korea

Abstract This study focused on estimating a methane (CH4) inventory and developing mitigation options in South Korea, and was performed jointly in an integrated national research program on CH4 from rice fields conducted by three National Agricultural Research Institutes, under the Rural Development Administration during 1993–1997. Methane emissions were measured by a closed chamber method, in rice plots at three locations (Suwon, Iksan, and Milyang) with the single rice cropping system. All experimental data from 5 years of study were summarized and used for calculating nation-wide CH4 emissions. Temperature, soil type, cultural practices, water management, organic matter management, and cultivar selection significantly affected the fluctuations of CH4 emissions. The two most promising mitigation options for reducing emissions were altered water management, in particular mid-season aeration by short-term drainage, and improved organic matter management, by promotion of aerobic degradation through composing or soil incorporation. Annual total CH4 emission in Korea changed from 410 Gg in 1990 to 339 Gg in 2000, due mainly to a decrease in the cultivated area of paddy rice. If we convert annual CH4 emission to Global Warming Potential as CO2 equivalent, it amounts to 7.1 M CO2 t yr−1 of greenhouse gas emitted to the atmosphere in 2000 from the rice fields in Korea, which is just 5.3% of the annual CO2 emission from the industry and energy sector. More importantly, the balance between CO2 uptake by photosynthesis and CO2 emission is positive (a net sink), so that rice culture actually has net benefits for the global atmospheric carbon issue. Further reductions in emission amounts, by following recommendations in this article, could make these benefits even greater.

FEASIBILITY STUDY OF TREATED SEWAGE IRRIGATION ON PADDY RICE CULTURE

A feasibility study was performed to examine the agronomic application of the treated sewage on paddy rice culture through field experiment. The domestic sewage was treated using a constructed wetland system, a subsurface flow type consisting of sand and macrophyte. The effluent of the wetland system was diluted to maintain the total nitrogen concentration below 25 mg/L and was used as irrigation water. Addition of the treated sewage to the irrigation water showed no adverse effect on the paddy rice culture; in fact some enhancement was noticed in both growth and yield. Irrigation with the treated sewage after the concentration was adjusted accompanied by conventional fertilization showed a better result, with the yield exceeding that of the control where clean water was used, thus suggesting that reuse of the treated sewage as supplemental irrigation water could be a feasible and practical alternative. For a full-scale application, however, further study is recommended on the specific guideline for controlling the major water quality components in the treated sewage.

Raman spectroscopy of quantum paraelectric SrTiO3 fine particles

Abstract Size effects of quantum paraelectric SrTiO 3 particles were studied by Raman scattering. The particles were synthesized by a sol-gel method. The particle sizes were controlled by the firing temperatures and determined by the X-ray analysis to range from 12 to 44 nm in diameter. The soft mode frequencies of the smaller particles were higher than those of the larger particles in the low temperature. The soft mode behavior was conforming with dielectric results of the Lyddane-Sachs-Teller relation.

ENHANCED NUTRIENT REMOVALS USING CONVENTIONAL ANOXIC BIOMECHANIC AEROBIC SYSTEM FOR ON-SITE WASTEWATER TREATMENT

ABSTRACT A bench-scale absorbent biofilter system combined with a conventional anoxic process was investigated in regard to its feasibility for removing organic as well as nutrient materials from small community wastewater in Korea. A polyurethane biofilter medium with high porosity and a large surface area were used for the aerobic system. Part of treated wastewater was recirculated into the anoxic process to promote removal rate of nutrients. At three different ratios of recirculation, the BOD and SS of treated wastewater satisfied standard regulations for a small wastewater treatment facility (10 mg/l) during the overall experimental period. The system reduced the concentration of BOD from approximately 130 mg/l to 6.1 (removal rate of 95.2%) and 1.7 mg/l (removal rate of 98.7%). These results correspond to recirculation ratios of 1 and 2, respectively. A further increase of the recirculation ratio did not significantly improve the removal rate or further reduce effluent BOD concentration. Nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus also were removed effectively, with maximum removal rates of 65.3 and 84.1% for nitrogen and phosphorus, respectively. The recirculation ratio for optimum nitrogen removal was 2, while the removal of phosphorus continued to increase across the entire range of recirculation ratios tested. With a recirculation ratio of 2, the total phosphorous removal rate increased dramatically as initial ammonium concentration increased, while nitrogen removal was not affected in this manner. During the experimental period of 2 years, the system was quite stable, requiring the minimum amount of maintenance and a relatively low cost compared to other utility expenses. Based on the experimental data, the proposed anoxic-biofilter aerobic recirculation system might be used as a new alternative technology for wastewater treatment in small communities in Korea.

Pollution control via a dredged pool at the inlet of a reservoir

We investigated the applicability of a dredged pool formed at the inlet of a reservoir for pollution control. To quantify the effect of a dredged pool on the water quality of a reservoir, we monitored the water quality of the Masan Reservoir, located in the city of Asan, Choongnam Province, Korea, before and after dredging. In addition, a completely mixed box model was applied to simulate the water quality of the dredged pool and reservoir. The model included a water balance equation and chemical mass balance equation, into which several interactions among water quality components, such as phytoplankton, total nitrogen (T-N), total phosphorus (T-P), dissolved oxygen, and chemical oxygen demand (COD), were incorporated. The water quality monitoring and modeling results indicated that reservoir water quality was greatly affected by the dredged pool. The loads of T-N and T-P into the reservoir were reduced by the dredged pool, which may have induced the removal of nutrients by settling. However, the dredged pool may have had a negative effect on the reservoir in terms of COD and chlorophyll-a because of the internal production of organic matter and/or algae with water detention. Therefore, a dredged pool may be used for pollution control in a reservoir, as long as it is combined with measures to reduce concentrations of organic matter and/or algae.

Multi-variate Statistical Analysis for Evaluation of Water Quality Properties in Korean Rural Watershed

This study was carried out to classify the streams at rural watersheds by characteristics of water quality. The water quality data of 319 steams at rural watersheds in Korea were selected. Multivariate analysis was used for this purpose. The cases were divided into 5 types, and then factor analysis and cluster analysis were done. The characteristics of water quality of rural watersheds can be showed more than 40% of total water quality by first factor(organic matters and nutrients). The cluster analysis of extracted factors using factor analysis was carried out. The results showed that the Case 1 and Case 2 were classified 4 communities, Case 3 was classified 5 communities and Case 4 and 5 were classified 3 communities. Among 5 types cases, to classified the steams of rural watersheds, Case 4 - 7 water quality items - was selected as a desirable case. Many kinds of statistical analysis can be used to classify the streams of rural watersheds. Our results showed a good example to evaluate the water quality properties in Korean rural watershed.

Rainfall observations in Korea by the world's first rain gauge

About the Author. Soon-Kuk Kwun has served as the Professor of the School of Landscape Architecture and Rural Systems Engineering, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea since 1980. He earned his M.S and Ph.D in agricultural Engineering from Colorado State University and Iowa State University, USA. Prof. Kwun has 40 years of experience as an educator and researcher for irrigation, drainage, water quality and environmental management. Prof. Kwun received Grand Prize for Rural Development in 1999 and in 2001, was elected President of Korea Society of Agricultural Engineers (KSAE). He is currently Vice President (Hon.) of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), and the President of International Society of Paddy and Water Environment Engineering (PAWEES).

Water Use Efficiency of Subsurface Drip Irrigation and Furrow Irrigation

The primary objective of this study was to compare water use efficiencies between subsurface drip irrigation and furrow irrigation. The uniformity of used drip lines was tested to determine if clogging would be a threat to the long-term success of a subsurface drip irrigation system. Three crops, cantaloupe, lettuce, and bell pepper, were grown in four plots for each irrigation system. Significantly less water was applied with subsurface drip irrigation than with furrow irrigation (29.5 % less for cantaloupe and 43.2 % less for bell poppet) in order to produce similar crop yields. Water use efficiencies with subsurface drip irrigation were significantly higher than those with furrow irrigation fur cantaloupe (P-value

Irrigation with Microbial-Contaminated Water and Risk of Crop Contamination

The aim of this study was to compare crop contamination between two irrigation methods using microbial-contaminated water. The effect of relative humidity on microbial survival of the three indicator microorganisms was also investigated. Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Clostridium perfringens ATCC 3624, and coliphage PRD1 were applied to irrigation water to grow cantaloupe, lettuce, and bell pepper. Half of the sixteen plots were subsurface drip irrigated (SDI) and the other half were furrow irrigated (FI). Two relative humidity levels were controlled at 15-65 % and 55-80 % for the dry and humid condition experiments, respectively. Samples of produce, surface soil, and subsurface soil at a depth of 10 cm were collected over a two-week period following the application of the study microorganisms. Overall, greater contamination of both produce and soil occurred in the FI plots. For the SDI plots, preferential water paths and resulting water appearance on the seed beds seemed to be responsible for produce contamination. Relative humidity levels did not appear to affect microbial survival in soil. PRD 1 showed lower inactivation rates than 5. coli in both dry and humid conditions. C. perfringens did not experience significant inactivation over the experimental period, suggesting this microorganism can be an effective indicator of fecal contamination.