The thiophene or furan-containing hexadentate ligands 1,12-bis (2-theophene)-2,5,8,11-tetraazadodecane(Thiotrien ․4HCl) and 1,12-bis (2-furan)-2,5,8,11-tetraazadodecane(Furatrien․4HCl) were synthesized as their tetrahydrochloride salt and characterized by EA, IR, NMR, and Mass spectrum. Their protonation constants (logKnH) and stability constants (logKML) for Cd2+, Pb2+, Zn2+ and Cu2+ ions were determined in aqueous solution by potentiometry and compared with 1,12-bis(2-pyridyl)-2,5,8,11-tetra-azadodecane(Pytrien) of pyridyl-containing ligand. The effect stability constants of ligands and metal ion for removal of heavy metals in aqueous solution were described.

Three kinds of toxic heavy metals, such as lead, copper, and cadmium, existing abundantly in contaminated soils were selected to investigate pH change, electroosmotic flow, and the removal rate in the application of electrokinetic process. In the change of pHs, they reached to about 12 and 2 at each cathodic and anodic region, respectively, and maintained for reaction being proceeded. Electroosmotic flow rates were not influenced by the kind of metal species but by electropotential gradient. On the soils contaminated by each metal, the removal rate of Cd was the fastest among three as in the order of Cd>Pb>Cu. While on the soils contaminated by mixed metal species, Cu was the fastest. Metal species transported by electrokinetic processes were distributed in between 0.9 and 1.0 of normalized region. In the case of soils contaminated by one kind of metal. the relative concentrations of Pb and Cd estimated in between normalized region 0.9 and 1.0 were 5.2 and 5.7, respectively.

This experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of heavy metals (cadmium, chromium, copper and lead) on the seed germination of Arabidopsis thaliana, and examinated the removal effects of biostone and green tea on the heavy metal toxicity. Cadmium and chromium among the four heavy metals had no effect on the seed germination even in the concentration fifty times higher than in the official standard concentration of pollutant exhaust notified by the Ministry of Environment. However, seeds were not germinated in the concentration of copper ten times higher and in the concentration of lead fifty times higher than the official standard concentration. When seeds were sown in the solutions of lead (15, 20, 25 and 30 mg/L) and copper (15 and 20 mg/L), the seed germination rates were 0% and less than 10%, respectively. However, when biostone (3 g/30 ml) was added, the seed germination rate was 100% in all the concentrations. The germination rate was 100% in distilled water and copper solution (5 mg/L). However, green tea (0.2 g/30 ml) was added, the seed germination rate was 0% in both. The results show that cadmiun and chromium had no effect on the seed germination, but lead and copper decreased the rate of seed germination of Arabidopsis thaliana. Biostone removed heavy metal toxicity, but green tea did not removed heavy metal toxicity during germination.

This work aims the search of environmentally friendly pre-treatment technologies to develop chromate replacements for metal finishing industries due to its toxicological properties. Since the corrosion resistance of steel was strongly related to water permeation, galvanized steel sheets were treated with various hydrophobic silane compounds and water-suspended polymer solution. Also, plasma gas discharge was applied to modify the surface of a polymer coated-steel sheet to be hydrophobic. The surface hydrophobicity of materials was introduced by CF3H plasma exposure. The corrosion property before and after the plasma treatment was investigated in a slat spray tester with 3.5 wt.% NaCl at 35 ℃. The results showed that both silane/polymer double coatings and plasma treatment of the galvanized steel exhibited significant retardation of corrosion.