Bentonite has been considered as a buffer material in a deep geological repository for high-level radioactive waste (HLW). Bentonite may come into contacted with various chemical solutions during the long-term storage. In particular, solutions containing K+ can affect stability of bentonite (e.g., illitization). The bentonite can be gradually saturated with the inflow of groundwater, and the temperature can rise simultaneously due to the decay of HLW. This study aimed to evaluate the bentonite stability in contacted with very highly concentrated K+ solutions with different pHs at 150°C. Batch reaction tests using KJ-II bentonite were performed for 30–150 days in teflon-stainless steel reactors. De-ionized (DI) water (pH = 6.0) and 1 M KCl (pH = 6.0), and 1 M KOH (pH = 12.5) solutions were used as reaction solutions. After completing batch reaction tests, the reacted samples were analyzed using various analytical techniques. For DI water, chemical, mineralogical, and physicochemical properties of reacted samples were similar to those of unreacted samples. For 1 M KCl solutions, cation exchage for Ca by K and slight changes in mineralogical properties of reacted samples were observed, but there are no significant changes in the physicochemical properties. In contrast, for 1 M KOH solutions, changes in chemical, mineralogical, and physicochemical properties of reacted samples were observed. Results of X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis indicated dissolution of montmorillonite and formation of zeolite minerals, which were confirmed by thermogravimetricdifferential thermal analysis (TGA-DTA) and fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. These results suggest that highly concentrated K+ (1 M) solution combined with high pH (12.5) and high temperate (150°C) may affect bentonite alteration. These prelimiary experiments were intended to qualitatively evaluate the mechanism and influncing factors of the buffer material alteration under extreme experimental conditions, and it is revealed that the conditions do not reflect the actual repository environment.

Seed dormancy is an important adaptive mechanism to protect seeds under the unfavorable environments. Unlike to wild type species, the seed dormancy trait of cultivated crops has been weakened by breeding programs during the domestication period. Weak seed dormancy often causes preharvest sprouting (PHS) problem in many cereal crops that result in significant economic loss. The seed dormancy is a quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlled by multiple genetic and environmental factors. So far, many QTLs for seed dormancy have been identified from rice and wheat as well as in the model plant Arabidopsis. Unveiling of QTL genes and complex mechanisms underlying seed dormancy is accelerated by the rapid progress of crop genomics. In the present study, we reviewed current status of research progress on the seed dormancy QTLs and correlated genes in Arabidopsis and cereal crops.

본 연구에서는 자연에서 산출빈도가 높은 3가 비소(아비산염)와 two-line ferrihydrite와의 표면흡착반응의 기작을 살펴보기 위하여 3가 비소를 흡착시킨 two-line ferrihydrite에 대한 X선 흡수분광 분석을 수행하였다 연구에 사용된 two-line ferrihydrite는 실험실에서 합성하여 사용하였으며, 산성과 염기성 환경에서의 표면반응 기작을 비교하기 위하여 pH 4와 10에서 연구를 수행하였다. 또한 각 pH 조건별 3가 비소의 흡착농도에 따른 표면반응의 차이를 비교 평가하였다. X선 흡수분광 분석결과에서 얻은 EXAFS 영역에서의 비소 3가에 대한 구조 변수들을 살펴보면 As-O 배위수는 3.1~3.3개 거리는 1.74~1.79 a으로 two-line ferrihydrite 표면에 흡착된 As(III) complex의 구조 단위체가 AsO3임이 확인되었다. As(III)-Fe쌍은 주로 안정된 형태의 bidentate binuclear comer-sharing (2C)의 결합구조를 갖는 것으로 나타났으며, bidentate mononuclear edge-sharing (2E)와 2C가 혼합된 결합구조도 공존하는 것으로 조사되었다. pH 4에서는 흡착농도에 따라 다른 표면구조를 가지는 반면, pH 10에서는 흡착 농도에 상관없이 동일한 표면구조를 보이는 것으로 나타났다. 이러한 결과는 3가 비소와 two-line ferrihydrite의 표면반응은 pH와 농도에 의해서 영향을 받는다는 거시적인(macroscopic) 흡착실험 연구결과가 미시적인(microscopic) X선 흡수분광 결과에 의해서 해석될 수 있음을 의미한다.