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[Press Release] GIST R&D to mitigate environmental damage caused by chemical spills

  • 엘리스 리
  • REG_DATE : 2016.07.18
  • HIT : 964

GIST R&D to mitigate environmental damage caused by chemical spills

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GIST Professor Sang-Don Kim of the School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering is the principal investigator of the Chemical Incident Surveillance Technology Development Project, which is intended to develop integrated ecological assessment techniques for chemical spills and industrial accidents so that hazardous chemicals can be managed, monitored, and mitigated from further causing environmental damage to the affected soil and water.

The project has received funding of 13.5 billion won for six years from the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute for its 2022 Chemical Accident Response Environmental Technology Development Project, and the research team is also comprised of Dr. Donghyeok Yeom from the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology and Safety Assessment and Professor Seunghun Hyeon from Korea University.

The research team hosted their first meeting of the GIST-Korea University Safety Evaluation Research Institute on July 18, 2016, at Oryong Hall. Participants included 41 researchers from 10 institutions.

According to a 2015 white paper from the Ministry of Environment, the amount of hazardous chemicals in Korea doubled from 24.44 million tons in 2002 to 47.35 million tons in 2013, and the amount of hazardous chemicals being used in Korea is steadily increasing. With concerns over the growing potential of chemical related accidents, the need for a systematic emergency response procedure to any disaster is also evident.

GIST Professor Sang-Don Kim said, "The goal of our research is to provide emergency personnel with a structured, scientifically-based guideline in responding to any serious chemical accident or disaster so that the extent of the environmental damage can be contained and mitigated. The Ministry of Environment will utilize our research in their management of hazardous chemicals to best protect the environment and the people of Korea."