• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.31 no.11
• /
• pp.947-956
• /
• 2009

Residual petroleum hydrocarbons after an oil spill may accumulate in the marine benthic ecosystem due to their high hydrophobicity. A lot of monitoring data are required for the estimation of ecosystem exposure to residual petrochemicals in an ecological risk assessment in the affected region. To save time and cost, the environmental exposure to them in the affected ecosystem can also be assessed using a simple food-web bioaccumulation model. In this study, we evaluated residual concentrations of four selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (phenanthrene, anthracene, pyrene, and benzo[a]pyrene) in a hypothetic benthic ecosystem composed of six species under two exposure scenarios. Body-residue concentration ranged 5~250 mg/kg body depending on trophic positions in an extreme scenario in which the aqueous concentrations of PAHs were assumed to be one-tenth of their aqueous solubility. In addition, bioconcentration factors (BCFs) and bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) were evaluated for model species. The logarithm of bioconcentration factor (log BCF) linearly increased with increasing the logarithm of 1-octanol-water partition coefficient (log $K_{OW}$) until log $K_{OW}$ of 7.0, followed by a gradual decrease with further increase in log $K_{OW}$ without metabolic degradation. Biomagnification became significant when log $K_{OW}$ of a pollutant exceeded 5.0 in the model ecosystem, indicating that investigation of food-web structure should be critical to predict biomagnifications in the affected ecosystem because log $K_{OW}$ values of many petrochemicals are higher than 5.0. Although further research is required for better site-specific evaluation of exposure, the model simulation can be used to estimate the level of the ecosystem exposure to residual oil contaminants at the screening level.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
• /
• v.24 no.7
• /
• pp.907-915
• /
• 2018

With the increase of metal usage in various industries, metal pollution and ecological toxicity in the environmental system have become a significant concern. A geo-statistical index has been widely used to determine contamination level with normalization through a background value. In this study, geo-statistical indexes such as an enrichment factor, accumulation index, and potential ecological risk index were used to assess metal pollution in soil at locations associated with shipbuilding manufacturing industries. Metal contamination, especially of Cu and Pb, was observed in some samples located closer to manufacturing sites. Enrichment factor and accumulation (IGEO) values were indicative of concerning levels of soil contamination in specific samples, and the soil contamination could be induced by anthropogenic sources. In further study, after more detailed sampling for soil and potential pollution sources, high interpretation techniques such as Pb isotope analysis and X-ray analysis will be needed to investigate source identification.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
• /
• 1998.05b
• /
• pp.677-682
• /
• 1998

영광원전주변 해양에서 조사된 환경방사능 조사결과를 토대로 Cs-137과 Sr-90 방사성물질의 해수와 부유물에서 분포특성과 해양생물로의 전이.농축특성을 분석하였다. 방사성물질의 분포특성 분석은 해양에서 방사성물질의 용해성과 부유물에의 흡착성 평가뿐 아니라 방사성물질의 해양확산을 평가하는데 필수적 요소이다. 지금까지는 방사성물질의 해양확산 평가시 완전 용해성으로 가정하여 단순한 해수유동 특성만을 고려하여 평가하였으나, 흡착성 등 물리화학적 거동특성을 평가함으로써 좀더 사실적인 해양확산을 평가할 수 있다. 평가결과 Cs-137과 Sr-90의 분포특성을 나타내는 분배계수가 각각 8.1$\pm$1.4E-4, 7.4$\pm$2.3E-5 로 나타났다. 이는 두 핵종 모두 용해성이 높고 흡착성이 낮음을 보여준다. 그리고 Cs-137과 Sr-90에 비해 상대적으로 흡착성이 높게 나타나고 있다. 또 전이.농축특성 분석결과는 김에서 Cs-137과 Sr-90의 전이.농축계수가 66과 3, 서대와 병어에서는 122.5와 6, 패류에서는 Sr-90의 전이.농축계수가 6으로 나타났다. Sr-90은 전반적으로 전이.농축계수가 낮게 나타나 생물체에유입되더라도 쉽게 배출돼 축적경향이 매우 낮음을 보여준다. 반면 Cs-137은 Sr-90에 비해 상대적으로 농축특성이 높게 나타나고 있다. 향후 이를 토대로 해역의 고유 환경특성에 맞는 방사성물질의 해양중 거동특성을 고려한 해양확산평가 및 해양감시가 이뤄져야할 것이다.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.11 no.4
• /
• pp.398-404
• /
• 1996

Escherichia coli was inoculated in calcium alginate capsules and cultivated to prepare encapsulated whole cell ${\beta}$-galactosidase. The dry cell weight in the capsule reached 100 g/L based on the inner space of the capsule. The activity of the encapsulated whole cell ${\beta}$-galactosidase increased with the dry cell weight increase during cultivation in the production medium. The activity of the encapsulated whole cell ${\beta}$-galactosidase was increased 25% by adding $2{\times}10^{-4}M Zn^{+2}$ ion in the production medium and 10% by coencapsulating with 2% (v/v) sunflower seed oil. The activity of encapsulated whole cell ${\beta}$-galactosidase produced in the concentric air lift reactor in which kLa was 82/hr was 86% higher than that in the shaking flask incubator where kLa was 2.55/hr.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.213-222
• /
• 2009

In order to investigate contamination of heavy metal in seawater and cultured oyster, samples were collected November 2003 to July 2004 from 12 sites (13 sites for seawater) along the coast of Tongyeong, Korea. The mean concentrations of metal in oyster tissues were as follows: 0.09 (0.01-0.3) ${\mu}g/l$ for Cd, 0.47 (0.01-1.4) ${\mu}g/l$ for Cr, 0.59 (0.2-2.3) ${\mu}g/l$ for Ni, 1.02 (0.1-4.2) ${\mu}g/l$ for Pb and 0.48 (0.01-3.9) ${\mu}g/l$ for Hg in the seawater, whereas 2.45 (0-5.47) mg/kgDW for Cd, 3.63 (0.10-12.91) mg/kgDW for Cr, 3.2 (0.01-15.73) mg/kgDW for Ni, 3.51 (0.01-6.47) mg/kgDW for Pb and 0.39 (0.004-0.74) mg/kgDW for Hg, respectively. Most metal concentration values were below the permissible range for the related regulations. Mean bioconcentration factors (BCF) for each metal were as follows: 38,964 (1,771-207, 171) for Cd, 9,583 (1,231-80, 162) for Cr, 191 (3-20, 980) for Ni, 1,416 (245-5, 207) for Pb and 180 (5-716) for Hg, respectively. The BCF values from this study corresponded to the transitional phase from the pristine to the contaminated waters. Notably, Cd showed the highest BCF, which suggest that the Pacific oyster could be utilized as a useful biomarker for Cd contamination in sea water. The multidimensional scaling analysis suggested that the metal contaminants are mainly originated from combustion of fossil fuel and accumulated to oyster through food web.

• Ecology and Resilient Infrastructure
• /
• v.8 no.4
• /
• pp.290-298
• /
• 2021

This study was conducted to evaluate the possibility of applying phytoremediation technology by investigating soil and native plants in waste coal landfills exposed to heavy metal contamination for a long period of time. The ability of native plants to accumulate heavy metals using greenhouse cultivation experiments was alse evaluated. Plants were investigated at an abandoned coal mine in Hwajeolyeong, Jeongseon, Gangwon-do. Two species of native plants (Carex breviculmis. R. B. and Salix koriyanagi Kimura ex Goerz.) located in the study area and three Korean native plants (Artemisia japonica Thunb. Hemerocallis hakuunensis Nakai., and Saussurea pulchella (Fisch.) Fisch.) were cultivated in a greenhouse for 12 weeks in artificially contaminated soil. Soils contaminated with arsenic and lead were generated with arsenic concentration gradients of 25, 62.5, 125, and 250 mg kg^-1 and lead concentration gradients of 200, 500, 1000, and 2000 mg kg^-1, respectively. Results showed that none of the five plants could survive at high arsenic concentration treatment (125 and 250 mg kg^-1) and some plants died in 2000 mg kg^-1 lead concentration treatment soil. The plant translocation factor (TF) was highest in H. hakuunensis in arsenic treatments, and A. japonica in lead treatments, respectively. The bioaccumulation factor (BF) of plants was more than 1 in all species in arsenic treatment, whereas it was highest in H. hakuunensis. BF for all species was less than 1 in lead treatment. Particularly, in 2000 mg kg^-1 concentration lead treatment, A. japonica accumulated more than 1000 mg kg^-1 lead and was expected to be a lead hyperaccumulator. In conclusion, A. japonica and H. hakuunensis were excellent in the accumulation of arsenic heavy metals, and S. koriyanagi was excellent in lead accumulation ability. Therefore, the above mentioned three plants are considered to be strong contenders for application of the phytoremediation technology.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.55 no.3
• /
• pp.185-200
• /
• 2022

The risk of various hazardous substances in aquatic environment comprises not only the concentration of substances in the environmental medium but also their accumulation in fish through complex food web and the health risks to humans through the fish. In Korea, the monitoring of residual toxicant in aquatic ecosystems began in 2016 following the enforcement of the Acts on registration and evaluation for the management of chemicals used in daily life (consumer chemical products), and attention has been paid to potentially hazardous substances attributed to them. Recently, studies have been carried out to investigate the distribution of these hazardous substances in the ecosystem and calculate their emission factors. These include the accumulation and transport of substances, such as detergents, dyes, fragrances, cosmetics, and disinfectants, within trophic levels. This study summarizes the results of recently published research on the inflow and distribution of hazardous substances from consumer chemical products to the aquatic environment and presents the scientific implication. Based on studies on aquatic environment monitoring techniques, this study suggests research directions for monitoring the residual concentration and distribution of harmful chemical substances in aquatic ecosystems. In particular, this study introduces the directions for research on trophic position analysis using compound specific isotope analysis and trophic magnification factors, which are needed to fulfill the contemporary requirements of selecting target fish based on the survey of major fish that inhabit domestic waters and assessment of associated health risk. In addition, this study provides suggestions for future biota monitoring and chemical research in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.291-298
• /
• 2001

Seawater, sediment and biota in the Kwangyang Bay were analyzed by gas chromatography/quartz furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy (GC-QFAAS) to investigate concentrations and distribution pattern of butyltin compounds (TBT, DBT, MBT) during February, April and July, 1996, Marine biota analyzed were Tapes japcnicus and Crassostrea gigas. The concentrations of tributyltin (TBT) in seawater were in the range of ND-15.7 ng/L for the surface and ND-68.5 ng/L for the bottom. The highest concentration of TBT in seawater was detected in April for the both, surface and bottom water. The maximum value of $TBT_{(bottom)}/TBT_{(surface)}$, 3.6 in April showed the increased input of TBT from the surface water in April compared to February (2.1) and July (0.9). The concentrations of TBT in the sediment were in the range of ND-8.5 ng/g dry wt. The highest concentration of TBT in the sediment was measured in July, This result seems to attributed to the removal of TBT from water column via sorption onto particulate matters to the relatively undisturbed underlying sediment and increased input of TBT by increased fluxes of detritus of marine plankton after spring bloom, in July. The mean values of partitioning coefficient ($K_d$) of TBT between seawater and sediment were $3.0\times10^3$(February), $7.4\times10^3$(April) and $9.4\times10^3$(July). The concentrations of TBT in biosamples were in the range of ND-93.30 ng/g dru wt. (T. japonicus) and ND-138.53 ng/g dry wt. (C. gigas). The seasonal variation of TBT contents in biota was remarkable. The $K_d$ (biological concentration factor) was $7-41\times10^3$ for T. japonicus. and $5-34\times10^3$ for C. gigas. The measured TBT concentrations in seawater in the study area was sufficient to cause the imposex of shellfish and to retard the growth of aquatic organisms including oyster upon chronic exposure.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.75-82
• /
• 2004

Surface and bottom sea water samples were harvested from the 5 stations in the marine ranching ground of Tongyeong coastal water from year 2000 to 2002. Cell number of heterotrophic bacteria was determined by using the plate counting method to explore the variation of the cell population of heterotrophic bacteria. Sea water samples collected in summer (in July and August) contained much larger number of heterotrophic bacteria than those harvested in spring, autumn and winter. Heterotrophic bacteria were usually more abundant in surface sea than in bottom sea water. However the reverse was true for sea water collected in December 2001 and February 2002 due to suspended solids accumulating more abundantly in seabed area because of the slower convective current of the sea water in winter. Number of heterotrophic bacteria did not have a strong relationship with frequency of typhoon indicating that the path and powerfulness of the typhoon, localized torrential downpour and temperature variation accompanying the typhoon should be considered all together at the same time as well as the frequency of typhoon to explain clearly the variation of cell number of heterotrophic bacteria. The dominant species isolated from the marine ranching ground of Tongyeong were identified to be Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseudomonas stutzeri, Acinetobacter lwoffii and Sphingomonas paucimobilis.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
• /
• v.32 no.5
• /
• pp.684-693
• /
• 2014

Abiotic stress conditions such as cold, drought, and salinity trigger physiological and morphological changes and yield loss in plants. Hence, plants adapt to adverse environments by developing tolerance through complex regulation of genes related to various metabolic processes. This study was conducted to construct a coexpression network for multidirectional analysis of salt-stress response genes in Brassica rapa (Chinese cabbage). To construct the coexpression network, we collected KBGP-24K microarray data from the B. rapa EST and microarray database (BrEMD) and performed time-based expression analyses of B. rapa plants. The constructed coexpression network model showed 1,853 nodes, 5,740 edges, and 142 connected components (correlation coefficient > 0.85). On the basis of the significantly expressed genes in the network, we concluded that the development of salt tolerance is closely related to the activation of $Na^+$ transport by reactive oxygen species signaling and the accumulation of proline in Chinese cabbage.