• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.239-248
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• 2009

The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Science in the United States concluded in its 2004 report that excessive indoor dampness is a public health hazard and that its prevention should be a public health goal. Water damage in buildings, such as leaks from roofs, walls, or windows, may increase indoor moisture levels. Excessive dampness may promote microbial proliferation in indoor environments, increase occupants' exposure to microbial agents, and eventually produce adverse health effects in building occupants. Epidemiological studies to demonstrate the causal association between exposure to indoor microbial agents and health effects require reliable exposure assessment tools. In this review, I discuss various sampling and analytical methods to assess human exposure to biological agents in indoor environments, their strengths and weaknesses, and recent trends in research and practice in the USA.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.181-190
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• 2019

Recently, Low impact development techniques, a form of nature-based solutions (NBS), were seen cost-efficient alternatives that can be utilized as alternatives for conventional stormwater management practices. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an infiltration trench (IT) and a small constructed wetland (SCW) in treating urban stormwater runoff. Long-term monitoring data were observed to assess the seasonal performance and cite the advantages and disadvantages of utilizing the facilities. Analyses revealed that the IT has reduced performance during the summer season due to higher runoff volumes that exceeded the facility's storage volume capacity and caused the facility to overflow. On the other hand, the pollutant removal efficiency of the SCW was impacted by the winter season as a result of dormant biological activities. Sediment data also indicated that fine and medium sand particles mostly constituted the trapped sediments in the pretreatment and media zones. Sediments in SCW exhibited a lower COD and TN load due to the phytoremediation and microbiological degradation capabilities of the system. This study presented brief comparison LID facilities equipped with pre-treatment zones. The identified factors that can potentially affect the performance of the systems were also beneficial in establishing metrics on the utilization of similar types of nature-based stormwater management practices.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.109-117
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• 2008

Application of biomarkers for assessing marine environmental health risk is a relatively new field. According to the National Research Council and the World Health Organization, biomarkers can be divided into three classes: biomarkers of exposure, biomarkers of effect, and biomarkers of susceptibility. In order to assess exposure to or effect of the environmental pollutants on marine ecosystem, the following set of biomarkers can be examined: detoxification, oxidative stress, biotransformation products, stress responses, apoptosis, physiological metabolisms, neuromuscular responses, reproductions, steroid hormones, antioxidants, genetic modifications. Since early 1990s, several biomarker research groups have developed health indices of marine organisms to be used for assessing the state of the marine environment. Biomarker indices can be used to interpret data obtained from monitoring biological effects. In this review, we will summarize Health assessment Index, Biomarker Index, Bioeffect Assessment Index and Generalized Linear Model. Measurements of biomarker responses and development of biomarker index in marine organisms from contaminated sites offer great a lot of information, which can be used in environmental monitoring programs, designed for various aspects of ecosystem risk assessment.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.835-842
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• 2022

Several countries are establishing management systems for aquaculture environment, and fishery environment assessment is one of them. The fishery management law amended in 2013 stipulates that a fishery environment assessment should be performed when a fish cage farm's license is extended. The purpose of the fishery environment assessment is to promote sustainable fishery, increase the fishery production capacity, and increase the fishermen incoming by implementing evaluation and improvement measures through scientific methods. The analysis items of fishery environment assessment include the Benthic Health Index (BHI), which is a biological index based on the macrobenthic polychaetes community, and total organic carbon (TOC), and the two items are scored and used for evaluation as a single grade. This study explains the selection process of BHI and TOC, which are evaluation items for fishing ground, and ecological significance of the calculated evaluation grades.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.319-328
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• 2021

Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is one of the most destructive viruses worldwide, which causes severe damage to economically important crops, such as pepper and tomato. In this study, we examined the molecular and biological characterization of a TSWV isolate (SW-TO2) infecting tomato and compared it to the recently reported isolates from boxthorn, butterbur, and angelica plants. The phylogenetic analysis based on the complete genome sequences confirmed that SW-TO2 was clustered with those of isolates from boxthorn and pepper in Korea with the maximum nucleotide identities ranging from 98% to 99%. We developed the bioassay method for screening TSWV resistance and tested some commercial pepper and tomato cultivars for resistance evaluation of four isolates of TSWV. TSWV resistance was evaluated as TSWV resistance when all the following three conditions were satisfied: first, when symptoms of necrotic spots or no symptoms were present in the inoculated leaves; second, when there were no symptoms in the upper leaves; and third, when the upper leaves were negative as a result of RT-PCR diagnosis.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.265-276
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• 2017

Heavy metals leaching from closed mines have been causing severe environmental problems in nearby soil ecosystems. Mine reclamation in Korea has been recently implemented based on the heavy metal immobilization (a.k.a., stabilization). Since the immobilization temporarily fixes the heavy metals to the soil matrix, the potential risk of heavy metal leaching still exists. Therefore the appropriate monitoring and the related policies are required to safeguard the soils, where all the cultivations occur. The current monitoring methods are based on either heavy metal concentration or simple toxicity test. Those methods, however, are fragmented and hence it is difficult to evaluate the site in an integrated manner. In this study, as the integrated approach, ecological functional state evaluation with a multivariate statistical tool was employed targeting physiochemical soil properties, heavy metal concentrations, microbial enzymatic activity, and arsenic respiratory reductase gene quantity. Total 60 soil samples obtained from three mines (Pungjeong, Jeomdong, Seosung) were analyzed. As a result, the stabilized layer soil and lower layer soil have shown the similar pattern in Pungjeong mine. In contrast, Jeomdong and Seosung mine have shown the similarity between the stabilized layer soil and the cover layer soil, indicating the possible contamination of the cover layer soil.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.72-81
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to develop a multi-metric Lentic Ecosystem Health Assessment (LEHA) model and apply model to dataset sampled from Daechung Reservoir in September 2005. The metrics were composed of 11 parameters such as physical, chemical and biological variables. The metric attributes of $M_1{\sim}M_8$ followed after the model of biological integrity using fish assemblages that previously adapted in lotic ecosystems, while the metrics of $M_9{\sim}M_{11}$ were added on the basis of literature. The metric of $M_9$ reflected habitat conditions in the littoral zone and the metric of $M_{10}$ reflected chemical conditions of the reservoir. For the application of regression analysis of long-transformed conductivity [$Log_{10}$(Cond)] against $COD_{Mn}$, based on 150 sampling sites at Korean reservoirs, showed that the variation of conductivity was explained 77.4% [$COD_{Mn}=4.42{\times}Log_{10}(Cond)-5.43;\;R^2=0.774$, p<0.01, n=150] by the variation of $COD_{Mn}$. The metric of $M_{11}$ was based on Tropic State Index (TSI), based on chlorophyll-${\alpha}$ concentrations (Chl-${\alpha}$). Analysis of TSI $(Chl-{\alpha})$ showed that above 50 was estimated "1", $40{\sim}50$ was estimated "3" and below 40% was estimated '5'. Overall, velues of LEHA in the reservoir averaged 30.5, indicating a "fair${\sim}$poor condition", which is judged by the criteria of U.S. EPA (1993). More studies such as metric numbers and attributes should be done for the application of the model.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.364-373
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• 2009

We evaluated stream health, based on integrative approaches of qualitative habitat evaluation index (QHEI), chemical water quality and the index of biological integrity (IBI) using fish assemblages in Daejeon Stream during August 2004 - October 2007. The QHEI values in this study averaged 78.2 (n=28, range: 47$\sim$124), indicating "fair" condition based on the criteria of US EPA (1993). The highest value was in the headwater site (S1) that was 112 (good), whereas the value in S3, mid and downstream was SS (fair-poor) that was the lowest owing to a disturbance on the bed and an artificial bank. Concentrations of chemical parameters such as BOD, TP and conductivity increased from the upstream to the downstream due to higher inputs of organic matters and nutrients from the urban area. Conductivity and TP showed a dilution of stream water by rainwater during summer monsoon. Analysis of fish compositions showed that total number of species was 24 and Zacco platypus was predominated (82%). The mean IBI was 17 (range: 12$\sim$30) during four years and the IBI values also decreased from S1 to S4. These results indicated that ecological health was degradated distinctly as the stream goes down through the city-center. We concluded that Daejeon Stream running through the city are influenced by chemical impact such as an influx of domestic sewage as well as the quality of habitat.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.643-655
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• 2011

This study addresses the periphytons along the Bukhan river stream and examines the biological indices that represents the river and estimate water quality assessment. Bukhan river in 4 major watershed streams (Bukchon-Hangeychon, Narinchon, Inbukchon, and Soyang river) was selected in 9 points. Land use pattern along the streams showed marked differenced in agriculture areas and forest areas. Lower Soyang streams showed blue-green algae and green algae also appeared in evenly pattern. Thus, the pollution source, biomass and distribution are somewhat correlated, and BOD, SS, biodiversity, and evenness showed a similar pattern. This situation can lead to conclusion of oligotrophic lake with good condition. Therefore, current biological index and is not so desirable for stream degree standard water quality and nutrient level.

• Proceedings of the Malacological Society of Korea Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.39-40
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• 2001

연안과 천해의 저질은 그 상층 해수의 변화에 영향을 받으며, 또한 반대로 상층의 수질을 변화시키기도 한다. 저질은 지질학적 기원을 갖는 기부위에 상층의 물에서 가라앉는 부유현탁물질과 수중생물의 배설물, 생물의 사체 등의 유기질이 층을 이루면서 형성된다. 저질은 화학적, 생물적 변화나 물의 유동에 의한 영향을 받지만 변화속도가 비교적 작고, 상층 수질의 변화 결과를 누적적으로 받기 때문에 수질변화의 평균적 이력(履歷)을 간직하며, 수역의 오염의 진행경향이나 그 속도에 대해서 수질만으로는 알 수 없는 장기간의 영향에 대한 적산적(積算的)관점에서의 정보를 보유하고 있다. 이 조사해역은 굴을 비롯한 패류 양식장이 밀집분포하고 있는 해역이며, 진해만에서 수하식 양식장의 분포비중이 가장 큰 해역으로서 양식의 역사도 30년이 넘는다. 이 해역은 외해와의 해수교류가 원활하지 못하여 양식생물의 배설물과 양식장의 탈락물이 이 육지로부터 유입되는 오염부하물질과 더불어 그대로 해저에 퇴적되고 있는 곳이라고 할 수 있다. 이 연구는 양식장 저질의 유기오염의 수준을 평가하여 양식장 및 연안해역의 관리를 위한 자료로 제공하고자 하였다.