• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.37-46
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• 2013

Leakage of leachate from animal carcass disposal is a significant issue because disease can easily spread to humans and other livestock. In this study, we analyzed the physicochemical properties of leachate and tested for the presence of aerobic bacteria in leachate using molecular biology methods, for 16 animal carcass disposals in the first stage (after burial for 5 months). Leachate physicochemical analysis revealed higher total coliforms, TOC, $NH^{4+}$, and $NO^{3-}$ concentrations compared with previously published data. In most leachate samples, the concentrations of $NH^{4+}$ and $NO^{3-}$ exceeded the Korean guideline values for drinking water. In 16S rRNA sequence analysis of the distribution of leachate under aerobic conditions, Bacillus pumilus, Lysinibacillus sphaericus, and B. sphaericus were observed with high frequency, whereas no food-poisoning-related bacteria such as B. cereus or Salmonella were detected. The present findings improve our knowledge of the transport of leachate from animal carcass disposal sites through geologic media, and are useful in risk analysis and for subsequent studies.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.192-197
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• 2014

Water analyses were conducted on 1,525 underground water laid in the western district of Korea's South Gyeongsang Province, from January 2007 until July 2010, according to sections, factors, fountainheads and inter-factor correlativities. The following are the results. 1. As a result of local incongruity rate, 18.2% in inland areas, coastal areas and 24.5% showed a high value comparatively. Costal areas showed high incongruity rate. 2. As a result of local incongruity rate, they were found that the total colony count and general bactria 39.9%, 42.6% showed a high in costal areas. 3. As a result of local factorial inspection, it was found that the turbidity content counted up to 0 to 0.2 NTU in 59.4% in inland areas, 60.2% in costal areas of sections, and in other 12.6%, 14.0%, it exceeded 0.5 NTU. As a result of local factorial inspection, it was found that the nitrate-nitrogen content counted up to 0 to 10 mg/L in 98.2% in inland areas, 97.6% in costal areas of sections, and in other 1.8%, 2.4%, it exceeded 10 mg/L. As regards chloride in coastal areas, water quality standards for chloride 250 mg/L exceeds the 1.4% higher then in inland areas. 4. Hardness in inland areas was closely correlated with total solids (r = 0.910), sulfate ion (r = 0.819). Also, total solids and boron (r = 0.600) showed high correlativities. On the other hand hardness in coastal areas was closely correlated with total solids (r = 0.919), chloride (r = 0.829). Also sulfate ion was closely correlated with hardness (r = 0.599), turbidity and aluminum (r = 0.635) showed high correlativities in this research.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.51-57
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• 2013

As facilities and equipments for learning activities in college campuses are handled by mass public, their contact surfaces may function as major routes of cross-infection of microbial pathogens. However, unlike items in cafeteria which is the typical target for campus hygiene, those surfaces are not under regular surveillance or sanitary maintenance. In this study, I made a quantitative comparison of the risk of being exposed to microbial pathogens from use of learning facilities such as classrooms and library to the risk from use of cafeteria, for about 1,500 students in a college. Regarding total coliforms as surrogate model of bacterial pathogens, exposure rates were estimated for each item in learning facilities and cafeterias by devising deterministic exposure algorithms based on bacterial abundance, contract rates and transfer rates. The exposure rate in cafeterias was 1.0 CFU/day while learning facilities imposed the rate of 0.5 CFU/day, which reaches a half of the exposure rate in cafeterias. However, 70% of students were exposed more in learning facilities than cafeteria because individuals had different frequencies in using cafeteria. Based on the results, some human-contact surfaces of learning facilities, including elevator buttons, may require regular sanitary maintenance. An efficient sanitary maintenance considering seasonality in diversity of pathogens involved with cross-infections is suggested besides improvement of personal hygiene among students.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.513-521
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• 2013

Objectives: This study was performed in order to detect indicator bacteria in drinking spring water (DSW) samples in Seoul Metropolitan City, and to identify their genus through 16S rRNA sequencing and then assessing the genetic relation of their strains. Methods: For indicator bacteria detection and identification of total coliforms, we analyzed DSW between the spring and summer seasons. In particular, DSW samples were chosen from sites repeatedly found unsatisfactory in recent years. Results: Heterotrophic plate counts of DSW in the spring and summer season were investigated in the range of 0-550 and 0-800 CFU/mL, respectively. Total coliforms of these were 0-1,900 and 0-2,100 CFU/100mL, fecal coliforms were 0-600 and 0-550 CFU/100mL, and Escherichia coli were 0-7 and 0-326 MPN/100mL. The detection ratio of fecal pollution indicators and that of fecal coliforms increased to 58.6% in the summer from 12.5% in the spring and Escherichia coli increased to 51.4% from 4.7%. As a result of genetic analysis on the isolated bacteria, the genus of total coliforms was classified in the order of Enterobacter spp. 12.7%, Serratia spp. 7.3%, E. hermanii 6.4%, Rahnella spp. 5.5%, Hafnia spp. 4.5%, Escherichia coli 3.6%, Klebsiella spp. 3.6% in the spring season. In the summer season, it was classified in order of Klebsiella spp. 16.6%, Enterobacter spp. 13.0%, Escherichia coli 11.0%, Serratia spp. 8.6%, Raoultella spp. 7.0%, Kluyvera spp. 5.6% and Citrobacter spp. 3.0%. Conclusions: The increase of fecal pollution in summer indicates that special attention to drinking DSW is required.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.129-134
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• 2005

The monthly variations of physico-chemical and microbiological water quality were investigate in the artificial Lake Geumgang near estuary barrage. Sixty heterotrophic bacteria were isolated and identified by amplification and sequencing of 16S rDNA. Water temperature, pH, and inorganic nutrients($NH_4$-N, $NO_2$-N, $NO_3$-N, $PO_4$-P) were measured. Concentrations of DO, BOD, and inorganic nutrients were lower than in the middle-stream of Geum river The population densities of heterotrophic bacteria and total coliforms varied from $4.1{\pm}1.0\times10^2$ to $6.7{\pm}1.1{\times}10^3\;cfu\;ml^{-1}$, and 0 to $2.3{\pm}0.6{\times}10^2\;cfu\;ml^{-1}$, respectively. Among the measured numbers of physiological groups of bacteria, cellulolytic bacteria showed higher population densities than those of other physiological groups. Bacterial community structure was analysed based on 16S rDNA partial sequencing. Among 60 isolates, dominant genus was Pseudomones (20 strains).

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.74-81
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• 2009

In this research, we investigated the actual conditions of water purification systems at ten elementary schools located in Gunsan, Korea from July to December, 2007. The results were as follows; The population densities of heterotrophic bacteria in water purifiers ranged from 0 to $1.2{\pm}0.2{\times}10^4$ CFU/ml and those of tap water were in the range from 0 to $1.9{\pm}0.3{\times}10^4$ CFU/ml during investigation periods. Ninety percentage of purified water samples in July and September, 87.2% in October and November, and 93.7% in December turned out not to be suitable for drinking. The seasonal variation of the population densities of heterotrophic bacteria from purified waters was not notable. The total coliform, Salmonella and Shigella were not detected in purified water and tap water during investigation periods. Forty-five species of bacteria were isolated from water purifiers. The identified bacterial genera were Sphingomonas, Methylobacterium, Caulobacter, Novosphingobium, Bosea, Brevundimonas, Aminobacter, Ralstonia, Mitsuaria, Variovorax, Acidovorax, Massilia, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Aeromonas, Bacillus, Staphylococcus, Brevibacillus, Microbacterium, Lapillicoccus, Micrococcus, Arthrobacter, Janibacter, Flavobacterium, Chryseobacterium, and Hymenobacter: Among the isolates, opportunistic pathogens such as Pseudomonas fluorescens, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Flavobacterium johnsoniae, and Acinetobacter johnsonii were also found.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.43-48
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• 2008

Standard sample for quality control of total coliform measurement was procured by addition of nalidixic acid and cephalexin as bacteriostatic agents to Escherichia coli cultured broth. After making the standard sample, the number of E. coli was measured by fluorescence microscopic count method and plate count method by 12 hr interval. The numbers of E. coli remained unchanged for at least for 48 hr at room temperature which ranged from 3.5 to $4.2{\times}10^5\;cells/ml$ and from 1.0 to $1.2{\times}10^4\;CFU/ml$ by direct fluorescence microscopic count method and plate count method, respectively. This result suggests that microbial standard sample with bacteriostatic agents of nalidixic acid and cephalexin is usable for quantitative quality control.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.819-828
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• 2011

To inspect norovirus contamination of groundwater in south eastern areas of Korea, a systematic survey of groundwater in Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongsangnam-do was performed for two years from 2009 to 2010. For this purpose, we first optimized the nested reverse transcription-PCR condition by designing two sets of primers for the detection of norovirus genogroups, GI and GII. Of 145 samples, 21 (25.9%) and 15 (23.4%) were norovirus positive in the dry season (April to June) and wet season (July to August), respectively. The detection frequencies of norovirus in Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongsangnam-do were 15%, 7%, and 32%, respectively, reflecting a geographical difference in their distribution. The GI and GII isolates were 5 and 31, respectively, indicating the prevalence of GII in the tested areas. According to phylogenetic analysis of their nucleotide sequences, all of the GI isolates were identified to genotype GI.5 whilst the GII isolates were divided into two genotypes, GII.3 and GII.4. Neither physical-chemical parameters such as pH, temperature, oxidation-reduction potential, and dissolved oxygen, nor microbial indicators of water quality such as total bacteria, total coliforms, and Escherichia coli were statistically correlated with contamination of norovirus in the groundwater. Interestingly, however, the presence of norovirus was closely correlated with low turbidity (<0.50 NTU). The present study suggests that periodical monitoring of norovirus in groundwater is necessary to prevent epidemic waterborne diseases and to secure better sanitary conditions for public health.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.24-29
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• 2012

A total of 187 samples of leafy vegetables and fruits were acquired at traditional markets and department stores in Seoul, Korea. Samples were tested for microorganism distributions and for the presence of pathogenic bacteria. The aerobic mesophilic counts ranged between 2.5 and 9.4 log CFU/g, with the highest count recorded from the dropwort. Counts of psychrotrophic microorganisms were as high as those of the mesophilic microorganisms. Total coliform populations between 1.0 and 7.8 log CFU/g were found in 90.9% of the samples. Microbiological counts for fruits were very low. $Escherichia$ $coli$ was isolated in 24 (12.8%) samples. $Staphylococcus$ $aureus$ and $Clostridium$ $perfringens$ contamination were found in 15 (8.0%) and 20 (10.7%) samples. $Salmonella$ species and $Listeria$ $monocytogenes$ were detected in 2.7 and 0.5% of samples, respectively. Among the total 187 samples, 8 samples were contaminated by more than two pathogens. $E.$ $coli$ O157:H7 was not detected in any of the samples. The microbial contamination levels determined in the present study may be used as the primary data to execute microbial risk assessment of fresh vegetables and fruits.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.1073-1077
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• 2010

Fungi, including allergenic, pathogenic or toxigenic species, may have direct effects on human health, interfere with the disinfection process and maintenance of chlorine residual, and add to taste and odor problems. We surveyed distribution of waterborne fungi from raw water in Busan metropolitan city using the EPA standard method. According to the survey, conducted from March 2008 to October 2008, the number of fungi in raw water was high in September and low in April. Quantitative enumeration of fungi per 100 ml of raw water ranged from 5 to 64 CFU, and a higher number was detected in the Mulgum region compared to the Maeri region. Total fungi numbers highly correlated with pH, water temperature and total coliform in this area. Predominant fungi genera grown in medium were identified as Aspergillus, Penicillum, Histoplasma, Rhizopus, Trichophyton, Mucor and Sporthrix species. Aspergillus flavus and Penicillum notatum were particularly dominant in both areas. There were a total of 6 and 9 species detected in the Mulgum and Maeri regions respectively, and the number of species was more verified in the Maeri region than the Mulgum region.