• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• 제46권2호
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• pp.175-184
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• 2013

Organic carbon and total nitrogen stable isotope ratios of suspended materials were determined at 3 stations (from Mongtan Bridge to Youngsan river estuary barrage) (n=6, each) from November 2008 to August 2009, in order to understand the origin of particulate organic matter at the Estuary of Youngsan River. Allochthonous organic matter, ammonia-N and silicate were increased after heavy rain (in August). Carbon isotope ratios were significantly different between stations in November and August, and it was possible to determine the origin of organic matter. The heavier nitrogen isotope ratios, as well as higher phosphate concentrations, were found in November than other sampling times. Livestock wastewater and farmland input was likely the main causes of these high values. In addition, YS3 station, the nearest site to estuary barrage, appears to be affected by a substantial amount of livestock wastewater and farmland input, considering that nitrogen isotope ratios were heavier than those at the upper sites. These results suggest that the analysis of stable isotope ratios is a simple but useful tool for the determination of organic matter origin in aquatic environments.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• 제25권5호
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• pp.300-306
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• 2012

This study reports the stable carbon and nitrogen isotope of mummy, the preserved human time capsule from Joseon Dynasty. The stable isotopic composition of biological tissue is expected to be a direct and constant function of diet because the stable isotope ratios do not decay or change in abundance through time. Over the past three decades, stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis has been extensively applied for archaeological topics. However, this is the first case in Korean mummy to extract palaeodietary information using stable isotope analysis. We extracted isotopic information from bone collagen and hair keratin, which reflects the lifetime average diet and short-term diet, respectively. The average values of ${\delta}^{13}C$ and ${\delta}^{15}N$ values are -19.0‰ and 11.4‰ (bone collagen), and -21.3‰ and 14.3‰ (hair keratin). Stable carbon isotope shows a mainly $C_3$-based diet from cradle to grave. On the other hand, there is significant difference in stable nitrogen isotope which implies a relatively enriched diet before death. We expect this study opens up a potential to understand the palaeodietary lifestyle in Joseon Dynasty.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• 제32권6호
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• pp.262-270
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• 2019

The stable isotopic composition of bone collagen plays an important role in reconstructing palaeodiet, nutrition, palaeoenvironment and their lifestyle. This is the first case in extracting palaeodietary information and breastfeeding pattern of Goryeo people using stable isotope analysis due to the lack of human remains in this period. We analyzed human bone collagen excavated from Gyeongju Donggung palace and Wolji pond No.3. The average values of δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N are as follows: (δ¹³C(‰) = -19.5 ± 0.9‰, δ¹⁵N(‰) = 11.1 ± 1.1 ‰, (n = 4). Stable carbon isotope values shows a mainly C₃ based diet such as rice and barley. Stable nitrogen isotope results implies the protein sources attributed to terrestrial animals. There are various age groups in this study, which are adult, child and infant. Two individuals within early childhood age ranges (< 3 years) shows more elevated δ¹⁵N values than that of adult and this result implies the continuation of breastfeeding in this group until the age of 3. The results provide new insight into the breastfeeding pattern of Goryeo people, where breastfeeding and weaning practices have important implication for fertility, population dynamics, migration pattern and disease.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• 제26권5호
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• pp.493-505
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• 2020

Food web structures in the lower trophic levels of the seas around the Korean peninsula were investigated in August 2019 using stable isotopes. There were variable ratios of the carbon (-26.18 ~ -20.61 ‰) and nitrogen stable (5.36 ~ 15.20 ‰) isotopes in the particulate organic matter (POM). Most of the organisms ingested micro-POM as a major food source, but this varied spatially. The chaetognaths (3.40 ± 0.61) occupied the highest trophic level. The isotope mixing model showed that the proportions (13 ~ 51 %) of some organisms (i.e., copepods and euphausiids) reflected the relative contributions as major food sources for chaetognaths at each site.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• 제27권1호
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• pp.66-77
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• 2014

This study was carried out to examine the authenticity discrimination of circulated vegetable oils by using carbon isotope ratio (${\delta}^{13}C$) and fatty acid composition. This analysis was applied to vegetable oils which we can buy in Korean markets, and the analytical instrument was measured by using EA-IR/MS for ${\delta}^{13}C$ and GC/FID for fatty acid composition. ${\delta}^{13}C$ was separated into 3 groups as $C_3$ plant including sesame oil, $C_4$ plant including maize oil, and rice bran oil. Fatty acid composition was significantly different among vegetable oils. In addition, the interval of low and high price vegetable oils was classified through the scatter plot analysis showing the correlation of the ${\delta}^{13}C$ and fatty acid composition. Therefore, through a simultaneous determination of the ${\delta}^{13}C$ and fatty acid composition, we are able to determine the majority of vegetable oils. It help to ensure food safety in Korean market by exclusion of economically modified adulteration in food.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• 제26권6호
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• pp.387-394
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• 2013

We aim to unveil dietary history recorded in Neolithic human bone from Janghang site at Gadeok Island, Busan. Excavation of Janghang site at Gadeok Island from 2010 to 2011 is an outstanding discovery in Korean Neolithic archaeology. A large number of human bones (48 individuals) were found at Janghang site, which is the largest-scale Neolithic cemetery in Korea. We extracted human bone collagen from 10 individuals and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis were carried out using carbon and nitrogen analyzer connected to a continuous-flow isotope-ratio-monitoring mass-spectrometer. Although bone histological analysis shows poor preservation state, stable isotope results correspond well with bone collagen quality indicator, which implies that bone collagen reflects lifetime signature. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope result indicates highly marinebased diet(${\delta}^{13}$C=$-14.5{\pm}1.3$‰, ${\delta}^{15}$N=$-17.4{\pm}1.7$‰, n=10), however the possible input of terrestrial animal and wild plant cannot be excluded. Our isotopic findings provide an invaluable information on Neolithic subsistence economy in this coastal area. In addition, Janghang site shows specific features in burial methods and burial goods. Two different burial methods of arranging bodies are found with extended burial type and particularly high ratio of flexed burial type. There are also burial goods such as pottery. However, there are no significant isotopic differences according to burial methods and burial goods. Although this is a preliminary study on this site, our research will provide important clues in understanding isotopic dietary history of Korean Neolithic people.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• 제40권1호
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• pp.93-102
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• 2007

The runoff characteristics of organic matter in turbid water were investigated in eleven tributary streams of the Han River system, Korea. The flow-weighted event mean concentrations of organic matter ranged from 1.5 to 3.2 mg $L^{-1}$ of DOM and 2.2 of 29.1 mg $L^{-1}$ of POM, respectively. The SUVA value which reflects the proportion of humic substance in organic matters was higher during the rainfall season, meaning that the runoff of refractory form increase in this period. Stable carbon isotope ratios of both POM and DOM were different among streams, which reflect the sources of organic matter. DOM isotope ratios were less depleted of $^{13}C$ than that of POM by approximately 1 to $2%_{\circ}$ ${\delta}^{13}C$ of the several turbid streams (the Mandae Stream, the Jawoon Stream, and the Daegi stream) were heavier than those of clear streams. ${\delta}^{13}C$ values in the turbid upstream tributaries were similar to those of downstream reaches (such as the Soyang River, the Sum River, and the Seo River). From the ${\delta}^{13}C$ analysis of POM it could be calculated that $C_4$ pathway contributed approximately 15.9 to 23.6% of organic matter in several turbid upstream sites, and over 20% in the three sites of large downstream reaches. On the contrary it contributed only 9.1 to 12.8% in clear streams of forest watersheds. In the Soyang River, $C_4$ pathway organic matter contributed 8.8% of the DOM pool.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Biology Conference
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• 한국환경생물학회 2004년도 학술대회
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• pp.54-55
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• 2004

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• 제97권4호
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• pp.357-362
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• 2008

We compared the morphological characters and stable isotopes of seeds of wild simulated ginseng with those of cultivated field ginseng. Seeds were collected from ten areas for wild simulated ginseng and two areas for cultivated field ginseng. The length, width, thickness and number of seeds per gram were measured and the ratio of stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen was analysed as well. There was a overlapping variation of morphological characters and the ratio of stable isotope of the wild simulated ginseng among study areas. In Geumsan area, compared with the seed of cultivated field ginseng, the seed of wild simulated ginseng was significantly small and light, and the ${\delta}^{15}N$(‰) of wild simulated ginseng was lower than that of cultivated field ginseng. However, it is somewhat impossible to compare the regional variation of the unique value of ${\delta}^{15}N$(‰) among study areas of wild simulated ginseng. We can suggest the value of ${\delta}^{15}N$(‰) can be used as detection factor for cultivation regime like chemical fertilization and organic farming.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• 제12권4호
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• pp.277-288
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• 2010

The multi-level $H_2O/CO_2$ profile system has been widely used to quantify the storage and advection effects on energy and mass fluxes measured by eddy covariance systems. In this study, we expanded the utility of the profile system by accommodating air sampling devices for isotope analyses of water vapor and $CO_2$. A pre-evacuated 2L glass flask was connected to the discharge of an Infrared Gas Analyzer (IRGA) of the profile system so that airs with known concentration of $H_2O$ and $CO_2$ can be sampled. To test the performance of this sampling system, we sampled airs from 8 levels (from 0.1 to 40 m) at the KoFlux tower of Gwangneung deciduous forest, Korea. Air samples in the 2L flask were separated into its component gases and pure $H_2O$ and $CO_2$ were extracted by using a vacuum extraction line. This novel technique successfully produced vertical profiles of ${\delta}D$ of $H_2O$ and ${\delta}^{13}C$ of $CO_2$ in a mature forest, and estimated ${\delta}D$ of evapotranspiration (${\delta}D_{ET}$) and ${\delta}^{13}C$ of $CO_2$ from ecosystem respiration (${\delta}^{13}C_{resp}$) by using Keeling plots. While technical improvement is still required in various aspects, our sampling system has two major advantages over other proposed techniques. First, it is cost effective since our system uses the existing structure of the profile system. Second, both $CO_2$ and $H_2O$ can be sampled simultaneously so that net ecosystem exchange of $H_2O$ and $CO_2$ can be partitioned at the same temporal resolution, which will improve our understanding of the coupling between water and carbon cycles in terrestrial ecosystems.