• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.52-57
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• 2016

Sediment is a useful natural source but deteriorated continually by anthropogenic and industrial sources. Therefore, it is imperative to search a suitable method for improving or restoring sediment quality. Sediment has been tested to identify the effects of some external agents on a polluted area for 28 days. Chemical analysis and total viable counts (TVC) test have been conducted for 4 days interval to assess their performance. The analyses of chemical oxygen demand (COD), acid volatile sulfide (AVS), total phosphorous (T-P), total nitrogen (T-N) indicate that the chemical agents was more efficient to improve sediment quality whereas the microbial agent was more efficient for nutrient releasing from sediment. Oxygen releasing property of the chemical agent was thought to be providing with more congenial environment for the higher growth of the bacterial community than the direct application of microbial agents.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.53-65
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• 2017

Assessment of seasonal changes in surface water quality is an important aspect for evaluating temporal variations of river pollution due to natural or anthropogenic inputs of point and non-point sources. In this study, surface water quality data for 15 physico-chemical parameters collected from 7 monitoring stations in a river during the years from 2014 to 2016 were analyzed. The principal component analysis technique was employed to evaluate the seasonal correlations of water quality parameters, while the principal factor analysis technique was used to extract the parameters that are most important in assessing seasonal variations of river water quality. Analysis shows that a parameter that is most important in contributing to water quality variation for one season may not be important for another season except alkalinity, which is always the most important parameters in contributing to water quality variations for all three seasons.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.1291-1298
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• 2018

Marine ecosystems are frequently exposed to a variety of chronic and acute pollutants derived from anthropogenic production and consumption activities. Mussels are sessile (can provide location-specific information), medium-sized (have enough tissue matrix for chemical analysis) filter-feeders (show accumulation of pollutant chemicals from seawater). These biological and ecological characteristics make mussels virtually ideal for pollution monitoring. In this study, Korean mussels (Mytilus coruscus) were collected from nine different sites situated along the coasts of the western sea to the eastern sea of Korea in 2017. Total mercury concentration was highest (mean ${\pm}$ standard error, $92.7{\pm}3.5ng/g\;dry$) on Baengnyeongdo Island in the western sea, and the sites in the southern sea showed the lowest mean concentrations (42.3 - 44.5 ng/g dry). These results were discussed in terms of possible pollution sources.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.30 no.5 s.81
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• pp.455-468
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• 2004

The purpose of this paper is to understand the time series and origin of a chemical component and to compare the difference during yellow sand episodes for analysis $PM_{10}$ chemical components in the region of west in Korean Peninsula, 1999-2001. An annual mean concentration of $PM_{10}$ is $29.1\;{\mu}g/m^3$. A monthly mean and standard deviation of $PM_{10}$ concentration are very high in spring but there is no remarkably seasonal variation. Also, water soluble ionic component of $PM_{10}$ be influenced by double more total anion than total cation, be included $NO_{3}^-\;and\;SO_{4}^{2-}$ for the source of acidity and $NH_{4}^+$ to neutralize. Tracer metals of $PM_{10}$ slowly increases caused by emitted for soil and ocean (Fe, Al, Ca, Mg, Na) and Zn, Pb, Cu, Mn for anthropogenic source. According to method of enrichment factor (E.F) and statistics, assuming that the origin of metal component in $PM_{10}$ most of element in the Earth's crust e.g. Mg, Ca, Fe originates soil and Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb derives from anthropogenic sources. The ionic component for $Na^{+}\;Cl^-,\;Mg^{2+}\;and\;Ca^{2+}$ and Mg, Al, Ca, Fe originated by soil component largely increase during yellow sand period and then tracer metal component as Pb, Cd, Zn decrease. According to factor analysis, the first group is ionic component ($Na^+,\;Mg^{2+},\;Ca^{2+}$) and metal component (Na, Fe, Mn and Ni) be influenced by soil. The second group, Mg, Cr also be influenced by soil particle.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.479-490
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• 1998

The concentrations of ten inorganic (sodium, chloride, sulfate, ammonia, etc.) and three organic (acetate, formate, and MSA) ions associated with airborne particulate matter were measured from Cheju Island, Korea during the three field intensive campaigns conducted in (1) Sept./oct. 1997 (fall), (2) Dec. 1997 (winter), and (3) April 1998 (spring). The results of our measurements indicated that the concentration levels of most ionic species were decreasing significantly across the three experimental periods. The patterns of concentration reduction were clear as the sum of all cation and anion species changed dramatically across those periods such as 294> 144 > 65 and 193 >96>74 nequiv/m3, respectively. The changes were best explained in terms of the wind rose patterns of the study site. Since our sampling spot is located on the western-end point of Cheju Island, it is likely to reflect the effects of diverse sources such as natural, marine processes during NW and local non-maritime ones during SE winds. .Hence, the periodical changes in ionic concentrations may be accounted for by the comparable changes in wind direction. To further investigate environmental characteristics of these ionic components, correlation analysis was conducted not only between meteorological and ion data but between different ion-pairs. The results of these analyses confirm that the concentration levels of ionic species are strongly affected by wind speed and temperature and that there are certain patterns between ion species to which such effects apply. In light of the significance of the wind rose patterns in the area, we further extended these analyses into four data groups that were divided on the basis of wind direction. The results of these analyses showed that the strength of correlations between important pairs (e.g.:. between windspeed and most of major inorganic species including sodium and chloride) can be ranked on the distribution of major ions are very diverse, depending on data grouping scheme for such analysis. The results of this study thus suggest that environmental behavior of chemical components be analyzed in various respects, rather than simple standard, especially if measurements are made in complex environmental condition under which both natural and anthropogenic effects are competing each other.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.289-298
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• 2010

A number of characteristics of the Lake H$\ddot{o}$vsg$\ddot{o}$l watershed, such as the lake's location at the edge of the Central Asian continuous permafrost zone, provide a unique opportunity to evaluate possible anthropogenic impacts in this remote area in northern Mongolia. In this study, we compared stream solute concentrations in six sub-watersheds in the Lake H$\ddot{o}$vsg$\ddot{o}$l watershed. Water samples were collected during the summer months between 2003 and 2005. Concentrations of $Cl^-$ ranged from 9.8 to $51.3\;{\mu}mol/L$; average nitrate concentrations were very low and ranged from undetectable to $1.1\;{\mu}mol/L$ and average ${SO_4}^{2-}$ concentration at sampling stations with minimal animal grazing ranged from 66 to $294\;{\mu}mol/L$. Average dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations ranged from 642 to $1,180\;{\mu}mol$ C/L. We did not find statistically significant differences in DOC concentrations among the six streams, although DOC concentrations tended to be higher in the two northernmost streams, possibly related to differences in the active layer above the permafrost. Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) concentrations were correlated with DOC concentration, and followed the same spatial pattern as those for DOC. In streams in this remote watershed, total dissolved nitrogen was made up of mostly organic N, as has been found for other regions distant from anthropogenic N sources. Overall, these results suggest that future research on the dynamics of DOC and DON in this watershed will be especially insightful in helping to understand how changes in climate and land use patterns will affect transformations, retention, and export of dissolved organic matter within these sub-watersheds in the Lake H$\ddot{o}$vsg$\ddot{o}$l region.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.241-252
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• 2000

Twenty-two water samples(fifteen groundwater and seven geothermal water samples) were collected to elucidate chemical characteristics of the ground and geothermal waters in the Haeundae hot spring area and its vicinity. Major and honor elements were analyzed for ground and geothermal water samples. The concentrations of $K^+$, Na+$, $Ca^{2+}$, $SO_4^{2-}$, $Cl^-$, ^F^-$ and $SiO_2$ were higher in the geothermal water samples than the groundwater samples except $HCO_3^- and Mg^{2+}$ ions. Based on the contents of Fe, Zn, Cu, Al, Mn and Pb, some of the ground and geothermal water samples are contaminated by anthropogenic sources. The ground waters shown on the Piper diagram belong to $Ca-HCO_3$ type, while the geothermal waters Na-Cl type. The graphs of $Cl^-$ versus $Na^+$, $Ca^{2+}, Mg^{2+}, K^+, SO_4^{2-} and HCO_3^-$ indicate that the groundwater is related partly with mineral-water reaction and partly with anthropogenic contamination, while the geothermal water is related with saline water. On the phase stability diagram, groundwater and thermal water mostly fall in the field of stability of kaolinite. This indicates that the ground and geothermal waters proceed with forming kaolinite. Factor and correlation analyses were carried out to simplify the physicochemical data into grouping some factors and to find interaction between them. Based on the Na-K, Na-K-Ca and Na-K-Ca-Mg geothermometers and silica geothermometers, the geothermal reservoir is estimated to have equilibrium temperature between 125${$\mid$circ}C$ and 160${$\mid$circ}C$.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.81-98
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• 2013

Mercury (Hg) dynamics in the boreal environment have been a subject of concern in recent decades, due to the exposure of local populations to the contaminant. Land use, because of its impact on mercury inputs, has been highlighted as a key player in the sources and eventual concentrations of the heavy metal. In order to evaluate the impact of watershed disturbances on Hg dynamics in frequently fished, large boreal lakes, we studied sediment cores retrieved at the focal point of eight large lakes of Qu$\acute{e}$bec (Canada), six with watersheds affected by land uses such as logging and/or mining, and two with pristine watersheds, considered as reference lakes. Using a Geographical Information System (GIS), we correlated the recent evolution of land uses (e.g., logging and mining activities) and morphological characteristics of the watershed (e.g., mean slope of the drainage area, vegetation cover) to total Hg concentrations (THg) in sedimentary records. In each core, THg gradually increased over recent years with maximum values between 70 and 370 ng/g, the lowest mercury concentrations corresponding to the pristine lake cores. The Hg Anthropogenic Sedimentary Enrichment Factor (ASEF) values range from 2 to 15. Surprisingly, we noticed that the presence of intense land uses in the watershed does not necessarily correspond to noticeable increases of THg in lake sediments, beyond the normal increment that can be attributed to Hg atmospheric deposition since the beginning of the industrial era. Rather, the terrestrial Hg inputs of boreal lakes appear to be influenced by watershed characteristics such as mean slopes and vegetation cover.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.169-182
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• 2019

Temporal and spatial variations in surface ozone concentrations in Busan were investigated by using observation data from urban air quality sites during 2001-2016. The annual ozone concentrations showed a significant increasing trend of $+0.40ppb\;yr^{-1}$ in this period, with a more rapid increase of $+0.81ppb\;yr-1$ since 2010. For the monthly analysis, the increase in ozone concentration was the greatest in August ($+0.68ppb\;yr-1$). These ozone trends were due mainly to rising temperature ($+0.05^{\circ}C\;yr^{-1}$) and weak decreasing precipitation ($-6.42mm\;yr^{-1}$). However, the extreme weather events (heat wave, localized heavy rain, etc.) lead to an increase in short-term variability of ozone since 2010. The relatively low ozone concentrations in the downtown area were caused by high NOx emissions from mobile sources. The increases in ozone concentrations were observed at most of the air quality monitoring sites due to the reductions in anthropogenic emissions of NOx during 2001-2015. However, in the southern coastal area, lower rates of increase in ozone concentrations were observed by $-0.10{\sim}0.25ppb\;yr^{-1}$ due to the significant NOx emitted by ships in the Busan port and Busan new port.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.287-301
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• 2015

This study was conducted to investigate size distribution characteristics of water-soluble ionic components in the airborne particulate matter (PM) collected from an urban area in Busan using a MOUDI cascade impactor from March to October 2010. The inorganic constituents in the fine particles (${\leq}1.8{\mu}m$) predominantly consisted of sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, and potassium. Sulfate and ammonium concentrations showed a high correlation and similar equivalent concentrations in the fine modes including $0.18{\sim}0.32{\mu}m$, $0.32{\sim}0.56{\mu}m$, and $0.56{\sim}1.0{\mu}m$. This indicates that the main chemical component in the fine particles would be forms of ammonium sulfate such as $(NH_4)_3H(SO_4)_2$, $(NH_4)_2SO_4$, and $(NH_4)HSO_4$. Back trajectory analysis showed that relatively higher concentrations of ammonium, nitrate, and sulfate in the fine mode, compared to the coarse mode, are caused both by domestic sources and long-range transports originated from China continent. High concentration episodes of PM both in the fine mode and the coarse mode were attributed both by anthropogenic sources, such as ship emissions and traffic emissions, and by natural sources such as seawater (sea salt), respectively.