• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
• /
• v.40 no.3
• /
• pp.227-240
• /
• 2024

Trees improve air quality through the accumulation of air pollutants in their leaves; however, the responses of different tree species to air pollution varies. Hence, this study evaluated the responses to air pollution of selected tree species in the Swamp Forest Research Station, Onne. Ten tree species (Cola pachycarpa, Khaya grandifoliolia, Irvingia gabonensis, Garcinia kola, Chrysophyllum albidum, Treculia africana, Dacryodes edulis, Tectonia grandis, Gmelina aborea, and Nauclea diderrichii) were selected based on their abundance in the area. Leaves were collected from all sides in 3 replicates for each tree species. Laboratory analysis was carried out using standard procedures. Portable Multi Gas Detector was used to determine the concentrations of air pollutants. One-way analysis of variance was employed to test for significant difference (p≤0.05) in biochemical parameters among the tree species while Pearson's correlation was utilized to determine the level of association between different biochemical parameters and APTI; heavy metals and APTI. Results showed high concentration of PM₁₀, CO, moderate concentration of NO₂, PM_2.5, and VOC, and low concentration of ground O₃. Heavy metals - Cadmium, Mercury, Lead, Nickel and Copper were all present in the tree species at varying rates. There were significant differences in the biochemical parameters and APTI values. C. pachycarpa exhibited the highest APTI value (89.88), while D. edulis had the lowest APTI value (8.24). C. pachycarpa, K. grandifoliolia, C. albidum, G. kola, T. africana, and N. diderrichii were identified as tolerant tree species to air pollution. G. aborea, T. grandis, and I. gabonensis were considered intermediate tolerant species, while D. edulis was the only tree species sensitive to air pollution. Ascorbic Acid, Chlorophyll, Hg and Ni had positive correlations with APTI; Cd and Cu had negative association with APTI at the 0.05 significance level. C. pachycarpa, T. africana, K. grandifoliolia, C. albidum, N. diderrichii and G. kola, are recommended for planting in pollution-prone areas.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.324-332
• /
• 2001

Foods constitute a large portion of heavy metal exposure toward general population and attract a deep concern with respect to assuring human health. This study summarized published data in Korea on the content, and dietary intake of heavy metals and assessed their risk potential in comparison with foreign data. An analysis for the yearly fluctuation of metal contents including arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead by flood group (marine fishes, coastal shellfishes, freshwater fishes, cereal grains) exhibited a decreasing trend from the 1970s to the 1990s. When compared with domestic standards of heavy metals, their mean contents were below the limit and their maximum values seldom exceeded the limit. The data on the dietary intake of heavy metals by Koreans showed a decreasing trend from the 1980s to the 1990s. The average intakes offs and Hg were 6∼8% and those of Cd and Pb were 50∼80% of PTWI(provisional tolerable weekly intake), all of which were below the tolerance. As the extreme intakes of these metals may exceed the PTWI, a careful assessment for them may be necessary. Dietary intakes of Cd, Hg and Pb by Koreans lie in the mid-level among countries cited in the GEMS/Food monitoring data. As fishery foods are suspecious of contamination with Hg, Cd and As, and floods in general are with Pb, it is necessary to establish legal limits for these metals and monitor any progress of their contamination. Furthermore, overall assessment of exposure to heavy metals from all sources including floods, air, drinking water and occupation should be made in order to confirm the dietary risk factors and to assure the safety of food resources.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.274-279
• /
• 1985

Proximate compositions, minerals and protein fractions of the roots of cultured and wild Codonopsis lanceolata of different age groups were examined as the basic research for the study of their source of processed foods. The most abundant proximate composition of the roots of C. lanceolata was observed to be total sugars and next come crude protein, crude fiber, crude fat and ash in descending order irrespective of cultured and wild ones. The richest mineral contained in the roots was noticed to be K and followed by Mg and Ca. Generally increased tendency of crude protein, fat, ash, K, Mg, Ca, Mn, Zn, Cu and P contents were observed with older roots, however, decreased total sugars and Fe content. Lead and cadmium content was far bellow the authorized tolerance limits. The quantitative fractionation of the protein of the roots ranked albumin the highest content, followed by globuin, prolamin and glutelin. Decreased albumin content was observed with the older age roots, while increased globulin, prolamin and glutelin content. The minimum solubility of the soluble protein of the roots was found to be at pH 4.0 and maximum, at pH 10.0. Disc gel electrophoresis of the soluble protein of C. lanceolata roots showed almost similar patterns and numbers of bands. The molecular weight for main band protein was estimated to be about 90,000.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.312-318
• /
• 1998

The potentials of some Korean wild plants as a phytoremediator for cleaning heavy metal pollution were measured. Several plant species, Ambrosia trifida, Brassica juncea, Rumex crispus, and Abutilon theophrasti screened previously for phytoremediator were treated with cadmium and copper solution. In order to know the growth response to heavy metal stress, the plants were cultivated in hydroponic system containing heavy metals with different concentration. To know the effects of heavy metals on emergence and seedling growth, seeds of 4 species were sown in the pot and watered with heavy metal solution adjusted pH to 6.5, 5.5, and 4.5. A proposed species as potential phytoremediator, A. trifida, showed tolerance to $20{\mu}mol/L$ Cd and $80{\mu}mol/L$ Cu in nutrient solution without apparent growth reduction, and up to $100{\mu}mol/L$ Cd and $400{\mu}mol/L$ Cu without critical visual injury. Up to 311mg/kg of Cd and 369mg/kg were accumulated in dried aerial part in A. trifida. In contrast, A. theophrasti showed injury at $400{\mu}mol/L$ Cu. Significant differences were shown in Cu accumulation among the four species. A. trifida had much higher concentrations of Cd in the shoot, whereas R, crispus accumulated higher concentrations of Cd in the shoot. Testing plant species showed reduced emergence rate with heavy metal treatment. When pH was lowered, the emergence and seedling growth were affected severely with heavy metal. We can suggested that A. trifida was the most proper species for phytoremediation in heavy metal-polluted regions.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.140-146
• /
• 2008

Marine ecotoxicological standard method using fish larvae was established with the standard test species of Oryzias latipes(Japanese Medaka) and Paralichthys olivaceus(flounder) and with the 7 day $LC_{50}$ as endpoint. Test method referred to the USEPA(1994) with the replacement of test species found in the Korean water. Standard test species were selected in terms of the species supply and ecological importance in Korean waters. Japanese medaka can be reared with small tanks in the lab and has wide tolerance on salinity, and flounder eggs can be easily obtained from commercial fish hatcheries. General conditions for larval fish toxicity test are as follows. The possible salinity ranges for toxicity test were $0{\sim}35\;psu$ for medaka and >20 psu for flounder. Test type was designated as static non-renewal test if the dissolved oxygen in the test chamber does not fall below 4.0 mg/L. Ages of test species were selected as 7 days after hatched for medaka(about 5 mm TL) and 25 days for flounder(about 10 mm TL) because of the low natural mortality after these periods. Test can be accepted when the survival rates are over 80% in control. Also, species sensitivity on standard reference materials(copper, cadmium or zinc) must be provided with the toxicity test results.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.129-139
• /
• 2008

Marine ecotoxicological standard method was applicated using marine rotifer and benthic copepod as primary consumer of marine ecosystem. Marine rotifer, Brachionus plicatilis and benthic copepod, Tigriopus japonicus were designated as standard test species with the endpoints of 24hr neonate mortality (24hr $LC_{50}$) and 48hr population growth (48hr $EC_{50}$) for rotifer, and 48hr nauplius mortality (48hr $LC_{50}$) for benthic copepod. Tests method was referred to those of ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) with the replacement of test species which are widely distributed in Korean waters. The two species showed a wide tolerance on salinity ($5{\sim}35\;psu$) and can be easily cultured in small space even they were not as sensitive as in the mortality test using the nauplius of marine invertebrates. However, these species revealed the significant "concentrationresponse relationship" tested with ocean disposal wastes, and reproducibility using cadmium as standard reference material between laboratories. Accordingly, these two species have good potential as test species for marine ecotoxicological test species. Also, we strongly recommend that at least one of these species be included in the test species of "battery test" in marine bioassay.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.147-155
• /
• 2008

A series of experiments were conducted to find standard test organisms and to develop test protocols for sediment toxicity tests using indigenous amphipods inhabited in Korean coastal environments. The indigenous amphipods Mandibulophoxus mai and Monocorophium acherusicum were well associated with various sediment substrates from sand to mud. The tolerance limits to various physico-chemical factors affecting bioassay results such as temperature, salinity and total ammonium as well as the sensitivities to contaminants in water and sediments were investigated using M. mai and M. acherusicum in the present study. These amphipods were tolerable to the adequate ranges of salinity ($10{\sim}30\;psu$), temperature ($10{\sim}25^{\circ}C$) and ammonia (<50 ppm). They have relevant sensitivities to the reference toxicants, dissolved cadmium as well as other metals and organic pollutants, when compared to the standard test species used in other countries. Field-sediment toxicity tests revealed that M. mai would be more sensitive to sediment-associated pollutants than M. acherusicum, while the sensitivity of M. acherusicum was comparable to those of other sediment test species in other countries. Overall results of this first attempt to develop an amphipod sediment toxicity test protocol in Korea indicated that M. mai and M. acherusicum should be applicable in the toxicity assessment of contaminated sediments, following the further evaluation encompassing various ecological and toxicological evaluation and the standardization of test method.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.32 no.5
• /
• pp.587-592
• /
• 1999

Littorina brevicula, a common small herbivorous gastropod, inhabits in almost every rocky and/or boulder shores of Korea with high density. The survival rates and oxygen consumption rates of this species exposed to tributyltinchloride (TBTCl), mercury (Hg) and cadmium (Cd) were investigated according to temperatures (15, $23^{\circ}C$) and individual sizes (12$\pm$0.5, 5$\pm$1 mm). At temperature $15^{\circ}C$, acute inhibitory concentrations for large (12$\pm$0.5 mm) and small (5 $\pm$1 mm) size individual showed that 13 day-$LC_{50}$ for TBTC1 were 0.87 and 0.65 ppm, respectively, 11 day-$LC_{50}$ of Hg were 5.55 and 2.85 ppm, respectively and 9 day-$LC_{50}$ of Cd were 13.77 and 8.46 ppm, respectively. At $23^{\circ}C$, acute inhibitory concentrations of pollutants on the large and the small size individual showed that 8 day-$LC_{50}$ of TBTCl were 0.68 and 0.15 ppm, respectively, 5 day-$LC_{50}$ of Hg were 10.41 and 5.73 ppm, respectively, and 4 day-$LC_{50}$ of Cd were 13.31 and 4.47 ppm, respectively. The order of toxicity on the species was TBTCl > Cd > Hg. Oxygen consumption rates during exposure to TBTCl, Hg and Cd toxicity were decreased more in small size than in large size individuals at 15 and $23^{\circ}C$.