• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.49 no.6
• /
• pp.334-343
• /
• 2023

Background: South Korea's Act on Registration and Evaluation, etc. of Chemicals (known as K-REACH) was established to protect public health and the environment from hazardous chemicals. 4,4'-Methylenedianiline (MDA), which is used as a major intermediate in industrial polymer production and as a vulcanizing agent in South Korea, is classified as a toxic substance under the K-REACH act. Although MDA poses potential ecological risks due to industrial emissions and hazards to aquatic ecosystems, no ecological risk assessment has been conducted. Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess the ecological risk of MDA by identifying the actual exposure status based on the K-REACH act. Methods: Various toxicity data were collected to establish predicted no effect concentrations (PNECs) for water, sediment, and soil. Using the SimpleBox Korea v2.0 model with domestic release statistical data and EU emission factors, predicted environmental concentrations (PECs) were derived for ten sites, each referring to an MDA-using company. Hazard quotient (HQ) was calculated by ratio of the PECs and PNECs to characterize the ecological risk posed by MDA. To validate the results of modeling-based assessment, concentration of MDA was measured using in-site freshwater samples (two to three samples per site). Results: PNECs for water, sediment, and soil were 0.000525 mg/L, 4.36 mg/kg dw, and 0.1 mg/kg dw, respectively. HQ for surface water and sediment at several company sites exceeded 1 due to modeling data showing markedly high PEC in each environmental compartment. However, in the results of validation using in-site surface water samples, MDA was not detected. Conclusions: Through an ecological risk assessment conducted in accordance with the K-REACH act, the risk level of MDA emitted into the environmental compartments in South Korea was found to be low.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.40 no.1
• /
• pp.34-44
• /
• 2016

Background: Little is known about how chemical water quality is associated with ecological stream health in relation to landuse patterns in a watershed. We evaluated spatial characteristics of water quality characteristics and the ecological health of Dongjin-River basin, Korea in relation to regional landuse pattern. The ecological health was assessed by the multi-metric model of Index of Biological Integrity (IBI), and the water chemistry data were compared with values obtained from the health model. Results: Nutrient and organic matter pollution in Dongjin-River basin, Korea was influenced by land use pattern and the major point sources, so nutrients of TN and TP increased abruptly in Site 4 (Jeongeup Stream), which is directly influenced by wastewater treatment plants along with values of electric conductivity (EC), bacterial number, and sestonic chlorophyll-a. Similar results are shown in the downstream (S7) of Dongjin River. The degradation of chemical water quality in the downstream resulted in greater impairment of the ecological health, and these were also closely associated with the landuse pattern. Forest region had low nutrients (N, P), organic matter, and ionic content (as the EC), whereas urban and agricultural regions had opposite in the parameters. Linear regression analysis of the landuse (arable land; $A_L$) on chemicals indicated that values of $A_L$ had positive linear relations with TP ($R^2=0.643$, p < 0.01), TN ($R^2=0.502$, p < 0.05), BOD ($R^2=0.739$, p < 0.01), and suspended solids (SS; ($R^2=0.866$, p < 0.01), and a negative relation with TDN:TDP ratios ($R^2=0.719$, p < 0.01). Conclusions: Chemical factors were closely associated with land use pattern in the watershed, and these factors influenced the ecological health, based on the multimetric fish IBI model. Overall, the impairments of water chemistry and the ecological health in Dongjin-River basin were mainly attributes to point-sources and land-use patterns.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
• /
• v.11 no.5
• /
• pp.55-72
• /
• 2015

This study investigated the relationship between the ecological literacy and the sense of happiness of child day care teachers. One hundred twenty -five child care teachers in the Incheon and Kyunggi areas were participated in this study. Data responses from day care teachers were analyzed sing SPSS 17. The results were as follows. First, generally, there was a significant difference in ecological literacy depending on child day care teachers' carre, experiences in early childhood, and in-service teacher program. However, there was no difference in ecological literacy except in ecological literacy attitude depending on child day care teachers' academic area. Second, there was a correlations between the ecological literacy and the sense of happiness of child day care teachers. This study will provide basic information to better understand the relationship between the ecological literacy and the sense of happiness of child day care teachers.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.42 no.2
• /
• pp.207-218
• /
• 2024

Food webs have received global attention as next-generation biomonitoring tools; however, it remains challenging because revealing trophic links between species is costly and laborious. Although a link-extrapolation method utilizing published trophic link data can address this difficulty, it has limitations when applied to construct food webs in domestic streams due to the lack of information on endemic species in global literature. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a link extrapolation-based food web model adapted to Korean stream ecosystems. We considered taxonomic similarity of predation and dominance of generalists in aquatic ecosystems, designing taxonomically higher-level matching methods: family matching for all fish (Family), endemic fish (Family-E), endemic fish playing the role of consumers (Family-EC), and resources (Family-ER). By adding the commonly used genus matching method (Genus) to these four matching methods, a total of five matching methods were used to construct 103 domestic food webs. Predictive power of both individual links and food web indices were evaluated by comparing constructed food webs with corresponding empirical food webs. Results showed that, in both evaluations, proposed methods tended to perform better than Genus in a data-poor environment. In particular, Family-E and Family-EC were the most effective matching methods. Our model addressed domestic data scarcity problems when using a link-extrapolation method. It offers opportunities to understand stream ecosystem food webs and may provide novel insights into biomonitoring.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.365-373
• /
• 2016

Much of the data used in the analysis of environmental ecological data is being obtained over time. If the number of time points is small, the data will not be given enough information, so repeated measurements or multiple survey points data should be used to perform a comprehensive analysis. The method used for that case is longitudinal data analysis or mixed model analysis. However, if the amount of information is sufficient due to the large number of time points, repetitive data are not needed and these data are analyzed using time series analysis technique. In particular, with a large number of data points in the current situation, when we want to predict how each variable affects each other, or what trends will be expected in the future, we should analyze the data using time series analysis techniques. In this study, we introduce univariate time series analysis, intervention time series model, transfer function model, and multivariate time series model and review research papers studied in Korea. We also introduce an error correction model, which can be used to analyze environmental ecological data.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
• /
• v.21 no.1
• /
• pp.220-227
• /
• 2012

After The Ramsar Convention took place in Korea in 2008, public interest in environment heightened, and the government has been allocating its budget for conserving our environment. Therefore, the present study focuses on eco-friendly spatial images particularly shown in ecological museums in Korea which recognizes the value of the environment and the ecology and tries to both protect them and alert people about it. The purpose of this study is proving what consist of eco-friendly spatial images by analyzing the expressive word of eco-friendly images and the image of space, providing a basic data for future space planning of ecological museums. To do this, the present study proceeds in three steps. First of all, the base of research in analyzing stage is firmly established by grasping general theories and terms regarding spatial image. As a second step, the composition and the characteristics of exhibition is clarified through on-spot investigation to provide comparative data for spatial image assessment in the future. Also through this step, we could understand how the exhibits are designed currently. In the last stage of research, expressive words regarding eco-friendly spatial images are extracted and used to analyze the spatial image of ecological museums. And the following three conclusions is deduced. First, the expressive words of eco-friendly spatial image that are extracted are as following: "healthy", "coexisting", "clean", "blending", "warm", "soft", "lively", "pure", "cool", "fresh ", "comfortable", "relaxed", "mild", "free", "harmonious", and "healing". As the second conclusion, color, and material, the formation which is an architectural factor did not have a great impact on forming eco-friendly image, but the color and the material did. The third conclusion was that the display with natural aspects actively utilized increased eco-friendly spatial image.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.189-200
• /
• 2008

As a transition zone between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, riparian areas of rivers and streams play significant roles in production and decomposition for river and stream systems. Understanding of the physical and ecological characteristics of riparian areas are, therefore, important for the management of river and stream systems. It is especially important to understand the characteristics of riparian areas for the Nakdong River in Korea which has a large watershed area and diverse land uses. This study aimed at collecting field data, according to stream types, which are essential for the management of riparian areas of the middle and lower reaches of the Nakdong River, Korea. Most riparian areas surveyed in this study had roads within 100 meters from river edges. Distances from water edge to banks were less than 1m for most riparian areas neighboring agricultural lands, indicating that those areas might be very vulnerable to pollutant inputs from non-point sources. Water quality data indicated that soil erosion in the riparian areas could be a major source of phosphorus input to the Nakdong River and land use patters might have a significant influence on nitrogen concentration in the river. Heavy metal concentrations in soils of the riparian areas of the river were below soil quality standards, except arsenic and chromium. Vegetation surveys showed that therophytes were the most frequently occurred riparian plants in the Nakdong River. Number of aquatic plant species increased downstream, with the most diverse aquatic plants observed in wetlands and irrigation canals of the West Nakdong River. Occurrence rate of naturalized plants and urbanization index were high in the survey sites adjacent to urban and agricultural areas.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.307-318
• /
• 2012

To understand forest structures, the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) instrument have been employed to measure and monitor forest canopy with feasibility of acquiring three dimensional canopy structure information. This study tried to examine the potential of GLAS dataset in measuring forest canopy structures, particularly maximum canopy height estimation. To estimate maximum canopy height using feasible GLAS dataset, we simply used difference between signal start and ground peak derived from Gaussian decomposition method. After estimation procedure, maximum canopy height was derived from airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data and it was applied to evaluate the accuracy of that of GLAS estimation. In addition, several influences, such as topographical and biophysical factors, were analyzed and discussed to explain error sources of direct maximum canopy height estimation using GLAS data. In the result of estimation using direct method, a root mean square error (RMSE) was estimated at 8.15 m. The estimation tended to be overestimated when comparing to derivations of airborne LiDAR. According to the result of error occurrences analysis, we need to consider these error sources, particularly terrain slope within GLAS footprint, and to apply statistical regression approach based on various parameters from a Gaussian decomposition for accurate and reliable maximum canopy height estimation.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
• /
• v.5 no.4
• /
• pp.24-34
• /
• 2002

The purpose of this study is to estimate the ecological effect of DMZ for development and conservation of this area. Because of the political reason, field research and estimation of the ecological effect using field data is very difficult. Then we carried out the estimation of the ecological effect using Landsat ETM+ and ancillary data of digital maps. Because of military disturbance and agricultural activity of common people, NDVI of DMZ was very low value except the interior area of DMZ. According to the distance of DMZ, the variance of NDVI didn't show the logistic curve. This result has the reason as follows. The developing force at level plane of west and middle area reached to DMZ and we could concluded in that case of east area had been effect of regular cutting for view.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.280-291
• /
• 2021

The study examined the influence of climate and soil dynamics on vegetation health across the ecological zones in Rivers State, Nigeria. MODIS imagery was used to assess the vegetation health through NDVI and point grid pattern of meteorological data for total precipitation (TP), air temperature (AT), soil moisture (SM) and soil temperature (ST) of 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012 and 2015 were used for the study. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. Findings showed that NDVI ranged between 0.420 and 0.612 in the freshwater swamp (FWS) while between 0.465 and 0.611 in the rainforest and the NDVI in the mangrove was generally low. The highest mean AT was experienced in the mangrove ecological zone and the least was experienced in the rainforest. The mean SM was generally highest in the rainforest with highest value in 2000 (774.44 m³/m³). The ST was highest in the mangrove and the least was experienced in the rainforest while the TP was highest in the mangrove. NDVI correlated significantly with SM (r=0.720; p<0.05) and ST (r= -0.493; p<0.05). NDVI, SM, TP and ST significantly varied among the ecological zones. Regression analysis showed that vegetation health was significantly related to the combination of soil temperature and soil moisture (R²=0.641; p=0.000). Thus, monitoring the factors that affect vegetation health in a changing climate and soil environments is highly required.