• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.130-138
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• 2004

Food wastes with different regional origins were mixed with bulking agent such as paper mill sludge or night soil, and aged for 21 days or 28 days. And aged food wastes were fed to the earthworm(tiger worm, Eisenia fetida) for 60 days. There were no significant physico-chemical differences among the food wastes with different regional origins. EC values and NaCl concentrations in food wastes were too high for earthworms to survive. Food wastes mixed with paper mill sludge were vermicomposted more efficiently than food wastes mixed with night soil, but the over-all vermicomposting rates on the food wastes were much lower than that on paper mill sludge because EC values and NaCl concentrations were still high for earthworm to compost the feeds. Earthworm population did not increase its biomass on the food wastes mixed with paper mill sludge or night soil, whereas earthworm population fed with paper mill sludge increased its biomass by 20% for 60 days. It could be concluded that a solution for reducing NaCl concentrations in food waste should be developed to vermicompost food waste.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2013

To assess the feasibility of phlorotannins from Eisenia bicyclis as cancer chemopreventative agents, we tested whether they induced quinone reductase (QR) in Hepa1c1c7 cells. The ethyl acetate (EtOAc) soluble fraction obtained from E. bicyclis exhibited a QR induction activity in Hepa1c1c7 cells. Successive column chromatography of the active EtOAc fraction resulted in the isolation of four phlorotannins. Their structures were elucidated using one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic techniques and characterized as phloroglucinol (1), dioxinodehydroeckol (2), dieckol (3), and fucofuroeckol-A (4). Among these compounds, fucofuroeckol-A (4) showed moderate QR induction activity, and dioxinodehydroeckol (2) exhibited potent QR induction potency with $2.05{\pm}0.04$ fold induction at a concentration of $50{\mu}M$ compared to the dimethyl sulfoxide solvent-treated control cells. However, phloroglucinol (1) and dieckol (3) exerted no detectable QR induction activity in Hepa1c1c7 cells. These results suggest that dioxinodehydroeckol could serve as a useful cancer chemopreventive chemical.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.45-53
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• 2010

Feeding rate and growth rate of earthworm population on the variously pretreated spent materials of the agaric-mushroom cultivation were investigated. When the spent mushroom substrates with different aging periods were supplied to earthworm, feeding rate and growth rate of earthworm population on spent mushroom substrates aged less than 10 days were higher than that on spent mushroom substrates aged more than 20 days. Feeding rate and growth rate were not increased when the spent mushroom substrate mixed with vermicasts or nitrogenous fertilizer was supplied. Feeding rate and growth rate on the ground mushroom substrate were higher than that on the non-ground mushroom substrate. Especially when the ground mushroom substrate was mixed with rice bran and supplied to earthworms, growth rate was much higher than that on the non-ground spent mushroom substrate; it increased 1.85 times.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.20 no.2 s.91
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• pp.84-87
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• 2005

Toxicity test for biodiesel (BD), biodiesel-derived neopentyl polyol ester (NPE) lubricant oil base, lubricant oil for diesel engine oil (LODE) and petroleum diesel (PD) was carried out using earthworm, Eisenia fefida. According to the method by OECD 207, the $LC_{50}$ values of BD and NPE were estimated as 2,450 and 1,528 mg/kg, respectively, which indicate that these compounds are classified as slightly toxic compounds. The $LC_{50}$ values of LODE and PD were estimated as 500 and 603mg/kg, respectively, showing that theses compounds are evaluated as moderately toxic compounds.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.161-167
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• 2020

The goal of this study was to isolate and characterize the wild yeast strains from the gut of earthworm(Eisenia andrei). The 19 yeast strains isolated from 5 gut of earthworm samples from Nanji water regeneration center in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea. Among them, 16 strains were recorded and 3 strains, Yarrowia deformans YP242 (=KACC48778), Sporidiobolus pararoseus YP66 (=KCTC27963) and Naganishia liquefaciens YI9 (=KACC48948) were recorded for the first time in Korea. The microbiological characteristics of these previously unrecorded yeasts were investigated. All three strains were oval-shaped, convex and smooth. However, they showed some differences in colony color and result of carbon assimilation assays. YP242 was white-colored and assimilated glycerol, L-arabinose and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine as carbon sources. YP66 was red-colored and assimilated D-Saccharose. YI9 was whitecolored and positive for 2-keto-D-gluconate assimilation.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.181-186
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• 2010

Perfluorinated Compounds (PFCs) are anthropogenic compounds found in trace amounts in many environmental compartments far from areas of production. Along with the highly persistent nature of PFCs, there are increasing concerns over the potential adverse effects of them on the ecosystems. Most of highly fluorinated compounds degrade into PFOS and PFOA that are very stable compounds hard to break down. So, in this study, we tried to determine the toxicity of PFOS and PFOA in the terrestrial invertebrate. Acute toxicity test using earthworm, Eisenia fetida, was performed according to the OECD test guideline 207 (Earthworm, Acute Toxicity Tests). In the 14 day acute toxicity tests, the highest concentration causing no mortality and the lowest concentration causing 100% mortality of PFOS were 160 and 655 mg/kg (dry weight), respectively. And the highest concentration causing no mortality and the lowest concentration causing 100% mortality were 500 and 1,690 mg/kg (dry weight), respectively in the PFOA-exposure group. 14 day-LC50 values were estimated at the level of 365 and 1,000 mg/kg (dry weight) in the PFOS and PFOA-exposed group. These results indicate that under laboratory conditions PFOS is about 3 times more toxic to earthworms than PFOA. Based on known environmental concentrations of PFOS in the soil of Korea, which occur in the 0.42~0.73 ng/L range, there is no apparent risk to terrestrial invertebrate, earthworms. However, further work is required to investigate long-term effects on these and other terrestrial organisms.

• Proceedings of the KAIS Fall Conference
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.311-314
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• 2004

Toxicity test fur various synthetic lubricant oil bases derived from biodiesel was carried out. The earthworms(Eisenia fetida) were maintanied in artificial soil consisting of sand for 14 days. Eisenia fetida was cultivated at temperature of $20{\pm}2^{\circ}C$, pH 6.0 $\pm$ 0.5 and moisture of $31\~37\%$. Pentaerythritol(PE) lubricant oil base was tested for acute toxicities to Eisenia fetida. The earthworms were exposed to each lubricant oil with various concentrations of lubricant oil base. After 14 days, the number of surviving earthworms and thier weight alteration during the test period was determined. $LC_{50}$(lethal concentration when $50\%$ of the population were killed) pentaerythritol was determined to be 1,555 mg/kg soil dry weight.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.1-8
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• 2012

The success of stabilization treatment in heavy metal contaminated sediment depends on the heavy metal bioavailability reduction through the sequestration of the heavy metals. This study was performed to assess the changes in the bioavailability of Pb or Cd in the Pb or Cd contaminated sediments by using birnessite and hydroxyapatite as stabilizing agents. The toxicity tests were carried out using a microorganism (Vibrio fischeri), an amphipod (Hyalella azteca) and an earthworm (Eisenia foetida). With Vibrio fischeri, the toxicities of both Pb and Cd were reduced by more than ten times in the presence of birnessite and hydroxyapatite compared to that of in the absence of birnessite and hydroxyapatite. The concentrations of Pb and Cd in the contaminated sediments were lethal to Hyalella azteca, however, in the presence of birnessite and hydroxyapatite more than 90%, on average, of Hyalella azteca survived. With Eisenia foetida, the bioaccumulated concentrations of both Pb and Cd were reduced by more than 75%, on average, lower with the addition of birnessite and hydroxyapatite to the contaminated sediments. These results show that the addition of birnessite and hydroxyapatite can reduce the bioavailability of Pb and Cd in contaminated sediments. In addition, the in situ and ex situ performance of birnessite and hydroxyapatite as stabilizing agents can be verified using the toxicity tests with Hyalella azteca and Eisenia foetida, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.392-395
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• 2006

The toxic effects of 9 commercially available herbicides on the earthworm, Eisenia fetida (Savigny) were evaluated with recommended dose, 2-fold and 4-fold dose using soil surface spray, immersion and contact filter tests in order to find out whether herbicides actually influence the life of earthworm in the soil or not. In the surface sprayed soil test, the earthworm mortality to nine herbicides were not significantly different from the comparison with the control regardless of level of dose. In the immersion test, the mortality of 4-fold dose was 34% in the napropamide and 64% in the alachlor. In contact filter test, the mortality appeared 80% in alachlor, 37% in napropamide, and 10% in triclopyr at 2-fold dose level and those of 4-fold dose were as follows: napropamide 96%, alachlor 80%, glyphosate 47%, triclopyr 37%, paraquatdichloride 37%; glufosinate ammonium 33%, pyributicarb 10%. As a result of these tests by three methods, the mortality of earthworm in terms of the recommended dose level was no observation about eight herbicides while the napropamide appeared 33% in contact filter test.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.51-64
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• 2023

The sustainable management of rice straw is essential for protection of human health and environment. This study assesses the impact of stock density of earthworm (Eisenia fetida) and Neem leaves (Azadirachta indica) on the quality of the final vermicompost. The vermicompost is produced using different combinations of rice straw, Neem leaves, and cow dung (bulking agent) by varying stock density of earthworms. The vermicomposting experiments are performed in plastic containers (32 cm × 28 cm × 28 cm) in open for 90 days under laboratory conditions. The stock density of the earthworm is found to be an important factor to influence nutritional quality of the final vermicompost. There is observed significant improvement in the total nitrogen (91.8%), phosphate (73.4%), potassium (38.8%), and calcium (59.05%) content of the vermicompost produced with the highest stock density of the earthworms. All the treatments showed decrease in TOC and C:N content after 90 days of vermicomposting. The treatment with Neem leaves showed maximum growth of earthworms (2.65 fold). Neem leaves brought positive changes in the quality of final vermicompost by enhancing the growth and reproduction of the earthworms. The calcium content increased by 39% in the final vermicompost with the addition of Neem leaves at the same stock density of the earthworms. The stock density of the earthworms and Neem leaves are found to significantly improve quality of the final vermicompost as compared with the compost (control). The surface morphology in SEM images showed high degree of fragmentation in the vermicompost as compared with the compost. The combined action of microbes and earthworms resulted in high degree of disintegration in the vermicompost.