• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.103-116
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• 2022

Heavy metal contaminations were investigated in fishes inhabiting the basins of Andong, Imha and Yeongju dam basins along the upper stream of the Nakdong river. The characteristics of heavy metals contamination in fish were investigated based on sampling sites located in the Andong dam basin. The muscle tissue was analyzed for 267 objects of 26 species from the Andong dam, 50 objects of 17 species from Imha dam, 38 objects of 9 species fromYoungju dam basin.The type and amount of heavy metals concentrated in the body of the fishes was found to be species-dependent. The heavy metal species which contamination increase through the Seokpo smelter are chromium, zinc, cadmium, and lead, and these are very likely the influence of the smelter. The concentration of eight heavy metals in fish from the Andong dam basin was higher than that in fish from the Imha and Youngju dam basins; the values for zinc, arsenic, and cadmium were significantly higher. However, mercury and lead exhibited high values in the Imha and Yeongju dam basins, respectively.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.16-23
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• 2023

Heavy metal (Zinc, Cadmium, Lead) adsorption onto surface modified activated carbon was performed in order to better understand the effect of sodium ion addition to activated carbon. Surface modification methods in this research included water washing, nitric acid washing, and sodium addition after nitric acid washing. These surface modifications generated oxygen functional groups with sodium ions on the surface of the activated carbon.. This caused the change of the specific surface area as well as in the ratio of the carboxyl groups. Heavy metal adsorption onto sodium-containing activated carbon was the most among the three modifications. After the adsorption of heavy metals, the carboxyl group ratio decreased and sodium ions on the surface of the activated carbon were almost non-existent after the adsorption of heavy metals onto sodium-containing activated carbon. The results from this research indicated that ion exchange with sodium ions in carboxyl groups effectively improved heavy metal adsorption rather than electrostatic adsorption and hydrogen ion exchange.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.41-47
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• 2020

This study was carried out to utilize the coal bottom ash generated in a circulating fluidized bed combustion boiler as a treatment agent for heavy metal ions, and experiments were conducted to remove heavy metal ions from the acid mine drainage. The batch experiments were conducted to investigate the influence of dosage of ash, initial concentration of solution on the removal capacity of heavy metal ions (Cu, Cd, Cr, Pb). The results of the experiment showed that the total removal capacity of heavy metals was 30.8 mg/L and 46.4 mg/g, respectively, under the condition that the concentration of coal ash was added as 15 g/L of heavy materials and 10 g/L of light materials. After that, a long-term column experiment was performed to determine the maximum removal capacity of heavy metal ions (Cu, Cd, Cr, Pb, As), and the removal capacity for each metal component was investigated. After approximately 60 days of operation, the maximum removal capacity of heavy metals was 23.6 mg/g at pH 9.25.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.279-293
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• 2014

Objectives: Children are more susceptible to heavy metal toxicity than adults. The purpose of this study was to evaluate heavy metal concentrations in the blood of Korean preschoolers and investigate the association between metals in blood and related factors. Methods: A total of 512 subjects from 36 to 83 months of age were sampled. A questionnaire survey was performed and the levels of lead, mercury and cadmium were measured in the blood samples of all subjects. Their parents were interviewed in order to obtain information on basic characteristics, dietary patterns, socio-economic factors, and indoor/outdoor environment of the preschoolers. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the association between the above factors and lead, mercury or cadmium concentrations. Results: The geometric mean concentrations of lead, mercury and cadmium in the blood were $1.45{\pm}1.58{\mu}g/dL$, $2.14{\pm}1.74{\mu}g/dL$ and $0.23{\pm}1.91{\mu}g/dL$, respectively. Results from multiple linear regression analysis showed that blood lead levels were associated with birth weight and paternal smoking status. Daily mercury intake from food and maternal education were also shown to influence mercury concentrations in blood. Also, blood cadmium concentrations were associated with maternal age and having a bus garage near the place of residence. Conclusion: This study suggests that smoking status, dietary patterns and the environmental status near the residence should be considered as important factors for preventable sources of heavy metal exposure in preschoolers.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.252-271
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• 2020

In this study, we investigated physical and chemical properties such as grain size, heavy metal pollution, magnetic properties, and their environmental impacts of road dusts (RD) collected from 14 sampling points in Daebul industrial Complex. Heavy metal concentrations in RD were in the order of Fe>Zn>Cu>Pb>Cr>Ni>As>Cd>Hg, and this pollution pattern was related to major industries and traffic activities in this area. The results of the correlation analysis between heavy metal elements and particle size in RD showed that Fe and all of analyzed heavy metals had a significant correlation with each other and metal concentrations had a significantly negative correlation (p<0.05). However, due to the input of large metal particles some heavy metal concentrations in the particle fraction of >1000 ㎛ were highest. Pollution load per unit area of this fraction was the highest among the grain size fractions. Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb levels in RD decreased and the levels of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb were reduced to 85 (As) -22 (Ni)% of the whole after removal of MFs fraction from RD. The mean heavy metal levels in the study area did not exceed the soil contamination guide value of Korea, indicating that heavy metal levels in RD were not a concern. However, at some sampling points, Zn concentrations were exceeded the soil contamination guide value for the 3rd areas of Korea and this result indicated that further studies of the impact of RD on the surrounding environment through re-suspension or non-point pollution, and of effective management methods are required.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.305-318
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• 1999

This study were conducted to estimate the values of the heavy metal in the fresh water fish and shellfish collected from fish market. The levels of the heavy metal were determined in a total of 319 samples of 11 species of the fresh water fish and 14 species of the shellfish by mercury analyzer and atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The results of this study were summerized as follows; The average contents of the heavy metal in the fresh water fish were Pb 0.075, Hg 0.05:3, Cd 0.002, Cr 0.135, Fe 8.695, Mn 1.078, Zn 9A91, Cu 0.548 mg/ kg. The average contents of the heavy metal in the shellfish were Pb 0.059. Hg 0.007, Cd 0.146, Cr 0.147, Fe 40.808, Mn 7.738, Zn 13.943, Cu 2.7:31 mg/kg. Being compared the average contents of the heavy metal of the fresh water fish with those of shellfish, the average contents of Cd, Fe, Mn, Cu in the shellfish were significantly higher than in the fresh water fish(P<0.001). Depending on the sampling areas, the average contents of the heavy metal were different by districts. The contents of the heavy metal were changed with the seasons(P<0.05).

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

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.175-183
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• 2022

In this study, 46 reservoirs in South Korea were characterized based on heavy metal concentration in sediments. We analyzed the relationship between heavy metal concentrations, physicochemical water quality and hydromorphological factors in each reservoir. Study reservoirs were classified into five groups of reservoirs, by hierarchical cluster analysis based on the similarities of heavy metal concentration. Group 1 had the most severe sediment heavy metal contamination among the groups, whereas Groups 2 and 3 showed low levels of heavy metal contamination. Group 4 displayed high value of Ni, and Group 5 showed high contamination of Pb, Cu, Cr, Ni, and Hg. Groups 1 and 5, which had high concentration of heavy metals in sediments, showed a high density of mines in the catchment of reservoirs. Heavy metal concentration was high in reservoirs with large capacity or the ones located at higher elevation, and also highly related with number of mines in the catchment of reservoir. This study can contribute to the systematic management of sediment heavy metals in reservoirs.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.175-188
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• 2015

For 63 soil series distributed in Jeju Island, natural uncultivated soils in each soil series were collected, and their physicochemical properties and their concentrations of 19 heavy metals including 8 heavy metals which are regulated by Korean Soil Environment Conservation Law, were analyzed. Moreover, the correlations between physicochemical properties and heavy metal concentrations, and between heavy metal concentrations were analyzed. The heavy metals distributed in the higher concentrations and the lower concentrations with arithmetric mean value, were Mn(730 mg/kg) and Ba(493 mg/kg), and Hg(0.146 mg/kg) and Tl(0.096 mg/kg), respectively. The correlations between pH($H_2O$) and heavy metals(Hg, Ni, Co, Se), between pH(NaF) and heavy metals(Hg, Ba, Se, Tl), and between organic matter content and heavy metals(Hg, Tl) were significant at the 0.01 level. From the correlations between heavy metal concentrations, there were 22 where there were significant at the 0.01 level and they showed positive correlation. Among those, the heavy metals showing the correlation higher than r=0.5, were Sb-V(0.878), Mo-Sn(0.867), Co-V(0.654), Co-Sb(0.648), Be-Sn(0.546), and Sn-Tl(0.528).

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.7-12
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• 2001

Three Pseudomonas strains (Bk8, Bk9, Bk10) selected from soil for their ability to degrade herbicide diuron were tested for their heavy metal resistance. The growth of these catabolic strains on a minimal medium with various concentrations of $Cd^{2+},\;Zn^{2+},\;Ni^{2+}$, and $Hg^{2+}$ revealed a minimal effect on the carbon source for the inhibitory effect of the metals. One of these strains, namely, Bk8, exhibited a high resistance to the heavy metals as compared to the two other strains. This strain harbors plasmid pBk8 (110 kb) and contains at least fur determinants encoding heavy metal resistance. Nickel and zinc resistance are encoded by genes located on the chromosome, while cadmium and mercury resistance are on plasmid pBk8. Accordingly, the characteristics of strain Bk8 suggest that it would be useful in the bioremediation of aromatic compounds in the presence of toxic heavy metals as co-contaminants.