• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.8-25
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• 2020

Industrialization has increased the production of road-deposited sediments (RDS) and the level of heavy metals in those RDS, which can have a significant impact on the surrounding aquatic environments through non-point pollution. Although the relationship between contamination characteristics and particle size of RDS is important for pollution control, there is very little information on this. In this study, we investigated the characteristics of grain size distribution and heavy metal concentrations in the road-deposited sediments (RDS) collected from 25 stations in Shihwa Industrial Complex. The environmental impact of RDS with particle size is also studied. I_geo, the contamination assessment index of each metal concentration, represents the RDS from Shihwa Industrial Complex are very highly polluted with Cu, Zn, Pb and Sb, and the levels of those metals were 633~3605, 130~1483, 120~1997, 5.5~50 mg/kg, respectively. The concentrations of heavy metals in RDS increased with the decrease in particle size. The particle size fraction below 250 ㎛ was very dominant with mass and contamination loads, 78.6 and 70.4%, respectively. Particles less than 125 ㎛ of RDS were highly contaminated and toxic to benthic organisms in rivers. RDS particles larger than 250 ㎛ and smaller than 250 ㎛ were contaminated by the surrounding industrial facility and vehicle activities, respectively. As a result of this study, the clean-up of fine particles of RDS, smaller than 125-250 ㎛, is very important for the control and reduction of non-point pollution to nearby water in Shihwa Industrial Complex.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.91-109
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• 2022

The ocean is a significant sink for atmospheric anthropogenic CO₂, absorbing one-third of the total CO₂ emitted by human activities. In return, oceans have experienced significant declines in seawater pH and the aragonite saturation state also called ocean acidification. This study evaluates the distribution of aragonite saturation state, an indicator to assess the potential threat from ocean acidification, by combining newly obtained data from the west coast of South Korea with previous datasets covering the Yellow Sea, East Sea, northern South China Sea, and southeast coast of South Korea. In general, offshore waters absorb atmospheric CO₂; however, most of the collected water samples show aragonite oversaturation. On the southeast coast, the aragonite saturation state was significantly affected by river discharge and associated variables, such as freshwater input with nutrients, seasonal stratification, biological carbon fixation, and bacterial remineralization. In summer, hypoxia and mixing with relatively acidic freshwater made the Jinhae and Gwangyang Bays undersaturated with respect to aragonite, possibly threatening marine organisms with CaCO₃ shells. However, widespread aragonite undersaturation was not observed on the west coast, which receives considerable river water discharge. In addition, occasional upwelling events may have worsened the ocean acidification in the southwestern part of the East Sea. These results highlight the importance of investigating site-specific ocean acidification processes in coastal waters. Along with the above-mentioned seasonal factors, the dissolution of atmospheric CO₂ and the deposition of atmospheric acidic substances will continue to reduce the aragonite saturation state in Korean waters. To protect marine ecosystems and resources, an ocean acidification monitoring program should be established for Korean waters.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.136-143
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• 2016

To provide a type approval test for Ballast Water Treatment System (BWTS) of United States Coast Guard (USCG) Phase-II, this study examined the concentrating efficiency of nets for ${\geq}10{\mu}m$ and ${\leq}50{\mu}m$ sized phytoplanktonic organisms using different mesh sized nets ($5{\mu}m$ or $7{\mu}m$), different injection methods (hand breaker as semi-continuous assessment or pump as continuous assessment), and different filterability for the water volume. As a result of the t-test, the net concentrated efficiency between $5{\mu}m$ and $7{\mu}m$ mesh size was not significant (p > 0.05). The difference in the net concentrated efficiency for filtered natural water volume was not significant (p > 0.05). On the other hand, the Chl.a concentration in the continuous water injection method was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than that of semi-continuous water injection (t-test: t: -4.058). In the natural phytoplankton community, a total of 36 species were identified, including Bacillariophyta (17 species), Dinophyta (15 species), Euglenophyta (1 species), Dictyochophyta (2 species), and unidentified taxa (1 species). Among them, diatom Pseudo-nitzchia spp. was remarkably dominant. In particular, the net concentrated efficiency in all assessments was underestimated to be approximately 20-25%, which was caused by the small size Pseudo-nitzchia spp.. A width size of these genus might have passed through the $5{\mu}m$ or $7{\mu}m$ mesh size of the net. Therefore, net concentrated efficiency is dependent on the size of the observed species in natural water. This issue should be considered when determining the net volume for the type approval test of BWTS.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.52-60
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• 2011

Today, the weather is changing continually, due to the progress of global warming. As the weather changes, the habitats of different organisms will change as well. It cannot be predicted whether or not the weather will change with each passing day. In particular, the biological distribution of the areas climate change affects constitutes a major factor in determining the natural state of indigenous plants; additionally, plants are constantly exposed to rhizospheric microorganisms, which are bound to be sensitive to these changes. Interest has grown in the relationship between plants and rhizopheric microorganisms. As a result of this interest we elected to research and experiment further. We researched the dominant changes that occur between plants and rhizospheric organisms due to global warming. First, we used temperature as a variable. We employed four different temperatures and four different sites: room temperature ($27^{\circ}C$), $+2^{\circ}C$, $+4^{\circ}C$, and $+6^{\circ}C$. The four different sites we used were populated by the following species: Pinus deniflora, Pinus koraiensis, Quercus acutissima, and Alnus japonica. We counted colonies of these plants and divided them. Then, using 16S rRNA analysis we identified the microorganisms. In conclusion, we identified the following genera, which were as follows: 10 species of Bacillus, 2 Enterobacter species, 4 Pseudomonas species, 1 Arthrobacter species, 1 Chryseobacterium species, and 1 Rhodococcus species. Among these genera, the dominant species in Pinus deniflora was discovered in the same genus, but a different species dominated at $33^{\circ}C$. Additionally, that of Pinus koraiensis changed in both genus and species which changed into the Chryseobacrterium genus from the Bacilus genus at $33^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.278-284
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• 2008

Artificially-produced juvenile black sea bream Acanthopagrus schlegeli (total length $8.3{\pm}1.0\;cm$, body weight $11.2{\pm}4.2\;g$) were released in eelgrass, Zostera marina bed and their initial food organism and changes of body compositions were investigated for one month after release. Predation rates in fish sampled on 1st and 3rd days were 79%, increased up to 100% on 7th and 10th days, and then decreased on 30th days as 75%. Major prey organisms was composed of mainly Amphipoda and Gastropoda. Ratio of Amphipoda and Gastropoda in stomach were highest in fish sampled on 15th and 1st days after release, respectively. Crustacea and Algae were maintained about 20% during a sampling period. Visceral weight index (VWI) offish sampled 20th and 30th after release were significantly higher than that of initial. Carcass crude protein and lipid contents of released fish were showed significantly decreasing; however carcass n-3 HUFA composition was showed increasing tendency with the passage of time after release. Eelgrass bed was supposed to be helpful for the released fish to adjust their feeding habits and biochemical metabolism to the natural environment within a short period after release.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.91-106
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• 1989

Chlorella has been used as a very useful food for rearing rotifer which is an important live food for early stages of fish and crustancean larvae. But Chlorella does not grow well in higher or lower temperature such as during summer or winter season in this country. Therefore, cooling or heating facilities are needed for Chlorella culture during summer or winter, but it costs too much for the commercial scale fish farmers. To solve this problem, the growth rates of 34 different species of phytoplanktons were examined at the various levels of temperatures, salinites and light intensities to select suitable species as the food for rotifers for summer and that for winter. After the suitable species were selected, growth comparisons of rotifer groups which were fed the selected species of phytoplanktons against rotifer group fed Chlorella as a control were done. Fatty acid compositions of the selected phytoplanktons and rotifer groups which were fed these selected phytoplanktons were examined. It was revealed that Nannnochioris oculata was optimum for rotifers in summer season and Phaeodactylum tricornutum was suitable for that in winter season. The optimum temperature, salinity and light intensity for former phytoplankton were $28^{\circ}C$, $33\%_{\circ}$ and 5,000 lux and those for later were $10^{\circ}C$, $30\%_{\circ}$ and 8,000 lux, respectively. In the higher temperature condition, the growth of N. oculata fed rotifer group was better than Chlorella ellipsoidea fed group. In the lower temperature condition, however, the growth of Chlorella fed rotifer group was slightly better than P. tricornutum fed group. Between two selected phytoplanktons, N. oculata has the highest content of linolenic acid (18 : 3 $\omega$ - 3, $\omega$ - 6) which is essential fatty acid for marine fish larvae. A rotifer group which was fed this plankton also showed the highest linolenic acid content among the other rotifer groups.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.365-384
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• 2012

Microalgae are photosynthetic microorganisms that are highly productive in the presence of basic renewable natural sources (light, $CO_2$, water and nutrients). They can synthesize lipids, carbohydrates and proteins in a small number of days. Subsequently, these carbon-captured products can be processed into both biofuels and valuable co-products. Additionally, microalgae would be an ideal feedstock for replacing land-based food crops with cellular products as high energy density transportation fuels. These microscopic organisms could contribute a significant amount of renewable energy on a global scale. In Korea, microalgae biofuel research was common in the early 1990s. The research activities were unfortunately stopped due to limited governmental funds and low petroleum prices. Interest in algal biofuels in Korea has been growing recently due to an increased concern over oil prices, energy security, greenhouse gas emissions, and the potential for other biofuel feedstock to compete for limited agricultural resources. The high productivity of microalgae suggests that much of the Korean transportation fuel requirements can be met by biofuels at a production cost competitive with the increasing cost of petroleum seen in early 2008. At this time, the development of microlalgal biomass production technology remains in its infancy. This study reviewed microalgae culture systems and biomass production, harvesting, oil extraction, conversion, and technoeconomical bottlenecks. Many technical and economic barriers to using microalgal biofuels need to be overcome before mass production of microalgal-derived fuel substitutes is possible. However, serious efforts to overcome these barriers could become a large-scale commercial reality. Overall, this study provides a brief overview of the past few decades of global microalgal research.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.149-155
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• 2016

To assess the effects of environmental factors on the sustainability of cultured ark shell Scapharca broughtonii production, we investigated the habitat characteristics of shellfish-farming bays (Gangjin Bay, Yeoja Bay, Keoje Bay and Deukryang Bay). We measured the physiochemical parameters (temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, nutrients, chemical oxygen demand and Chlorophyll a) and the geochemical characteristics (chemical oxygen demand, ignition loss, C/N ratio and C/S ratio). Surface sediments were collected from several shellfish-farming bays to examine the geochemical characteristics of both the benthic environment and heavy metal pollution. The grain sizes for Gangjin Bay, Yeoja Bay and Keoje Bay were similar, at the ratio of silt and clay in comparison with Deukryang bay of it. The C/N ratio was more than 5.9, reflecting the range arising from the mix of marine organisms and organic matter. The C/S ratio (more than 4.2) showed that the survey area had anoxic or sub-anoxic bottom conditions. The index of accumulation rate (Igeo) of the metals showed that those research areas can be classified as heavily polluted, heavily to moderately polluted, or more or less unpolluted, respectively. We suggested that the growth of ark shell Scapharca broughtonii in the shellfish-farming bay was effected by the various environmental conditions.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.371-381
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• 2014

The bioaccumulation of 16 United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and alkylated PAHs in the Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum exposed to sediments artificially contaminated by Iranian Heavy Crude Oil was measured and the biota-sediment accumulation factor (BSAF) was estimated through laboratory experiments. The proportion of 16 PAHs accumulated in the tissue of R. philippinarum was only from 3 to 7% of total PAHs. Among 16 PAHs, the concentration of naphthalene was highest in the tissue. Alkylated PAHs were highly accumulated more than 93% of total PAHs. The C3 dibenzothiophene was most highly accumulated. The relative composition of alkylated naphthalenes in the tissue of R. philippinarum was lower than in the sediments. In contrast, those of alkylated compounds of fluorenes, phenanthrenes, dibenzothiophenes were higher in the tissue than the sediments. The BSAF for sum of 16 PAHs was 0.11 to 0.13 g carbon/g lipid and that for alkylated PAHs was 0.05 to 0.06 g carbon/g lipid. Naphthalene showed the highest BSAF value. Alkylated PAHs with the same parent compound, BSAF tended to increase with the number of alkylated branch increased, except for alkylated chrysenes. BSAF of total PAHs lies between that of field-based values, and are also similar to those of other persistent organic pollutants (PCBs, DDTs, HCHs). This study provides the BSAF values of individual alkylated PAHs accumulated in R. philippinarum for the first time and will be used as a basis for further understanding the bioaccumulation of organic contaminants in the marine benthic organisms.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-20
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• 2000

There are increasing evidences of climate change in the Antarctic and Arctic Oceans, especially elevated temperature due to the continuous burning of the fossil fuels and ultraviolet B(UV-B) flux within the ozone hole. Light-dependent, temperature-sensitive, and fast-growing organisms respond to these physical and biogeochemical changes. Polar marine phytoplankton, which are pioneer endemic species and important carbon contributors in the polar waters, are therefore highly suitable biological indicators of such changes. By virtue of light requirement, the primary producers are exposed to extreme seasonal fluctuations in temperature, photosynthetically active radiation, and UV radiation. Local environmental warming and increased UV-B radiation during ozone depletion may have profound effects on the primary producers that are primary carbon producers in the polar water. Small changes in climate temperature and solar radiation may have profound effects on the activity threshold of the polar phytoplanktion. To demonstrate biological response to the environmental changes, standardized representative natural and biological parameters are needed so that replicate samples (including controls) can be taken over extended periods of time. In this paper, we review general characteristics of polar phytoplankton, their environment, environmental changes in the polar waters, the effects on the environmental changes to the polar phytoplankton, and the importance of the polar phytoplankton to understand the global environmental changes. [Biological indicators, Global environmental change, Polar phytoplankton, UV].